Weekly Ocean News

DATASTREME OCEAN WEEK FIVE: 19-23 February 2007

Ocean in the News

(Thurs.) Ecological study of a New England marine sanctuary completed -- The NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have posted an online report on the results of a three-year study of the ecological health of the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary located between Cape Cod and Cape Ann along the Massachusetts coast, along with the Gulf of Maine region. [NOAA News]
(Thurs.) A view of the Antarctic Peninsula from space -- A recent image made by the MODIS instrument on one of NASA's satellites shows the Antarctic Peninsula with an assortment of features that include mountains, glaciers and the large ice shelf, along with a large semi-circular bay that had been occupied for at least 400 years by the Larsen B Ice Shelf that collapsed and disintegrated within the last five years. [NASA Earth Observatory]
(Thurs.) Worldwide comprehensive research network needed to assess Arctic change -- An Ohio State geologist called for the consolidation of data collected by scientists in the Arctic basin within a global observation network that would better help in the assessment of the environmental changes that are occurring across that basin. [Ohio State University News]
(Tues.) Little significant change in coastal contamination concentrations due to 9-11 is found -- Based upon their recent analysis of selected sites in the New York City metropolitan area's Hudson-Raritan Estuary, NOAA Mussel Watch Project scientists have found no significant change in the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls with sediment and mussels as a consequence of the collapse of the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001. [NOAA News]
(Tues.) Sustainable aquaculture is critically needed -- A scientific panel at the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Annual Meeting proclaimed that sustainable aquaculture that would provide healthy farmed seafood could help satisfy the increased global demand for healthy seafood that is now outpacing the ability of wild-capture fisheries to deliver. The National Fisheries Institute and the National Aquaculture Association were major participants in this panel. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) More lakes found under Antarctic ice -- Using data collected from NASA's Aqua satellite and the Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Goddard Space Flight Center have discovered and monitored a network of more than 100 lakes under the West Antarctic ice sheet that fill and empty with rapidly flowing water in a ice stream. The researchers claim that their analysis could help improve their forecasts of the worldwide changes in ocean level. [NASA Earth Observatory]
(Tues.) More big blooms from little creatures -- An oceanographer at Canada's University of Victoria recently reported that warming of the waters along the central California coast near San Francisco Bay could result in more toxic blooms due to more tiny plankton creatures called dinoflagellates. [EurekAlert!]
Name that ship! The NOAA administrator recently invited students in the sixth through the twelfth grade across the six New England States to name the first Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull Coast Mapping Vessel, which will map the seafloor along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, along with the Caribbean and the Great Lakes. This contest will continue through 30 March 2007. [NOAA News]
NOAA offers advice on seafood consumption -- NOAA officials are attempting to dispel the public's concerns following recent conflicting reports concerning the safety of seafood and that the global fisheries would collapse within the next four decades. [NOAA Magazine]
A review of January 2007 temperature trends across the US and the globe -- Scientists at the NOAA National Climatic Data Center recently reported that their analysis of global surface temperatures (combined land and ocean) for January 2007 indicates a January monthly record of 55.1 degrees Fahrenheit for the 128-year instrumental period of record. This reading was approximately 1.5 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century average. However, they found that the January temperature across the continental US was slightly less than one Fahrenheit degree below the 20th century average. The scientists point to a moderate El Niño circulation regime in the atmosphere and ocean that began to weaken by midmonth along with the continued increase in global temperatures as being responsible for the record global monthly temperature. The West, along with the Upper Mississippi Valley, the western Great Lakes and the Southeast experienced a January that was drier than average, while the southern Plains had much above average precipitation for the month. [NOAA News]
Japanese whaling ship caught fire off Antarctica -- A fire broke out onboard the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru with a 120-member crew in the Ross Sea off Antarctica last week. The fire was soon brought under control and essentially no fuel leaked into the coastal waters. [BBC News]
Caribbean volcano -- An recent image obtained by a MODIS sensor onboard one of NASA's satellites detected a plume of volcanic ash being carried westward across the Caribbean Sea from the Soufriere Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat. [NOAA OSEI]
Coastal ecosystem disturbed by weather-altered ocean currents -- Researchers at Oregon State University report that delays in the northerly winds along the Oregon and northern California coast during 2005 resulted in a corresponding delay in the seasonal development of upwelling along the coast and the southward moving cold, nutrient rich ocean current in late spring, which ultimately disturbed the coastal ecosystem. [EurekAlert!] These researchers have discovered that this "arrhythmia" along the coastal waters of the Pacific coast could be climate related, based upon their analysis of the long-term prevailing winds and the position of the jet stream. [EurekAlert!]
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: The Ocean and the Global Radiation Budget

The ocean is an important player in the radiational heating and cooling of Planet Earth. For one, covering about 71% of Earth's surface, the ocean is a primary control of how much solar radiation is absorbed (converted to heat) at the Earth's surface. Also, the ocean is the main source of the most important greenhouse gas (water vapor) and is a major regulator of the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), another greenhouse gas.

On an annual average, the ocean absorbs about 92% of the solar radiation striking its surface; the balance is reflected to space. Most of this absorption takes place within about 200 m (650 ft) of the surface with the depth of penetration of sunlight limited by the amount of suspended particles and discoloration caused by dissolved substances. On the other hand, at high latitudes multi-year pack ice greatly reduces the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the ocean. The snow-covered surface of sea ice absorbs only about 15% of incident solar radiation and reflects away the rest. At present, multi-year pack ice covers about 7% of the ocean surface with greater coverage in the Arctic Ocean than the Southern Ocean (mostly in Antarctica's Weddell Sea).

The atmosphere is nearly transparent to incoming solar radiation but much less transparent to outgoing infrared (heat) radiation. This differential transparency with wavelength is the basis of the greenhouse effect. Certain trace gases in the atmosphere absorb outgoing infrared and radiate some of this energy to Earth's surface thereby significantly elevating the planet's surface temperature. Most water vapor, the principal greenhouse gas, enters the atmosphere via evaporation of seawater. Carbon dioxide, a lesser greenhouse gas, cycles into and out of the ocean depending on the sea surface temperature and photosynthesis/respiration by marine organisms in surface waters. Cold water can dissolve more carbon dioxide than warm water so that carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere where surface waters are chilled (at high latitudes and upwelling zones) and released to the atmosphere where surface waters are heated (at low latitudes). Photosynthetic organisms take up carbon dioxide and all organisms release carbon dioxide via cellular respiration.

Concept of the Week: Questions

If the ocean's pack ice cover were to shrink, the ocean would absorb [(more)(less)] solar radiation.
All other factors being equal, if sea surface temperatures were to rise, the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolved in surface ocean waters would likely [(increase) (decrease)].

Historical Events

19 February 1473...Nicolaus Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy, was born in Torun in north central Poland. He was the first modern European scientist to propose that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun. (The History Channel)
19 February 1845...The Lighthouse Establishment was transferred to the Revenue Marine Bureau. Metal buoys were first put into service. They were riveted iron barrels that replaced the older wooden stave construction. (USCG Historian's Office)
19 February 1972...A vicious coastal storm dumped 10 to 20 inches of snow over interior sections of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast states and caused some of the worst coastal damage of the century in New England. Storm surges up to 4.5 ft and winds gusting over 80 mph along coastal Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine resulted in extensive property damage and tremendous beach erosion. Twenty-seven houses were destroyed and 3000 damaged in Massachusetts alone. (Intellicast)
19 February 1977...Using the research submersible Alvin, deep-ocean researchers John B. Corliss and John M. Elmond found an extraordinary oasis of life on the Pacific Ocean floor off the Galapagos Islands, including new types of worms, clams and crabs around geothermal hot water vents. These organisms appeared to depend upon bacteria oxidizing hydrogen sulfide contained in the volcanic gases spewing out of the hot springs. (Today in Science History)
20 February 1823...English Captain James Weddell and the brig Jane reached 74º 15' S, or 940 mi (1520 km) from the South Pole. His voyage reached farther south than anyone had ventured until the 1850s, as it was 214 mi south of the latitude that Captain James Cook had sailed.
20 February 1835...While in Chile, Charles Darwin experienced a strong earthquake and shortly thereafter saw evidence of uplift in the region. From measurements, he determined that the land rose several feet, and later hypothesized that coral reefs in the Pacific could develop along margins of subsiding landmasses. (Today in Science History)
20 February 1856...The John Rutledge, an American steamer that sailed from Liverpool, England for New York, hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Most of the 155 people onboard were lost.
21 February 1835...The HMS Beagle, along with Charles Darwin left Valdivia, Chile.
21 February 1907...During an exceptionally heavy gale, the British-owned mail ship Berlin hit dangerous shoals and broke up while attempting to navigate around the Hook of Holland in the English Channel. Only 14 on board survived, while 127 were killed or drowned.
22-26 February 1995...Cyclone Bobby slammed into the Western Australia coast causing widespread flooding. Some areas reported up to 12 in. of rain from the storm. (The Weather Doctor)
23 February 1802...A great snowstorm raged along the New England coast producing 48 inches of snow north of Boston and 54 inches of snow at Epping, NH. Three large (indiamen) ships from Salem were wrecked along Cape Cod by strong winds. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
24 February 1881...De Lesseps' Company began work on the Panamá Canal
25 February 1977...An oil tanker explosion west of Honolulu spilled 31 million gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean.