Weekly Ocean News

PREVIEW WEEK: 25-29 August 2008

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the tropics ---
- In the North Atlantic basin, Tropical Storm Fay moved to the west-northwest over the Caribbean Sea south of Cuba over last week. Fay made an initial landfall in Florida as it passed over the Florida Keys on Monday afternoon. Early Tuesday morning Fay made a second landfall along the southwest Florida coast to the south of Naples. Traveling to the north-northeast across the Florida Peninsula, Fay moved out over the western North Atlantic, but then made a third landfall along the northeast coast of Florida near Daytona Beach. The storm continued westward across northern Florida and after traveling over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, made a fourth landfall near Apalachicola. As of Sunday, Faye was traveling to the northwest across southern Alabama. An image generated from data collected from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA's Aqua satellite shows the clouds surrounding Tropical Storm Fay while it was off the east coast of Florida. [NASA Earth Observatory] Additional information and several images on Tropical Storm Fay can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
- In the eastern North Pacific, Tropical Storm Julio, the tenth named tropical cyclone of the 2008 hurricane season in that basin, formed off the west coast of Mexico late Saturday. By Sunday afternoon, this storm was moving to the north-northwest toward the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California.
- In the western North Pacific, Tropical Storm Nuri brushed the northern coast of Luzon in the Philippines last week. Typhoon Nuri, reached category 2 status on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it traveled across the South China Sea; note that a typhoon is the western North Pacific's equivalent to a hurricane. By late in the week, Typhoon Nuri made landfall near Hong Kong along the south coast of China. An image from the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite shows the clouds associated with Typhoon Nuri as it crossed the South China Sea toward southeastern China. [NASA Earth Observatory] Additional images plus a discussion of Nuri are available at the NASA Hurricane Page.
Dust affected the seasonal hurricane outlook -- Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and George Mason University report that from their analysis of satellite data, they suspect hot, dry and dusty air carried westward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean from dust storms over Africa's Sahara Desert appears to have been a major reason why the 2007 North Atlantic hurricane season was quieter than expected. [NASA GSFC]
New storm tide stations in Gulf serve as sentinels -- NOAA recently dedicated the first of four new "NOAA Sentinel" water level observing stations in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico offshore of Mississippi and Louisiana that will provide meteorological and water level data. These "hurricane hardened" stations are designed to withstand the winds and waves that would accompany a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson Scale. [NOAA News]
New marine weather web site unveiled -- NOAA, along with Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, through the University of North Carolina/Wilmington, has unveiled a Southeast Marine Weather Internet portal that has been designed to offer marine weather forecasts as well as real-time coastal wind and water information along the coastal waters of the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. [NOAA News]
Assessing the health of a marine sanctuary -- NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries recently released a peer-reviewed condition report on Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary that indicated the marine life and habitats this sanctuary off the Georgia coast to be in fair condition and that it could be facing emerging threats from non-native marine species and human activity. [NOAA News]
Awards in honor of a NOAA scientist -- Peter Wellenberger, manager of the NOAA Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, was recently presented the 2008 Dr. Nancy Foster Habitat Conservation Award. NOAA’s Fisheries Service established the Dr. Nancy Foster Award in 1997 to recognize leaders in habitat conservation. During her 23-year career in NOAA, Dr. Foster, was instrumental in protecting, conserving and restoring threatened habitats for living marine resources. [NOAA News]
Nine students from across the country have been selected as national recipients of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarships as outstanding graduate-level scholars in the fields of marine biology, coastal resource management, and maritime archeology. [NOAA News]
Isolated national park seen from space -- A high-resolution photograph taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station shows the three islands formed from coral reefs and the surrounding waters that form Dry Tortugas National Park, located approximately 75 miles west of Key West, Florida. [NASA Earth Observatory] (Editor's Note: The trip to this fascinating National Park should be considered by any naturalist or historian. EJH)
Tracking fish along the "Atlantic Salmon Highway" -- Researchers from NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center have implanted small acoustic tags on 150 Atlantic salmon smolts that are being tracked following release to determine their travels across sections of the North Atlantic. [Northeast Fisheries Science Center]
Algal bloom in the Barents Sea -- An image obtained recently from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows a bloom of phytoplankton, or marine algae, in the coastal waters of the Barents Sea off northeastern Norway. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Air quality in coastal cities degraded by ship smoke -- Measurements made by chemists at the University of California, San Diego indicate that dirty smoke produced by ships burning high-sulfur fuel at sea or in port can substantially degrade the air quality in port cities. [University of California, San Diego]
German research vessel traverses the Northwest Passage -- The German research vessel Polarstern was traveling through the Northwest Passage for the first time on its way to the East Siberian Sea where it will make measurements of the Arctic seafloor near the junction of the Mendeleev Ridge and the East Siberian Shelf as part of the International Polar Year. [Alfred Wegener Institute]
Century-long drought have happened in eastern North America's past -- Researchers at Ohio State University, at the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Minnesota have reconstructed a climate record from stalagmites from a cave for the last 7000 years that shows eastern North America was susceptible to extensive drought episodes that persisted for at least one century. The researchers suggest that the seven drought episodes, with a periodicity of approximately 1500 years were the result of reduced solar radiation that cooled the North Atlantic Ocean, resulting in less precipitation. [Ohio State University Research News]
Satellite images show breakup of Greenland's largest glaciers -- Researchers at the Byrd Polar Research Center at the Ohio State University who have been monitoring NASA satellite images of Greenland's glaciers on a daily basis report that the Northern Hemisphere's longest floating glacier continues to breakup during the last month. They predict that the glacier should disintegrate in the next year. [Ohio State University Research News]
An All-Hazards Monitor --This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
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]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Touring the DataStreme Ocean website

Welcome to DataStreme Ocean! You are embarking on a study of the world ocean and the role of the ocean in the Earth system. This unique teacher enhancement course focuses on the flow and transformations of energy and water into and out of the ocean, the internal properties and circulation of the ocean, interactions between the ocean and the other components of the Earth system, and the human/societal impacts on and responses to those interactions. Throughout this learning experience, you will be using the DataStreme Ocean website to access and interpret a variety of environmental information, including recent observational data. The objective of this initial Concept of the Week is to explore features of the DS Ocean website.

On Monday of each week of the course, we will post the current Weekly Ocean News that includes Ocean in the News (a summary listing of recent events related to the ocean), Concept of the Week (an in-depth analysis of some topic related to the ocean in the Earth system), and Historical Events (a list of past events such as tsunamis or specific advances in the understanding of oceanography). When appropriate, Supplemental Information will be provided on some topic related to the principal theme of the week.

You will use the DS Ocean website to access and download the weekly "Current Ocean Studies" (plus supporting images) that complement Investigations found in your Ocean Studies Investigations Manual. These materials should be available Monday morning. Click the appropriate links to download and print these electronic Current Ocean Studies and answer forms as well as your Chapter Progress and Investigations Response forms.

The body of the DS Ocean website provides links to the Earth System, information on Physical & Chemical, Geological, and Biological aspects of the ocean, Atmosphere/Ocean Interaction, the Great Lakes, and extras–a glossary of terms, maps, educational links, and DataStreme Ocean information. Following each section is a link to other sites that examine the various subsystems of the Earth system. Let's take a quick tour to become more familiar with the DS Ocean website.

Under Physical & Chemical, click on Sea Surface Temperatures. This image uses a color scale to depict the global pattern of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) (in degrees Celsius) averaged over a recent 7-day period and based on measurements by infrared sensors onboard Earth-orbiting satellites. (Depending on your browser, you may have to place your mouse cursor on the slide bar to the right and scroll down to view the entire image.) Compare SSTs in the Northern Hemisphere with those in the Southern Hemisphere. Return to the DS Ocean website.

Under Geological, click on Current Earthquake Activity. The USGS Current World Seismicity page provides a global map of the locations of seismic (earthquake) events color-coded for the past seven days. The size of the squares represents the magnitude of an earthquake. Note how earthquakes are concentrated along the margin of the Pacific Ocean. Details of recent earthquakes can be found by clicking on their map squares. Return to the DS Ocean website.

The ocean is home to a wide variety of habitats and organisms. Under Biological, click on Ocean "Color" (Productivity). This is a satellite-derived (SeaWiFS) color-coded map of biological productivity in the surface waters of the world ocean averaged from the year 1978 to date. Orange and red indicates the highest productivity and dark blue and violet indicate the lowest productivity. Note the vast areas of relatively low productivity over the central regions of the subtropical ocean basins. Individual months within this period may be chosen for viewing. Now return to the DS Ocean website.

Under Atmosphere/Ocean Interaction, click on TRMM Tropical Rainfall. The TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) page includes color-coded maps of the Monthly Mean Rainrate (in mm per day) across the tropics for the last 30 days ending on the present date. Changes in rainfall are linked to large-scale shifts in the atmosphere/ocean circulation in the tropics. Now return to the DS Ocean website.

Take a few minutes when you have time to browse the other data and information sources available via the DS Ocean website. You should "bookmark" ("favorites") this page on your computer. Return frequently to learn more about the many resources on the ocean in the Earth system. Bon voyage!

Concept of the Week: Questions

The latest global sea surface temperature map indicates that SSTs are generally higher over the [(western)(eastern)] tropical Pacific Ocean.
The USGS map of Current Earthquake Activity indicates that earthquakes appear to be more common along the [(east)(west)] coast of North America.

Historical Events

25 August 1885...A severe hurricane struck South Carolina causing $1.3 million damage at Charleston. (David Ludlum)
25 August 1927...The August Gale, a hurricane, raged across the East Coast, crossing the Cabot Strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the early morning hours. Hundreds of small boats in Newfoundland ports are among the storm's victims. (The Weather Doctor)
25 August -7 September 1979...Hurricane David crossed the island of Dominica on the 29^th, with winds to 145 mph. Roseau, the capital, was devastated. Fifty-six people were killed on Dominica and 60,000 of the island's 80,000 residents were made homeless. About three-quarters of the coconut and banana crop were destroyed. The central pressure in David fell to 924 mb (27.28 in.) on the 30^th as it moved south of Puerto Rico. At that time, highest sustained winds reached 173 mph. On the 31^st, winds of 150 mph from Hurricane David brought over $1 billion in damage to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, killing over 1200. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
26 August 1883...Krakatoa Volcano exploded in the East Indies. The explosion was heard more than 2500 miles away, and every barograph around the world recorded the passage of the air wave, up to seven times. Giant waves, 125 feet high and traveling 300 mph, devastated everything in their path, hurling ashore coral blocks weighing up to 900 tons, and killing more than 36,000 persons. Volcanic ash was carried around the globe in thirteen days producing blue and green suns in the tropics, and then vivid red sunsets in higher latitudes. The temperature of the Earth was lowered one degree for the next two years, finally recovering to normal by 1888. (David Ludlum)
26 August 1949...A hurricane made landfall at Delray Beach, FL. Winds reached 153 mph at the Jupiter Lighthouse before the anemometer failed. The hurricane caused $45 million damage to crops, and caught the Georgia and South Carolina coast resulting in another $2 million in damage. (David Ludlum)
26 August 1992...Hurricane Andrew made its second landfall along the Louisiana coast near Burns Point, as a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Morgan City recorded wind gusts of 108 mph. Hammond was deluged with nearly a foot of rain. Total additional damage was estimated at $1.8 billion. Andrew, which had made its initial US landfall in South Florida on the 24^th, was the most costly natural disaster in US history, with total damage reaching up to $30 billion. Additionally, record hurricane evacuation of 2.4 million people took place in Florida and Louisiana. (Intellicast) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
27 August 1881...As many as 335 people were lost in the Georgia Hurricane, especially severe at Savannah and Charleston, SC. (Intellicast)
27 August 1883...The after effects caused by the Krakatau explosion in Indonesia, including large tsunami waves of up to 300 feet, killed 36,000 people. The tsunami waves were powerful enough to cross the Indian Ocean and travel beyond Cape Horn. The most powerful blast was the most violent known in human history, was loud enough to be heard in Australia, and the shock wave was registered by barometers England. The huge amount of volcanic dust thrust high into the stratosphere eventually traveled around the world. The dust blocked sunlight causing temperature drops and chaotic weather patterns for several years afterward. (Wikipedia) (Today in Science History)
27 August 1893...The first of three great hurricanes that year struck South Carolina drowning more than 1000 persons in a storm surge at Charleston. Landfall was just south of Savannah, GA where sustained winds hit 120 mph. (David Ludlum)
27 August 1964...Hurricane Cleo battered Miami and the South Florida area, marking the first direct hit for Miami in fourteen years. Sustained winds of 100 mph gusted to 135 mph, and the hurricane caused $125 million in damage. (David Ludlum)
27 August 1995...Remains of Tropical Storm Jerry unloaded 12.32 inches of rain in 24 hours in Greer, SC, a record for 24 hours, for a rain event and for August. At Antreville, 17.00 inches fell in 24 hours, setting a 24-hour rainfall record for the Palmetto State. (Intellicast)
28 August 1965...CDR Scott Carpenter, USN, and nine aquanauts entered SeaLab II, 205 ft. below Southern California's waters to conduct underwater living and working tests. (Naval Historical Center)
28 August 1988...Tropical Storm Chris spawned a tornado near Manning, SC, which killed one person, and spawned three tornadoes in North Carolina. Chris produced one to two foot tides, and three to six inch rains, over coastal South Carolina. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
28-30 August 1839...A hurricane moved from Cape Hatteras, NC to offshore New England. An unusual feature of the hurricane was the snow it helped produce, which whitened the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Considerable snow was also reported at Salem, NY. (The Weather Channel)
28 August 1965...CDR Scott Carpenter, USN, and nine aquanauts entered SeaLab II, 205 ft. below Southern California's waters to conduct underwater living and working tests. (Naval Historical Center)
28 August 1988...Tropical Storm Chris spawned a tornado near Manning, SC, which killed one person, and spawned three tornadoes in North Carolina. Chris produced one to two foot tides, and three to six inch rains, over coastal South Carolina. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
29 August 1583...The Delight was wrecked on Sable Island, Nova Scotia during a heavy gale, blinding rain and thick fog. This was Canada's first recorded marine disaster, taking 85 lives. (The Weather Doctor)
29 August 1979…Winds associated with Hurricane David reached 145 mph as the hurricane crossed the island of Dominica. The capital city, Roseau, was devastated, with 56 fatalities and 60,000 out of a population of 80,000 left homeless. About three-quarters of the coconut and banana crops were destroyed. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
29 August 1988...The remnants of Tropical Storm Chris drenched eastern Pennsylvania with up to five and a half inches of rain, and produced high winds that gusted to 90 mph, severely damaging a hundred boats in Anne Arundel County, MD. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
29 August 2005…Hurricane Katrina, the costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in US history, made landfall along the Louisiana Gulf Coast southeast of New Orleans as a category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale after reaching category 5 status. Massive destruction was reported in coastal Mississippi and in New Orleans. As many as 1833 people reportedly died from Katrina in the US. (National Hurricane Center)
30 August 1913...The US Navy tested the Sperry gyroscopic stabilizer (automatic pilot). (Naval Historical Center)
30 August 1942…A hurricane weakened in moving 160 miles across south Texas from landfall at Matagorda to San Antonio, winds still gusting from 50 to 70 mph at San Antonio for more than five hours. Seventy of 75 planes were damaged at the city airport. Many trees were destroyed, but the famed Alamo's walls withstood the storm. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
31 August 1842...The U.S. Naval Observatory was authorized by an act of Congress. (Today in Science History)