Accordingly, it has been very difficult to define
El Niño or an El Niño event. The term has changed
meaning: some scientists confine the term to the
coastal phenomenon, while others use it to refer to the
basinwide phenomenon, and the public does not draw
any distinction. There is considerable confusion, and
past attempts to define El Niño have not led to general
acceptance. Clearly, the term El Niño covers a
diverse range of phenomena. Earlier, Glantz and
Thompson (1981, 3–5) pointed out the numerous
meanings of El Niño and a general review of the terminology
confusion was given by Aceituno (1992).