DATASTREME WES WEEK THREE: 7-11 February 2005

• Icebreakers reach McMurdo -- Icebreakers finally broke a 94-mile path through the 10-foot thick sea ice so that an oil tanker and cargo ship could reach the McMurdo Station, the large US station on the coast of Antarctica. [USA Today]
• Satellites detect the calving of a new iceberg -- Satellite imagery obtained from polar orbiting satellites shows that a new iceberg named A-53 broke off Antarctica's Larsen Ice Sheet at the end of January. [NOAA News]
• Glaciers around the world on the wane -- Observations of mountain glaciers from around the world indicate that many of these glaciers have shrunk at increasing rates or disappeared during the last several decades as global temperatures increased. [USA Today]
• Global Earth Observation System of Systems Summit -- An international summit will convene in Brussels, Belgium in mid February to discuss and promote development of a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) that is intended to create a comprehensive linked system of environmental systems and data sets, which will be available for information and research on the global ocean and water cycle. [NOAA Magazine]
• No drought-buster in Nevada -- The Nevada State Climatologist warned last week that long range forecasts indicate dry weather across the Silver State in the next month, dashing earlier hopes that the heavy snows in early winter would be a sign that this winter's precipitation would break the five-year drought. [USA Today]
• Airline water quality worsens -- The US Environmental Protection Agency has reported that recent testing of drinking water available on many of the nation's airlines indicates an increase in the number of samples that failed federal safety standards. [US Water News Online]
• Chinese suspend work on hydroelectric projects -- The Chinese government has suspended work on 30 large construction projects, including hydroelectric projects at the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River as the result of alleged violations of environmental protection regulations. [US Water News Online]
• Charges filed in waste dumping -- The bus driver for the Dave Matthews band was accused of dumping 800 gallons of human waste from the bus as it crossed a bridge in Chicago, IL last summer, hitting a sightseeing boat on the river passing below. [US Water News Online]
• Working to save coastal wetlands -- Current research efforts aimed at investigating the rapid deterioration of the Louisiana coastal wetlands, along with efforts at restoring this ecosystem are being documented and made available to participating school systems by the JASON Expedition. [Jason Foundation]
• Rising temperatures and falling water levels could cause food scarcity -- An environmental group warns that a combination of forecasted rising global temperatures and falling water table levels could reduce farm yields, resulting in food scarcity in many areas of the world. [ENN]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods, and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
• Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

During the last decade, Great Lakes water levels declined significantly to near historic lows. Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie experienced their lowest water levels in 35 years with serious implications for lake-based activities. Over the past year or so, however, changes in weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed appear to have partially reversed the decline in water levels.

From 1997 to 2001, Lakes Michigan and Huron dropped by 104 cm (40.8 in.) and Lake Erie dropped by 96 cm (37.6 in.), encompassing the greatest three-year drop in lake levels since continuous records began in 1860. This dramatic decline in lake level was due to a combination of weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed. Rainfall, snowfall, and air temperature during winter and spring govern water levels of the Great Lakes in spring and summer. Spring melting of the winter snow pack in the watershed is an important contributing factor as is air temperature that ultimately governs evaporation rates. During the four year span from 1997 through 2000, lower than normal precipitation and above normal temperatures reduced the winter snow pack, decreased discharge on rivers flowing into the lakes, and accelerated lake evaporation. Although input of water into the Great Lakes was above the long-term average in Fall 2001, lake levels remained well below average because of less than the usual snow melt in the Spring of 2001 and less than normal winter ice-cover in 2001-02. (More open water translates into greater winter evaporation.)

Great Lakes water levels showed signs of recovery during 2002, but in early 2003, all the lakes were lower than the long-term average for that time of year. A cool wet summer in the eastern Lakes region, but dry summer weather across the west meant that lake levels for the upper lakes continued to remain below average, while the lower lakes had levels that returned to near average. The cool summer of 2004 was very similar to 2003, with below average precipitation across the western Lakes and above average rainfall over the eastern Lakes. While Fall 2004 was warm and dry across much of the Lakes, the eastern Lakes were cooler and wetter than average in December 2004 and the western Lakes continued to be warmer and drier. By early February 2005, Lakes Erie and Ontario had water levels that were above the long-term monthly average (0.30 m or 12 inches and 0.24 m or 9 inches, respectively). Lake Superior returned to average levels during Fall 2004 and by February 2005, levels were slightly above average (6 cm or 2 inches). Although the water level for Lakes Michigan and Huron was slightly above the level of one year ago, it remained approximately 30 cm (12 inches) below the long-term average in early February. (The Straits of Mackinac that link Lakes Michigan and Huron are so wide and deep that the levels of these two lakes are essentially the same.)

Low lake levels adversely impact commercial navigation, marinas, recreational boaters, and electric power facilities. Shallower than usual water requires expensive and environmentally damaging dredging to keep shipping channels navigable and ports open. Even with more dredging, some channels cannot accommodate the draft of heavily laden freighters. Reduced carrying capacity impedes transport of grain, coal, ore, and other raw materials to processing facilities and markets. In 2000, Lake Carriers transported 5% to 8% less cargo, sending prices higher. If storm winds cause near-shore water levels to fall, marinas, docks, and boat ramps may be temporarily inaccessible. The Great Lakes supply most of the potable water for lakeshore communities and cooling water for coal-fired and nuclear electric power plants located along their shores. A drop in water level may require costly repositioning of intake pipes. On the positive side, lower lake levels translate into broader beaches and wetland habitats and less shoreline erosion.

For more information on past, current, and anticipated Great Lakes water levels, go to http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/, a web page maintained by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). Records of Great Lakes water levels constitute one of the longest high quality hydrometeorological data sets in North America, dating back to about 1860. Lake level measurements are collected and archived by NOAA's National Ocean Service.

Concept of the Week: Questions

1. With rising temperatures, the rate of evaporation of water [(increases)(decreases)].
2. A trend toward snowier and colder winters and springs is likely to cause levels of the Great Lakes to [(rise)(fall)].

• 7 February 1920...A great four-day snow and sleet storm came to an end over New England and southeastern New York. Accumulations of 15 to 20 inches of ice, sleet, and snow were common, stalling traffic for weeks. (Intellicast)
• 7 February 1978...The worst winter storm of record struck coastal New England. The storm produced 27.5 inches of snow at Boston, and nearly 50 inches in northeastern Rhode Island. The fourteen-foot tide at Portland, ME was probably the highest of the century. Winds gusted to 79 mph at Boston, and reached 92 mph at Chatham, MA. A hurricane-size surf caused 75 deaths and 500 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)
• 8 February 1905...A cyclone hit Tahiti and adjacent islands killing some 10,000 people.
• 8 February 1987...A powerful storm produced blizzard conditions in the Great Lakes Region. Winds gusted to 86 mph at Janesville, WI and Cleveland, OH received 12 inches of snow. North winds of 50 to 70 mph raised the water level of southern Lake Michigan two feet, and produced waves 12 to 18 feet high, causing seven million dollars damage along the Chicago area shoreline. It was the most damage caused by shoreline flooding and erosion in the history of the city of Chicago. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 8 January 2001...The log-carrying ship, Leo Forest, lost much of its cargo as over 2300 logs went overboard approximately 400 miles north of Adak, AK. The ship lost power in waves that were greater than 35 feet and the loss of the logs caused the ship to list 10 degrees to port (left) with the bow three feet down. Fortunately, the ship made safe passage to Dutch Harbor for repairs. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 9 February 1994...A long-duration overrunning snowstorm combined with ocean effect snow resulted in big snowfall accumulations across east-coastal Massachusetts. Boston checked in with a two-day total of 18.7 inches for its greatest single storm snowfall since the great blizzard of 1978. 27.7 inches were recorded at Manchester-by-the-Sea and 24 inches fell at South Weymouth. Farther to the southwest, a foot of snow blanketed Newark, NJ. (Intellicast)
• 10 February 1940...USCGC Bibb and Duane made first transmissions as weather stations. (USCG Historian's Office)
• 11-22 February 1986...A series of storms dropped heavy snow on northern and central California; Bucks Lake had a storm total of 49.6 inches. The resultant flooding and mudslides killed 13, injured 67, and caused the evacuation of 50,000 people. Property damage was an estimated $400 million. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 12 February 1997...A combination of heavy surf and high winds contributed to the overturning of a U.S. Coast Guard motor life boat (MLB 44363) on a search and rescue mission when responding to a distress call from the sailing vessel Gale Runner in the stormy North Pacific Ocean off Washington State's Quillayute River Bar. Three of four crewmembers lost their lives in the first fatal sinking of this type of ship in its 35-year history. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (USCG Historian's Office)
• 13 February 1784...Ice floes blocked the Mississippi River at New Orleans, then passed into the Gulf of Mexico. The only other time this occurred was during the "Great Arctic Outbreak" of 1899. (David Ludlum)
• 13 February 1885...The "Friday the 13th" avalanche at Alva, UT killed sixteen persons, and left thirteen others buried for twelve hours before they were rescued. (David Ludlum)
• 13 February 1989...Showers and thunderstorms produced locally heavy rain and flash flooding from central Texas to western Pennsylvania. Up to ten inches of rain deluged western Kentucky in two days, with five-day totals ranging up to 13.16 inches at Gilbertsville Dam, KY. Flooding caused tens of millions of dollars damage, including 18 million dollars damage at Frankfort, KY. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 13 February 1997...Ocean swells generated by a storm well to the northwest of the Hawaiian Islands generated surf with heights to 20 feet and some sets to 25 feet along the northern shores of the islands. A professional surfer was killed by 25-foot surf at Alligator Rock on Oahu's North Shore. Lifeguards aided more than thirty people. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)

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Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2005, The American Meteorological Society.