WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

DataStreme ECS BREAK WEEK: 6- 10 October 2014

This is Break Week 1 for the Fall 2014 offering of the DataStreme Earth Climate Studies course. This Weekly Climate News contains new information items and historical data, but the Concept of the Week is repeated from Week 5.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta climatology is available -- The world famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place near the beginning of each October; this year the 43rd annual event is scheduled for 4-12 October 2014. This nine-day festival involves as many as 750 hot-air balloons and is held over the Rio Grande Valley in the Albuquerque (NM) metropolitan area at this time of year because of the cool nights, sunny days and the lack of thunderstorm activity. Because of the cool autumn nights, the "Albuquerque Box" weather phenomenon occurs, which features light winds from the north near the surface draining down the Rio Grande Valley, while winds from the south aloft permit the balloons to move up and down in this box like feature so as to hover over a small geographic area. The Albuquerque National Weather Service Forecast Office has posted the Balloon Fiesta Climatology that includes the daily temperature and precipitation data for nearly each year of the event along with a further description of the "Albuquerque Box."
Monitoring the drought -- During this past summer, western sections of the nation continued to experience major drought. See how the drought is monitored and assessed by reading this week's Supplemental Information…In Greater Depth.

CLIMATE FORECASTS

Third-quarter 2014 Regional Climate Impacts and Outlooks reports released -- During the last week, NOAA and its partners released a series of eight regional climate outlooks for the third quarter of 2014 that are designed to inform the public of recent climate impacts within their respective regions. These regional future climate outlooks span the upcoming three months of July through September 2014. In addition, major climate events that occurred during the three months from October through December 2014 are discussed and historical seasonal assessments described. [US Drought Portal]
Canadian national seasonal outlook issued -- Forecasters with Environment Canada issued their outlooks for temperature and precipitation across Canada for October, November and December 2014, which represents the last months of meteorological autumn and the first month of meteorological winter. The temperature outlook indicates that nearly all of Canada, with the exception of the Yukon and Northwest Territories plus northern British Columbia in northwestern sections of that nation should experience above normal (1981-2010) temperatures for these three months. Only the afore-mentioned northwestern sections and a few scattered widely are northeastern Canada may have near normal temperatures.
The Canadian precipitation outlook for autumn and early winter of 2014 indicates that above average precipitation could be expected across a wide section of the nation, extending from coastal British Columbia eastward across the Prairie Provinces into northern sections of Ontario and Quebec and northward into the Canadian Archipelago in the Arctic. A small area of Ontario bordering Lakes Huron and Erie could see below normal precipitation for these three months. Elsewhere, near average autumn-early winter precipitation was anticipated.
[Note for comparisons and continuity with the three-month seasonal outlooks of temperature and precipitation generated for the continental United States and Alaska by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, one would need to use Environment Canada's probabilistic forecasts for temperature and precipitation.]

CLIMATE AND THE BIOSPHERE

Leaf peeping from space -- Two true-color images generated from data collected slightly more than one week ago by the MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite show fall colors around the Great Lakes and across New England. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Determining coral reef winners and losers -- The University of California Santa Barbara's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis recently reported on their evaluation of the ability of coral reefs to survive over various time scales increasing natural and human-caused stressors. The results show that while winners and losers will be found among the various coral species, a somewhat brighter picture of how corals may fare is seen as some species may be able to populate the world's oceans even as water temperatures rise with future global climate change. [The University of California Santa Barbara Current]

CLIMATE MODELING

More accurate model created for greenhouse gas emissions from peat lands -- Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory recently created a new model designed to more accurately describe the greenhouse gases likely to be released from Arctic peat lands as they warm. The scientists found that previous models have probably underestimated methane emissions, but overrepresented carbon dioxide emissions from these regions. [Argonne National Laboratory]

CLIMATE FORCING

Explaining the causes of extreme events in 2013 -- The report entitled "Explaining Extreme Events of 2013 From a Climate Perspective" was officially released last week that investigates the causes of 16 individual extreme weather and climate events that occurred on four continents in 2013. The report. Which was coauthored by scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) and the United Kingdom Met Office, identifies human-caused climate change as having contributed to the increased severity of 2013 heat waves in Asia, Europe and Australia. [NOAA News]
Wintertime ozone pollution in Utah oil and gas fields explained -- A new study made by NOAA and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder showed that chemicals released into the air by oil and gas activities in Utah's Uintah Basin can spark reactions that would lead to levels of ozone in wintertime sufficiently high to exceed federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) health standards. [NOAA News]

PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION

Explaining existence of abiotic oxygen in ancient Earth atmosphere -- Scientists at the University of California Davis have shown that abiotic (or "non-life") oxygen that could have formed in the early Earth atmosphere prior to the early photosynthesizing life forms approximately 2.4 billion years ago in a one step chemical process in which carbon dioxide would have been dissociated using ultraviolet light rather than a multiple step process involving the formation of carbon monoxide. [University of California Davis]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

This Concept of the Week is repeated from Week 5.

Concept of the Week: Keeping your cool!

In order to survive, humans need to maintain a nearly constant internal core temperature that is within several degrees of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Your internal temperature depends upon an energy balance involving the gain and loss of energy from radiation (incoming solar versus incoming and outgoing infrared radiation), sensible heat transfer (conduction and convection), latent heat of evaporation (respiration and perspiration) and the body's metabolic rate. This heat transfer depends upon the differences between skin temperature and the ambient air temperature of the surroundings. In addition, wind and atmospheric humidity can affect the rate of sensible and latent heat transfer. Problems arise when either too much or too little heat flows to or from the body, yielding hypothermia and hyperthermia (heat stress) conditions, respectively.

When the air temperature increases, heat flow from the body is often reduced. Heat flow can be increased to maintain stable temperatures involuntarily by thermoregulatory processes such as increased perspiration (sweating) and dilation of the blood vessels. Humans can also act to prevent hyperthermia by selecting lightweight and light colored clothes, as well as seeking of shade and well ventilated locations. Unfortunately, high atmospheric humidity that often accompanies high summer temperatures also reduces body heat loss since evaporative cooling by perspiration is suppressed. During the summer, the National Weather Service alerts the public of potentially dangerous combinations of high air temperature and atmospheric humidity levels by calculating the Heat Index.

Statistics kept by the National Weather Service reveals that heat (along with high humidity) is responsible for the greatest number of weather-related deaths across the nation during the 10-year period (2001-2010), with 115 fatalities occurring per year. By comparison, 116 fatalities per annum are caused by tropical cyclones (hurricanes and tropical storms), 56 deaths per year are associated from tornadoes and 25 deaths annually caused by the cold (low temperatures). (Note: The large number of fatalities associated with the hurricanes of 2005, which totaled 1016 deaths in the US due primarily to Hurricane Katrina, has inflated the annual averages associated with tropical cyclones.) Furthermore, concern has been raised that during this century, more frequent and more severe heat waves due to global climate change could become more common, leading to a greater risk of hyperthermia and, ultimately, to higher morbidity rates.

Concept of the Week: Questions

(Each week you will be asked to respond to two questions relating to that week's Concept of the Week topic. Place your responses on the Chapter Progress Response Form provided in the Study Guide.)

The heat index is a function of air temperature and [(atmospheric humidity),(wind speed),(sunshine levels)].
The annual number of fatalities across the nation in the last ten years due to heat stress is approximately [(15),(60),(120)].

Historical Events:

6 October 1952...A trace of snow fell at Nashville, TN, the earliest ever on record. (Intellicast)
6 October 1967...Canada's 24-hour rainfall record was established at Ucluelet Brynnor Mines on Vancouver Island in British Columbia with 19.24 in. (Accord Weather Calendar)
6 October 1984...The temperature at Honolulu, HI reached 94 degrees to establish an all-time record at that location. (The Weather Channel)
7 October 1981...Seattle, WA received four inches of rain in 24 hours, a record for the city. (The Weather Channel)
7 October 1987...Tucson, AZ hit 101 degrees for the second day in a row to again equal their record for the month of October. (The National Weather Summary)
7 October 1992...The 2.1 inches of snow that fell at Concordia, KS was the earliest measurable snow on record at that station. (Intellicast )
8 October 1871...Prolonged drought and desiccating winds from the southwest led to the great Chicago fire, the Peshtigo horror, and the Michigan fire holocaust. Fire destroyed more than seventeen thousand buildings killing more than 200 persons in the city of Chicago, while on the same night a fire consumed the town of Peshtigo, WI killing more than 1100 persons. In Wisconsin, a million acres of land were burned, and in Michigan, 2.5 million acres were burned killing 200 persons. "Tornadoes of fire" generated by intense heat caused houses to explode in fire, and burned to death scores of persons seeking refuge in open fields. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
8 October 1987...Phoenix, AZ reported a record high of 104 degrees and a record tying 116 days of 100-degree weather for the year. Tucson, AZ established an all-time record with 72 days of 100-degree weather for the year. (The National Weather Summary)
8 October 1988...The afternoon high of 80 degrees at Stampede Pass, WA exceeded their previous record for October by seven degrees. (The National Weather Summary)
8 October 1993...With 1.05 inches of rain that fell at Columbia, MO, the yearly total precipitation was pushed to 55.77 inches, breaking the annual record. (Intellicast)
9 October 1903...New York City was deluged with 11.17 in. of rain in 24 hours at Central Park to establish a state record, while 9.40 in. fell at Battery Park. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
9 October 1980...Nashville, TN reached 91 degrees, highest ever for so late in the season. Just three days earlier, a low of 31 degrees was reported, lowest ever so early in the season. (Intellicast)
9 October 1981...The temperature at San Juan, Puerto Rico, soared to 98 degrees to establish an all-time record for that location. (The Weather Channel)
10-16 October 1780...The most deadly Western Hemisphere hurricane on record raged across the Caribbean Basin, killing 22,000 people on the islands of Martinique, St. Eustatius, and Barbados. Thousands more die at sea. (The Weather Doctor)
10 October 1928...The temperature at Minneapolis, MN reached 90 degrees, their latest such reading of record. (The Weather Channel)
10 October 1967...Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island experienced its wettest day ever when 4.19 inches of rain fell. (The Weather Doctor)
10 October 1973...Fifteen to 20 inches of rain deluged north central Oklahoma in thirteen hours producing record flooding. Enid was drenched with 15.68 inches of rain from the nearly stationary thunderstorms, which established a state 24-hour rainfall record. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
10 October 1979...A storm blanketed Worcester, MA with 7.5 inches of snow, a record snowfall total for so early in the season for that location. The earliest measurable snowfall was recorded at Boston, MA with 0.2 inches falling. Blue Hill Observatory at an elevation of 635 feet had 7 inches. (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
10 October 1991...Sacramento, CA hit 100 degrees setting a daily record. It was also the latest 100-degree reading and the warmest so late in the season. (Intellicast)
11 October 1977...The wet community of Ketchikan, AK experienced its wettest day: 8.71 inches. (The Weather Doctor)
11 October 2005...A tropical depression, the former Hurricane Vince, became the first tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in Spain. (The Weather Doctor)
12 October 1979...The lowest observed sea-level barometric pressure (870 mb or 25.69 inches of mercury) was recorded approximately 300 miles west of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean at the center of Typhoon Tip. (The Weather Doctor)
12 October 1982...Angoon, AK received 15.20 inches of precipitation, to set a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the 49th State. (NCDC)
12 October 2006...With 0.3 inches of snow falling at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL set a new record for the earliest measurable snowfall since record-keeping began in 1871. The previous earliest date was 18 October in both 1972 and 1989. An unusually-early and intense lake-effect snow storm, resulted in 8.3 inches of snow that was measured at the official Buffalo, NY weather station on the 12th set a record for the snowiest October day in the station's 137-year history. The record did not last long, however, as the measurement on the morning of the 13th totaled10.9 inches. The two-day event totaled 22.6 inches (57.4 cm), breaking the October record for a single snowfall event. The storm was the sixth heaviest snowfall on record. (The Weather Doctor)

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