Weekly Ocean News

DATASTREME OCEAN WEEK ONE: 26-30 January 2009

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the Tropics -- Tropical cyclone (low pressure systems that develop over tropical ocean basins) activity continued in the South Indian Ocean basin.
Tropical Storm Eric had formed last weekend over the waters of the East Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar. Eric moved southward, brushing the coast of Madagascar before dissipating during the early part of last week.
Another system, Tropical Cyclone Fanele developed over the Mozambique Channel at the start of the week, traveled initially to the northeast and then to the southeast as it intensified to become a major category-3 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale just prior to its travel across southern Madagascar, where it caused significant damage. Fanele continued to travel to the southeast across the waters of the western South Indian Ocean before changing from a tropical to an extratropical storm system during the later stages of the week and finally dissipating over this just-concluded weekend. A visible image obtained from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor on NASA's Terra satellite shows the clouds associated with the recently formed Tropical Cyclone. [NASA Earth Observatory] (Editor's note: The swirl of clouds surrounding this Southern Hemisphere low-pressure system is in a clockwise direction, opposite that of what is seen for a corresponding system in the Northern Hemisphere. EJH) Additional information and satellite images for both Eric and Fanele can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
A tropical depression, identified as Tropical Depression 10, formed over the South Indian Ocean waters off the northwest coast of Australia on Sunday (local time).
New satellite to watch Earth's climate and weather to be launched -- NOAA officials have announced that a new polar-orbiting satellite, identified as NOAA-N Prime (with subsequent name change to NOAA-19 after it becomes operational), launched during the first week of February. This new satellite will have a variety of sensors that will monitor atmospheric and oceanic conditions that will provide data as part of the international Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) to be used in support of the agency's weather and climate forecasts. Search and rescue operations will also be improved by this satellite. [NOAA News]
Navy provided with sonar training guidelines to protect marine mammals -- NOAA's Fisheries Service recently released regulations to the US Navy that are designed to help protect marine mammals in the waters off the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico as the Navy's Atlantic Fleet conducts active sonar training in these waters. [NOAA News]
Debate on river dolphins pits science against emotion -- Federal wildlife officials ran into opposition from the public when they decided not to help a family of bottlenose dolphins in a frigid New Jersey river, even if the dolphins would die. [Newsday]
Channel Islands marine sanctuary plans released -- NOAA officials have recently released a set of documents that includes the final management plan, regulations and environmental impact statement for its Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary located off the southwestern coast of California. [NOAA News]
Revised recovery plan for threatened sea turtles released -- In a joint statement, NOAA’s Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced a final revised recovery plan for the Northwest Atlantic population of the loggerhead sea turtle, which is listed as a threatened species. [NOAA News]
Another view of global temperatures in 2008 -- Researchers at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) recently announced that their analysis of global temperatures shows that while 2008 appears to be the coolest calendar year since 2000, preliminary temperature data indicates it to be one of the tenth warmest since widespread temperature records began in 1880. Their map showing the global distribution of temperature anomalies (differences between observed and long-term average values) indicates the widespread cool surface waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean associated with an ongoing La Niña episode. [NASA Earth Observatory] The (GISS) global temperature analysis for 2008 differs slightly from that provided last week by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). [NOAA News]
Reconstruction of past global ocean temperatures could improve climate model reliability -- A team of researchers from Italy, France, Germany and the United States have created a new quantitative tool called MARGO (Multiproxy Approach for the Reconstruction of the Glacial Ocean Surface) that reconstructs the sea surface temperature from around the globe between 23,000 and 19,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum. One of the goals of the project is to provide high resolution historical data for improved climate models. [EurekAlert!]
Danube Delta sediments could help resolve "Noah's Flood" debate -- A geologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution along with Romanian colleagues who have analyzed sediment cores from the delta formed by eastern Europe's Danube River as it enters the Black Sea suggest that a flood which occurred approximately 9500 years ago along the Black Sea and often identified as "Noah's Flood" appears to be smaller than previously proposed by other researchers. [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution]
Deep-sea discoveries made from a scientific sub -- An international research team from the US and Australia using Jason, an autonomous submersible vessel, operated to depths of 6000 meters from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Research Vessel Thomas G. Thompson discovered new species of marine animals and obtained more evidence of the impact of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide upon deep-sea coral during a four-week scientific expedition in ocean waters off Tasmania. [CSIRO]
Coral health is threatened bacterial pathogens and rising temperatures -- Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and colleagues have found that a bacterial infection known as yellow band disease has sickened coral colonies and seems to worsened as water temperatures have increased. [EurekAlert!]
Water levels on Great Lakes sensitive to climate change -- Scientists from the US and Canada have reported that their analysis of Great Lakes water levels during the Holocene (since the last Ice Age approximately 11,000 years ago) indicates that these water levels are highly sensitive to climate changes, citing the dramatically low lake levels that caused the lakes to become disconnected from various rivers between 7900 and 7500 years ago during a time of extended dry climatic conditions. [EurekAlert!]
Better flood maps could help avert significant losses -- A report by the National Research Council conducted for NOAA and FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) indicates that more accurate FEMA flood maps containing high-accuracy and high-resolution land surface elevation data could help save lives and avoid significant damages and losses to property and infrastructure as a result of flood events. [EurekAlert!]
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

NOTE: This Concept for the Week is a repeat of that which appeared in last week's Weekly Ocean News.

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 Studies website to access and download the "Current Ocean Studies" (plus supporting images) that complement your Ocean Studies Investigations Manual. These materials should also be available by noon (Eastern Time) on Monday. Click the appropriate links to download and print these electronic components of the investigations as well as your Chapter, Investigations and Current Ocean Studies 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 recent earthquakes. 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 is averaged from October 1978 to date. Orange and red indicates the highest productivity, while 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

26 January 1700...The Cascadia Earthquake (magnitude 9) took place off the coast of British Columbia, as evidenced by Japanese records. Landslides and a tsunami destroyed many Native American villages along the coasts of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, including Vancouver Island. Japanese written history tells of a massive tsunami striking fishing villages the next day along the coast of Honshu, killing hundreds. (Wikipedia) (Today in Science History)
26 January 1983...The California coast was battered by a storm, which produced record high tides, thirty-two foot waves, and mudslides, causing millions of dollars in damage. The storm then moved east and dumped four feet of snow on Lake Tahoe. (22^nd-29^th) (The Weather Channel)
28 January 1946...Canada's greatest sailing ship, Bluenose, foundered on a Haitian reef; all hands were saved. Her likeness remains on the Canadian ten-cent coin. (Wikipedia)
28 January 1969...A series of storms that battered Southern California from the 18^th to the 28^th led to $125 million damage in the Los Angeles Basin, along with approximately 9 storm and traffic-related deaths in California. Twenty feet of water covered Sherman Island, a region that contains more than 10,000 dike-protected agricultural acres, when a dike failed. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
28 January 1971...A waterspout swept into Hawaii's Kailua Bay, then into the business and hotel district of Kailua-Kona, destroying or severely damaging a number of buildings including 40 apartment units and collapsing a 6-story hotel under construction. Amazingly, only four people were injured. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
29-30 January 1966...A hurricane that struck Samoa was responsible for 50 deaths, destroyed more than one-third of the homes and damaged the remainder. As many as 50,000 people were left homeless. Swains Island was leveled by the hurricane. Winds gusted to 100 mph at Pago Pago. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
29 January 1983...A series of Pacific coast storms finally came to an end. The storms, attributed in part to the anomalous ocean-atmosphere phenomenon, "El Niño," produced ocean swells 15 to 20 feet high that ravaged the beaches of southern California. Much of the damage was to homes of movie stars in the exclusive Malibu Colony. (The Weather Channel)
30 January 1790...The Original, the first boat specialized as a lifeboat to rescue people from stormy seas was tested on the River Tyne. This 30-foot long self-righting craft went out to shipwrecks for 40 years, saving hundreds of lives. William Wouldhave and Lionel Lukin both claimed to be the inventor of the first lifeboat. (Wikipedia) (Today in Science History)
30 January 1997...Surf up to 12 feet, with sets to 15 feet, pounded the north and west shores of Hawaii. A wave swept eight people into the ocean at Keane Point on Maui. Four tourists who were taking pictures of the waves drowned. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
1 February 1788...A patent for a steamboat was issued by the state of Georgia to Isaac Briggs and William Longstreet. The patent was the only one ever to be issued by Georgia, and first in the U.S. for a steamboat. Much development had to follow before the steamboat would be commercially viable. (Today in Science History)
1 February 1838...A U.S. patent (No. 588) was issued for the screw propeller to John Ericsson, (1803-89), a Swedish American engineer, who later designed and built the Monitor for the Union Navy in the War of the Rebellion. (Today in Science History)
1 February 1811...The Bell Rock Lighthouse was lit for the first time eleven miles off the east coast of Scotland. Using 24 lanterns, it began flashing its warning light atop a 100-foot white stone tower. As the oldest sea-washed lighthouse in existence, it was built by Robert Stevenson on a treacherous sandstone reef, which, except at low tides, lies submerged just beneath the waves. In the centuries before, the dangerous Bell Rock had claimed thousands of lives, as vessels were wrecked on its razor-sharp serrated rocks. (Today in Science History)
1 February 1953...An intense low-pressure system (966 millibars or 29.52 inches of mercury) swept across the North Sea. Wind speeds at Aberdeen, Scotland exceeded 125 mph. A storm surge of 13 feet, aided by a high spring tide, breached the dams in as many as 100 places along the Zuider Zee in The Netherlands, flooding 3.95 million acres or one-sixth of the country. More than 1800 deaths were attributed to drowning and 50,000 people were evacuated. In addition, this storm was responsible for the loss of 100,000 poultry, 25,00 pigs and 35,000 cattle. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)