Which mechanism amplifies coastal erosion rates along the eastern Pacific coastline during a strong El Niño event?

💡 Explanation

During El Niño, weaker trade winds and warmer waters cause stronger storm surge and elevated average sea level because thermocline depth is reduced, increasing wave energy hitting the coast due to enhanced longshore currents. Therefore, amplified wave energy causes increased erosion, rather than increased sediment deposition, weakened Coriolis effect, or decreased salinity, which have lesser direct links to immediate coastal erosion.

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