WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

11-15 August 2014

DataStreme Earth Climate System will return for Fall 2014 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 25 August 2014. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

The "Dog Days" officially end on 11 August, having begun the third day in July. Superstition has it that dogs tend to become mad during that time of the year. (The Weather Channel)
A Nighttime Show -- The annual Perseid meteor shower should peak in the predawn hours of Tuesday (12 August 2014) and Wednesday mornings. The Perseids, which are associated with the some bits of Comet Swift-Tuttle, are noted for being fast and bright, and often leave persistent trains. Typically, the Perseids are usually very active for several days before and after the peaks, often producing 30 to 60 meteors per hour. Unfortunately, the illumination from the recent full moon should interfere with viewing the Perseids. If the skies are clear in your area, go to a region that has few lights and look up and to the northeast during the early morning hours. See "ScienceCasts: Perseid Meteors vs the Supermoon".
Starting at 11:00 PM EDT on 12 August and running into the early morning hours of the 13th, astronomer Bill Cooke and his team from Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will answer your questions via a live web chat. A live Ustream view of the skies over Marshall Space Flight Center will also be offered, weather permitting, beginning at 9:30 PM EDT. [NASA]
Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2014 Campaign continues -- The series of GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaigns for 2014 will continue with a 10-night campaign starting on 15 August and running through 24 August. 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 (Hercules in the Northern Hemisphere, and Sagittarius 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. This campaign that will focus on Hercules will continue in July and August. [GLOBE at Night]
Nation's tide gauges help measure global sea level for nearly 200 years -- A review of the advancements in tide gage technology highlights how these gauges have been used to determine global sea level beginning with the first gauges deployed by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey nearly 200 years ago. [NOAA News]

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

Surface temperature pattern across the globe was unusual during late July 2014 -- A map of the land surface temperature anomalies (differences between actual and long-term averages) for two weeks ago (27 July-3 August 2014) as obtained from data collected by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite shows an unusual temperature pattern. Locations across eastern North America and western Europe were unusually cold (blue shading), while areas across western North America and northern Europe were unseasonably warm (red shading). [NASA Earth Observatory]

CURRENT CLIMATE MONITORING

Deadly thunderstorm strikes a Climate Reference Network station -- In addition to spawning a killer EF-1 tornado (on the Enhanced Fujita Scale), a severe thunderstorm that traveled across Tidewater Virginia on the morning of 24 July 2014 directly struck the Cape Charles U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) station, damaging one of its sensors used to monitor atmospheric wetness due to large hail. The tornado killed two and injured 36 at the Cherrystone Family Camping & RV Resort, while the thunderstorm produced 30 mph sustained winds and 50 mph 10-second gusts at the USCRN station located approximately five miles east of the campground. Record-breaking 5- and 10-minute precipitation rates were also reported at the station. [NOAA National Climatic Data Center News]
Mission officially ends for NASA solar monitoring spacecraft -- Scientists and engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently terminated efforts to reestablish contact with its Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM) satellite and declared its mission completed following nearly 14 years of monitoring the solar irradiance, or the total solar radiation reaching the Earth. This instrument (ACRIM III) that apparently suffered an age-related battery failure was the third in a series of satellite experiments that have contributed to a 36-year continuous satellite record of variations in total solar radiation. This record continues with solar irradiance data collected by several other satellites, including the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) launched in 2003 and the Total solar irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE) launched in 2013. An upcoming Total Solar and Spectral Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) mission is scheduled to be launched in 2016. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]
Increased amounts of mercury found in the global ocean -- An international team of scientists from the United States, France and the Netherlands report that data collected from twelve sampling cruises made over the last eight years indicates three times more mercury compounds have been found in the upper 100 meters of the global ocean since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. In addition, the entire global ocean has had an increase of approximately ten percent. A large fraction of the "bioavailable" mercury, which are forms of mercury that can be absorbed by various life forms, appears to be a byproduct of human activity, such as burning of coal and the making of cement. [ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution News Release]
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, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAAWatch]

CLIMATE FORECASTS

Hurricane season outlooks are updated -- With the typical peak in the annual Atlantic hurricane season expected in approximately six weeks, updated hurricane season outlooks were issued within the last week by two groups of long-range forecasters. These outlooks follow the occurrence of two hurricanes (Arthur and Bertha) in the North Atlantic basin (that includes the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico) by the first week of August :

The hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University, including Philip Klotzbach and William Gray, issued their updated August forecast for the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season. Their "Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and Landfall Strike Probability for 2014" calls for the remainder of the season to have below-average tropical cyclone activity, as conditions across the Atlantic basin appeared detrimental for hurricane formation despite the anticipated development of only a weak El Niño event during the remainder of this year. Specifically, sea surface temperatures across the "Atlantic Main Development Region" were lower than normal as of late July; secondly, sea level air pressures across the region were above normal, and thirdly, the vertical wind shear (change in wind speed and/or direction with altitude) throughout the Atlantic basin has been much stronger than normal. Although , the forecasters maintain that the total number of named tropical cyclones (maximum sustained surface winds of 39 mph or higher) for the entire season would be ten, with the two additional hurricanes (maximum sustained surface winds greater than 73 mph) forming in the Atlantic basin. The forecasters also anticipated one major hurricane (category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with winds of at least 111 mph). Furthermore, they also anticipate below-average probability of major hurricane landfalls along the coasts of the continental United States and the islands in the Caribbean. [The Tropical Storm Project]
Forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center(CPC) issued their updated North Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, which calls for a 70 percent chance of below-normal season for named tropical cyclones across the North Atlantic basin, a 25 percent chance of a near-normal season and only a five percent chance of an above-normal season. Specifically, their CPC updated outlook calls for a 70 percent chance that between 7 to 12 named tropical cyclones could form, including 3 to 6 hurricanes, along with as many as two major hurricanes. The forecasters claim that the below average season would be the result of: atmospheric conditions such as strong vertical wind shear, a weaker West African monsoon, increased atmospheric stability and sinking motion in the basin that would not be favorable for storm development. Furthermore, oceanic conditions across the basin do not appear favorable for storm development because of below-average temperatures across the tropical Atlantic. Development of an El Niño event could suppress storm development by increasing vertical wind shear, stability and sinking motion in the atmosphere. NOAA [NOAA News]
NOTE: For reference, the 30-year seasonal averages for the North Atlantic basin include 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion-- NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society recently released their El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion in which they found that above-average sea surface temperatures (SST) continued across the far eastern equatorial Pacific, but near average SSTs prevailed in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific during July 2014. Therefore, the chance of an anticipated El Niño event has decreased to 65 percent through this upcoming Northern Hemisphere autumn and early winter (September through December 2014). Consequently, NOAA's ENSO Alert System Status remains under an " El Niño Watch." [NOAA CPC/NCEP/NWS and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society]

CLIMATE FORCING

Weather forecasting serves as a model for predicting solar cycles -- Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) are collaborating with the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (NORDITA) to see how solar scientists can use weather forecasting techniques to improve predictions of the timing and extent of solar cycles. Circulation patterns of plasma or electrified gases in the Sun's atmosphere could be used to predict solar cycle evolution using data assimilation techniques on the NCAR advanced supercomputer called Yellowstone. Improved forecasting of solar activity is motivated by the impact that solar storms have upon satellites, power grids, communications and navigational systems. [NCAR/UCAR AtmosNews]
Aerosol studies designed to improve climate models -- A team of researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology are studying how changes in aerosol levels affect warm clouds over the ocean. They found that changes in aerosol levels have two main effects: by altering the amount of clouds in the atmosphere and by changing the cloud properties. The researchers used data collected between August 2006 and April 2011 by sensors onboard several satellites in the international constellation of Earth observing satellites known as the "A-Train" or Afternoon Constellation. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]
Strength and frequency of US tornadoes appear linked to changing climate -- A geography professor at Florida State University claims that changing climate may play a key role in affecting the frequency and strength of tornadoes striking the United States. He notes that the frequency of tornadoes has decreased in terms of the number of tornado days from 187 days in 1971 to 87 tornado days in 2013, while the intensity of the tornadoes has increased/ [Florida State University 24/7 News]

PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION

Ancient shellfish help reconstruct history of El Niño cycles over last 10,000 years -- Scientists from the University of Washington and France's University of Montpellier have used Pacific Ocean temperature information from ancient shells collected in Peru's Ica Valley to generate a reconstructed time-series of water temperatures for intervals spanning 100 to 1000 years during the past 10,000 years. Based on their reconstructions, they claim that El Niño events approximately 10,000 years ago were as strong and as frequent as those that occur during modern times. Their findings refute the previously held idea that El Niño events 10,000 years ago would have been weaker because of a different orbital configuration that would have affected the receipt of solar radiation by planet Earth, in accordance with the Milankovitch theory of climate change. The scientists offer the possibility of rapid melting of polar ice sheets could be a candidate to explain the inconsistencies between the two explanations of ancient El Niño events. [University of Washington News]

CLIMATE IMPACTS ON THE BIOSPHERE

Anoxic zone in tropical North Pacific may shrink from climate change -- An international team of scientists has recently determined that the anoxic zone or oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the eastern tropical northern Pacific Ocean was shrinking for most of the 20th century before beginning to expand during the last decade of that century. If the intensity of trade winds diminish in future decades as projected due to climate change, a contraction of the tropical North Pacific's largest anoxic zone could occur. Using seabed core samples, the scientists determined the extent of anoxia in the OMZs since 1850. [University of South Carolina News]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

Update on Billion-Dollar weather/climate disasters across US in 2013 -- During the last week researchers at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center released an updated version of its "2013 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters," adding two additional disasters bringing to nine the total number of billion-dollar weather and climate events across the nation in the calendar year of 2013. With the addition of an Illinois flooding and severe weather event in April 2013 and a Midwest severe weather event in August, the estimated cost of damages from the nine events was $23 billion dollars. NCDC also released several new tools designed to assist users in analyzing the data in terms of type, frequency and cost of the billion-dollar events by state and year, running from 1980 to 2013. [NOAA National Climatic Data Center News]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

11 August 1914...The temperature at Northwest River, Labrador soared to an all-time Labrador record high of 107 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 1933...The unofficial shade temperature at San Luis, Mexico reached 58 degrees Celsius (136.4 degrees Fahrenheit), for share of the world record with Aziziyah, Libya. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 1944...The temperature at Burlington, VT soared to an all-time record high of 101 degrees. (The Weather Channel)
11 August 2003...The temperature at Turin, Italy hit 107 degrees, marking the hottest day in over the 250 years that temperature readings have been recorded. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 2004...The temperature at Reykjavík, Iceland reached 76.6 degrees, the hottest day ever recorded in the city where record have been kept since the 19th century. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 2007...Dutch Harbor/Unalaska Airport, AK set its all-time high temperature with a reading of 81 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
12 August 1891...An 80-minute deluge, possibly related to a tropical storm system, pelted Vampo, CA with between 11.5 and 11.8 inches of rain. The observer measured, then emptied the rain gauge several times as it filled. No other U.S. storm has come close to producing this much precipitation in an 80-minute span. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
12 August 1933...The temperature at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, CA hit 127 degrees to establish the officially recognized U.S. record for the month of August. (The Weather Channel)
12 August 1936...The temperature at Seymour, TX hit 120 degrees to establish a state record. This Lone Star State record was later tied in June 1994. (The Weather Channel)
12 August 1985...With the span of two hours, 17.32 inches of rain fell at Gajo, Gansu, China, marking a worldwide record rainfall event for such a length of time. (NWS)
12 August 2001...The temperature at Osoyoos, British Columbia: rocketed to an all-time August record high for the province of 107 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
13 August 1991...The first rainfall recorded on this date in Stockton, CA since weather records began in 1906, when 0.05 inches of rain fell. (The Weather Doctor)
13-14 August 1987...Slow-moving thunderstorms deluged northern and western suburbs of Chicago, IL with torrential rains. O'Hare Airport reported 9.35 inches in 18 hours, easily exceeding the previous 24-hour record of 6.24 inches. The airport was closed due to extensive flooding, the first time ever for a non-winter event. Flooding over a five-day period resulted in 221 million dollars damage. It was Chicago's worst flash flood event, particularly for northern and western sections of the city. Kennedy Expressway became a footpath for thousands of travelers to O'Hare Airport as roads were closed. The heavy rains swelled the Des Plaines River above flood stage, and many persons had to be rescued from stalled vehicles on flooded roads. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
14 August 1936...Temperatures across much of eastern Kansas and western Missouri soared above 110 degrees. Kansas City, MO hit an all-time record high of 113 degrees. It was one of sixteen consecutive days of 100-degree heat for Kansas City. During that summer there were a record 53 days of 100-degree heat, and during the three summer months Kansas City received just 1.12 inches of rain. (The Kansas City Weather Almanac)
14-17 August 2003...Residents of Bismarck, ND wilted under a record string of four consecutive days with temperatures greater than 100 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
15 August 1946...Saint Louis, MO was deluged with a record 8.78 inches of rain in 24 hours. (The Weather Channel)
15 August 1995...Apalachicola, FL soared to 103 degrees to set all-time high temperature. (Intellicast)
15 August 2004...The weather station at Yakutat, AK reported its all-time maximum temperature: 88 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
16 August 1909...A dry spell began in San Bernardino County of southern California that lasted until the 6th of May in 1912, a stretch of 994 days! Another dry spell, lasting 767 days, then began in October of 1912. (The Weather Channel)
17 August 1885...Amos, CA hit 130 degrees to set the unofficial August U.S. high temperature record. (Intellicast)

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