WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

13-17 July 2015

DataStreme Earth Climate System will return for Fall 2015 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 24 August 2015. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Zenithal Sun -- Residents of Honolulu will experience a noontime sun that would be directly overhead late this week (15-17 July). This occurrence of a zenithal sun is one of the two times during the year when the noontime sun is directly overhead to residents of Honolulu and the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. The other time when Oahu experienced a zenithal sun was in late May. [US Naval Observatory, Data Services]
Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2015 Campaign continues -- The seventh in the series of GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaigns for 2015 continues as a 10-night campaign that runs through Thursday 16 July. GLOBE at Night is a worldwide, hands-on science and education program designed to encourage citizen-scientists worldwide to record the brightness of their night sky by matching the appearance of a constellation (Bootes in the Northern Hemisphere and Scorpius in the Southern Hemisphere) with the seven magnitude/star charts of progressively fainter stars. Activity guides are also available. The GLOBE at night program is intended to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution. Over the summer, the next GLOBE at Night campaign will be on 5-14 August. [GLOBE at Night]
Remembering the deadly 1995 Midwestern heat wave -- NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly the National Climatic Data Center) posted a feature that describes the intense heat wave that spread across a large section of the Midwest, which resulted in the deaths of 583 people in the Chicago (IL) metropolitan area because of the extended heat. This heat wave began on 12 July 1995 and continued for four days, with daytime temperatures across the region reaching 104 degrees and nighttime temperatures falling only to the upper 70s and low 80s because of high levels of atmospheric humidity. The combination of triple digit air temperatures and dewpoints in the upper 70s and low 80s resulted in heat indices reaching 125 degrees. [NOAA NCEI News]

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

Planetary water budget balanced with new estimates of liquid assets -- Scientists at NASA'S Goddard Space Flight Center and their colleagues have recently published a newer estimate of the Earth's water budget that includes improved estimates of the liquid portion of the global water cycle based upon the flow of water between various reservoirs between 2000 and 2010. Water cycle estimates were calculated for each of seven continents and nine ocean basins; in addition monthly estimates for the globe and each region. In their evaluation, they used satellite observations and computer models that included analysis of the planet's energy budget. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]
Monitoring annual mass budgets of southern Alaskan glaciers -- Scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Washington have been conducting airborne surveys of the glaciers across southern Alaska and neighboring sections of Canada's Yukon Territory and British Columbia for nearly two decades. They have produced maps showing the changes in the mass balance of these glaciers between 1994 and 2013, expressed in terms of the depth of water that would result if that ice were melted (or meters of meltwater equivalent). While most glaciers across southern Alaska and nearby northwestern Canada showed a mass loss because of melting, several glaciers experienced an increase in mass. Meltwater from the region's glaciers is entering the Gulf of Alaska. [NASA Earth Observatory]

CURRENT CLIMATE MONITORING

Determining river sizes from satellites -- Hydrologists from the University of North Carolina have developed a method from estimating the size of rivers using satellites. This new method represents an improvement over the previous method of estimating river size using hydrological methods. A new database of river discharges across North America was developed using satellite images from NASA's Landsat 5 and 7 satellites. The North American River Width Data Set (NARWidth) is intended to be used in a wide variety of scientific and engineering applications. In addition, NARWidth is part of a broader scientific effort to prepare for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission to be launched in 2020 that is designed to map water elevation and areal extent with high resolution. [NASA Earth Observatory]

CLIMATE FORCING

Tracking heat storage in near-surface layer of world's oceans -- Ocean scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that extra heat is being stored below the ocean surface during the last decade, explaining why the upward trend in global temperatures appeared to level in what was dubbed to be a global warming "hiatus." The researchers found that the waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans at depths between 10 and 300 meters below the surface warmed significantly. An animated map of the global ocean basins shows the patterns in the trends of water temperatures between 2003 and 2013 taken at four different layers of the ocean. However, eastern sections of the Pacific Ocean experienced cooling during this recent decade. Apparently, the cool phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation has had an impact on the surface waters and overlying air masses of the Pacific basin. [NASA Earth Observatory]

CLIMATE FORECASTS

El Niño advisory continues -- Sea surface temperatures (SST) continued to increase across central and eastern sections of the equatorial Pacific during June 2015. During this month, the SST anomalies. or differences between actual and long-term average readings increased by more than one Celsius degrees in some sections of the basin. These increases in the SST anomalies, together with other atmospheric indicators, point to the existence of at least a moderate El Niño event. Consequently, forecasters with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) have continued their El Niño advisory that indicates the continuation and possible strengthening of an El Niño event during the next six months. These forecasters foresee that a greater than a 90 percent chance that this El Niño event would continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2015-16, while they view this event has an approximately 80 percent chance of continuing into early spring 2016. A detailed El Niño/Southern Oscillation Diagnostic Discussion with supporting maps and charts is available from CPC.
Severe harmful algal bloom predicted this summer for western Lake Erie -- Scientists from NOAA and the partner institutions of Ohio Sea Grant, Ohio State University, Heidelberg University and University of Toledo predict a significant harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie this summer, because of heavy June rains that caused heavy nutrient runoff into the lake basin. The 2015 seasonal forecast is based upon numerical models that involve assessing and predicting the nutrient runoff. [NOAA News]

CLIMATE AND THE BIOSPHERE

Coral bleaching threat seen to increase in Pacific and western Atlantic Oceans -- Scientists associated with the NOAA Coral Reef Watch program recently warned that unusually warm ocean waters prevailing across the north Pacific, equatorial Pacific, and western Atlantic oceans could be responsible for greater bleaching of corals in the Northern Hemisphere oceans through October, with the possible death of corals over a large area, which would also affect the long-term supply of fish and shellfish. The Hawaiian reefs were beginning to experience major heat stress due to the rising ocean temperatures. [NOAA News]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

Independence Day fireworks causes a short-term particulate matter spike in the atmosphere -- Scientists at NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory recently reported that their analysis of the observations from the 315 air quality monitoring sites that operated across the United States from 1999 to 2013 showed a surge in the fine particulate matter in the atmosphere (identified as PM2.5) during the evening hours on the 4th of July or Independence Day because of the widespread discharge of fireworks for the holiday. [NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research News]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

13 July 1975...Dover, DE was deluged with 8.50 inches of rain to establish a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the state. (The Weather Channel)
13 July 1996...Heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Bertha caused roads to washout in the Camden, ME area. Two people were hurt when they drove into a 600-pound boulder that had fallen onto the roadway due to the heavy rain. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
14 July 1886...Los Angeles, CA had its greatest 24-hour July rainfall with 0.24 inches. (Intellicast)
14-15 July 1911...Baguio, Luzon, Philippines reported 46 inches of rain, which represents Asia's greatest 24-hour rainfall: (The Weather Doctor).
14 July 1886...Los Angeles had its greatest 24-hour July rainfall with 0.24 inches. (Intellicast)
14-15 July 1911...Baguio, Luzon, Philippines reported 46 inches of rain, which represents Asia's greatest 24-hour rainfall: (The Weather Doctor).
15-16 July 1916...A dying South Atlantic Coast storm produced torrential rains in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Altapass, NC was drenched with 22.22 inches of rain, a 24-hour rainfall record for the Tarheel State, and at the time, a 24-hour record for the U.S. (The current 24-hour rainfall record for the US is 43 inches set 25-25 July 1979 at Alvin, TX). Flooding resulted in considerable damage, particularly to railroads. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast) (NCDC)
15 July 1983...The Big Thompson Creek in Colorado flooded for the second time in seven years, claiming three lives, and filling the town of Estes Park with eight to ten feet of water. (The Weather Channel)
15 July 1989...Thunderstorms drenched Kansas City, MO with 4.16 inches of rain, a record for the date. Two and a half inches of rain deluged the city between noon and 1 PM. Afternoon thunderstorms in South Carolina deluged Williamstown with six inches of rain in ninety minutes, including four inches in little more than half an hour. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
15 July 1993...Four-inch diameter hail fell at Hot Springs, SD. In North Dakota, Jamestown recorded 6.40 inches of rain, Fargo 5.09 inches and Bismarck 4.08 inches. (Intellicast)
15 July 2001...Rain fell at 3.91 inches per hour in Seoul, South Korea, the heaviest amount since 1964. In total, 12.2 inches of rain fell in Seoul and Kyonggi. The rain was responsible for 40 reported fatalities. (The Weather Doctor)
17 July 1987...Slow-moving thunderstorms caused flooding on the Guadalupe River in Texas resulting in tragic loss of life. A bus and van leaving a summer youth camp stalled near the rapidly rising river, just west of the town of Comfort, and a powerful surge of water swept away 43 persons, mostly teenagers. Ten drowned in the floodwaters. Most of the others were rescued from treetops by helicopter. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
17-18 July 1996...Heavy rains were responsible for unprecedented flooding across north central and northeast Illinois, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Aurora, IL received 16.91 inches of rain, which established a new 24-hour precipitation record for the Prairie State. Approximately 60 percent of the city's homes were affected by flooding. At Romeoville, 10.36 inches of rain fell. Interstates were closed and some towns were isolated. Rampaging floodwaters scoured out roads near Dayton, leaving gravel and sand deposits to twenty feet high. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
18 July 1889...A cloudburst in West Virginia along the small creeks in Wirt County, Jackson County and Wood County claimed twenty lives. Rockport, WV reported 19.00 inches of rain in two hours and ten minutes that Thursday evening, setting a 24-hour precipitation record for the Mountain State. Tygart Creek rose 22 feet in one hour, and villages were swept away on Tygart, Slate, Tucker, and Sandy Creeks. (The Weather Channel) (NCDC)
18 July 1942...A record deluge occurred at Smethport in northern Pennsylvania, with 30.70 inches in just six hours. The 24-hour rainfall total for the day was 34.50 inches, which set a maximum 24-hour precipitation for the Keystone State. The downpours and resultant flooding in Pennsylvania were devastating. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast) (NCDC)
18 July 1955...In Martinstown, England, eleven inches of rain fell in a 15-hour period on this day believed to be the 24-hour greatest rainfall for the United Kingdom. (The Weather Doctor)
18-19 July 1979...A 30-foot high tsunami wave leveled four Indonesian villages on the Sunda Islands during the night. The wave swept 1500 feet inland, causing 589 deaths among the sleeping villagers. A landslide from Mount Werung (Lomblen Island) caused the tsunami. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
18-21 July 1996...Between six and twelve inches of rain fell on an already saturated Saguenay River Valley of Quebec, producing Canada's first billion-dollar disaster ($1.5 billion). Flooding destroyed or damaged 1718 houses and 900 cottages. Ten people were killed and 16,000 were evacuated. Roads and bridges disappeared. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (The Weather Doctor) (Wikipedia)
18 July 1996...Aurora, IL received 16.91 inches of rain, which established a new 24-hour precipitation record for the Prairie State. (NCDC)
18-22 July 1997...Hurricane Danny, the only hurricane that made landfall in the continental US in 1997, moved inland into coastal Alabama at a snails pace. Radar storm total estimates of 43 inches over Mobile Bay. A torrential 32.52 inches of rain fell on 19-20 July at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, establishing a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for Alabama. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
19 July 1886...A hurricane from the Gulf of Mexico crossed Florida causing great damage from Cedar Keys to Jacksonville. This was the third hurricane in one month to cross the Florida peninsula. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
19 July 1955...The Yarkon Water Project was opened to supply water to Negev desert in Israel. The Yarkon "flows" through the most densely populated areas of the country to the Mediterranean. The river has deteriorated rapidly since the 1950's due to excessive draining for irrigation by the National Water Carrier, with marked decline in water quality, animal habitats, flora and fauna. The National Water Carrier (1964), which crosses Israel from north to south, is the 81-mile main artery connecting all regional water projects in the State. (Today in Science History)
19 July 1974...A severe thunderstorm with winds to 80 mph and up to two inches of rain washed out four to five foot deep sections of roadway in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Three persons in a station wagon died as it was carried 3000 feet down a wash by a ten foot wall of water. (The Weather Channel)
19 July 1977...Thunderstorms produced torrential rains over parts of southwestern Pennsylvania. Some places in the Johnstown area received more than twelve inches in a seven-hour period. The heavy rains cause flash flooding along streams resulting in widespread severe damage, representing the "second Johnstown flood", second to the more disastrous flood in May 1889. The cloudburst flooded Johnstown with up to ten feet of water resulting in 76 deaths, countless injuries, and 424 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
19 July 1994...Hurricane Emilia was the first of three Category-5 hurricanes to develop in the Central Pacific in 1994 as unusually warm sea temperatures prevailed south of Hawaii. Sustained winds reached 160 mph. (Intellicast)
19 July 2006...Charlwood, England melted under the highest temperature ever recorded in Britain in July at 97.3 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)

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