Weekly Water News

Weekly Water News

WES PREVIEW WEEK: 2-6 September 2002

Water in the News

A century old storm victim located -- Last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the discovery of the final resting place of the steamship Portland that sank during a storm off the Massachusetts coast on 27 November 1898 with the loss of 192 passengers and crew. A team of NOAA and University of Connecticut scientists using side-scan sonar imagery recently made the verification of this discovery. [NOAA News]
In a related item, NOAA scientists using a submersible research vessel located one of the Japanese midget submarines sunk off the entrance to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor by a US Navy ship approximately one hour before the Japanese attack on the Navy Yard on the morning of 7 December 1941. [NOAA News]

An oceans initiative unveiled -- Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., USN (ret.), the NOAA administrator and undersecretary of Commerce for oceans and atmospheres will describe the "White Water to Blue Water" Initiative at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. This "White Water to Blue Water" Initiative involves at least six federal agencies and represents an attempt to involve various disciplines in the management of the coastal-marine ecosystems with the ultimate goal to improve the management of the world's ocean resources. [NOAA News]

"Arsenic and Old Lakes" studied -- Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) report that nitrate pollution could affect the behavior of arsenic and other toxic metals (to include lead, cadmium and zinc) in some New England lakes. These metals have accumulated in the lakes from more than a century of pollution from local industry, while the nitrate pollution has resulted from automobile exhaust, fertilizers and wastewater disposal. [EurekAlert!]

Atmospheric effects on sea ice flow examined -- A researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center recently announced his discovery of the possible link between the sea-level atmospheric pressure pattern and the flow of sea ice through the Fram Strait, located between Greenland and Spitzbergen. He studied a 40-year record of the pressure patterns over the Arctic Ocean and the volume of sea ice. The flow of sea ice could also affect the thermohaline circulation in the ocean. [EurekAlert!]

An Arctic Oscillation could have hemispheric impact -- A scientist at the University of Washington recently noted that significant climatic change has occurred in the Arctic over the last three decades. He and other colleagues believe that these changes, which could affect the climate elsewhere in the hemisphere, could be associated with what is called the Arctic Oscillation, a seesaw oscillation in the pressure patterns over the polar and subpolar latitudes, resulting in changes in the winds and ultimately, the precipitation and temperature patterns in the Arctic and surrounding continental landmasses. The Arctic Oscillation could also be affected by human activity. [EurekAlert!]

An increase in the Antarctic sea ice cover reported -- Based upon satellite-derived records of sea ice from 1979 to 1999, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center recently noted that a substantially large area of sea ice surrounding Antarctica has experienced an increase in seasonal length. The sea ice season has extended by an average of one day per year in an area that is approximately twice the area where the season has become shorter. Satellite observations of the Arctic basin reveal widespread decrease in the length of the ice season. [EurekAlert!]

Effectiveness of CO₂ injection into the world oceans investigated -- Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory suggest that CO₂ injected into the world oceans at depths of 3000 meters is more effective at sequestering this greenhouse gas than at shallower depths. [EurekAlert!]

The sound of ocean waves studied -- Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography recently reported that the sound made by waves breaking along the shore depends upon the size distribution of the bubbles that have been entrapped in the ocean water. They also note that knowledge of the bubble size distribution could have importance in assessing the gas exchange between atmosphere and ocean, thereby influencing processes that affect the earth's climate. [Scientific American News]

Rip Currents Program unveiled -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) along with the National Weather Service (NWS) recently announced a public awareness and education program focusing upon rip currents, a potentially deadly hazard along coastal areas. Approximately 100 people annually in the United States are lost because of a deceptive ocean current that flows from just off the beach out to open water. Access to available to an informational webpage maintained by the Rips Current Program. [NOAA News] -- [We may want to keep this to a more appropriate time? EJH]

Concept of the Week: Touring the WES Homepage

Welcome to Water in the Earth System (WES)! You are embarking on a unique teacher-enhancement experience that focuses on water and energy flow in the global water cycle from an Earth system perspective. Throughout this learning experience you will be using the WES Homepage to access and interpret a variety of environmental information, including the latest observational data. The objective of this initial Concept of the Week is to explore features of the WES Homepage.

On Monday of each week of the course, we will post the current Weekly Water News that includes Water in the News (a summary listing of current events related to water), Concept of the Week (an in-depth analysis of some topic related to water in the Earth system), and Historical Events (a list of past hydrologic events such as major floods). When appropriate, Supplemental Information will be provided on some topic related to the principal theme of the week.

You will use the WES Homepage to access and download the second part of weekly Investigations A & B (plus supporting images) that begin in your WES Study Guide. These materials should be available by noon (Eastern Time) on Tuesday and Thursday. Click the appropriate buttons to download and print these electronic components of the investigations as well as your Chapter Progress and Investigations Response forms.

The body of the WES Homepage provides links to the Earth System, Atmospheric, Oceanic (Inland Seas), and Terrestrial Information, and extras--glossaries of terms, maps, educational links, and WES 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 WES Homepage.

Under Atmospheric Information, click on Water vapor (WV) Satellite. This is the latest satellite depiction of atmospheric water vapor at altitudes generally between 3000 and 7000 m (10,000 to 24,000 ft). Press your "back" button and then click on Latest WV Animation to view the movement of water vapor and clouds in the atmosphere. Although water vapor is an invisible gas, satellite technology makes it possible for us to "see" and follow the flow of water vapor in the atmosphere as part of the global water cycle. Bright white blotches are clouds; black indicates areas of very little or no water vapor and, at the other extreme, milky white signals a relatively high concentration of water vapor. Use the BACK button on your viewer to return to the WES Homepage.

The flow and transformations of energy are fundamental characteristics of the global water cycle. For a global view of the satellite-derived pattern of sea-surface temperatures, click on Sea Surface Temperatures under Oceanic (Inland Seas) Information. Note that the color scale at the bottom is in degrees Celsius and temperatures have been averaged over a 7-day period. (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.) Return to the WES Homepage.

As part of the global water cycle, precipitation that reaches the ground vaporizes back into the atmosphere, runs off into rivers and streams, seeps into the ground, or is stored in lakes or glaciers. Under Terrestrial Information, click on River Flood Conditions for the recent status of river levels monitored at various gauging stations around the nation. Note that in the Map Legend, river stage heights are compared to flood stage values. Now return to the WES Homepage.

Extras include color photographs arranged by week (chapter) to supplement your study of the WES textbook. For example, click on Chapter 1 and then click on the first thumbnail for an enlarged image with the caption, "Water in Three Phases."

Take a few minutes when you have time to browse the other data and information sources available via the WES Homepage. You may want to "bookmark" this page on your computer. Return frequently to get into the flow!

Concept of the Week: Questions

The latest WV Animation indicates that clouds and water vapor generally move from [(west to east)(east to west)] across the nation.
In the tropical Pacific, the highest sea-surface temperatures occur in the [(western)(eastern)] portion of the ocean basin.

Historical Events

2 September 1935...Perhaps the most intense hurricane ever to hit the U.S. struck the Florida Keys with sustained winds of over 155 mph with gusts exceeding 200 mph. The "Labor Day Hurricane" produced a fifteen-foot tide and waves thirty feet high. More than 400 persons perished in the storm on that Labor Day, including many World War I veterans building a bridge from the Keys to the mainland. The barometric pressure at Matecumbe Bay, FL hits a record low for the U.S. of 26.35 inches (or 892 millibars). (David Ludlum)
3 September 1821...A hurricane made landfall at Long Island, near the current J.F. Kennedy Airport, then moved through western Connecticut. The hurricane produced a record tide at New York City. (David Ludlum)
3 September 1970...During the early evening hours, in the midst of a severe hailstorm at Coffeyville, KS, a stone 17.5 inches in circumference and 1.67 pounds in weight was recovered. It was the largest measured hailstone in U.S. weather records. Average stone size from the storm was five inches in diameter, with another stone reportedly eight inches in diameter. (David Ludlum)
4 September 1939...A "Once-in-a-Hundred-Year" thunderstorm deluged Washington, DC with 4.4 inches of rain in two hours. September of that year was very dry across much of the nation, and Washington, DC received more rain in that two-hour period than most other places in the country that entire month. (David Ludlum)
4 September 1970...The greatest natural disaster of record for Arizona occurred. Unprecedented rains caused rivers in central Arizona to rise five to ten feet per hour, sweeping cars and buildings as far as 30 to 40 miles downstream. Flooding claimed the lives of 23 persons, mainly campers, and caused millions of dollars damage. Water crested 36 feet above normal near Sunflower, AZ. Workman's Creek was deluged with 11.40 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a state record. Moisture from Pacific Tropical Storm Norma led to the severe flooding. (4th-6th) (The Weather Channel)
4 September 1997...A 15 foot deep by 150 foot wide wall of water, mud, boulders and debris flowed down Mill Creek Canyon into Forest Falls, CA, where 2.5 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes. Roads, vehicles, houses and businesses were battered, with 3.5 million dollars in damage and two injuries. (Accord Weather Calendar)
5 September 1950...Hurricane Easy produced the greatest 24 hour rainfall in U.S. weather records up to that time. The hurricane deluged Yankeetown, on the upper west coast of Florida, with 38.70 inches of rain. This record has since been replaced by 43 inches of rain at Alvin, TX on 25-26 July 1979. (David Ludlum)
5 September 1991...A 5-foot deep by 200-foot wide wall of water rolled out of Newsome Creek approximately 2 miles southeast of Post, OR. One man drowned after the fence he was holding broke loose. Vehicles, animals and farm equipment were swept one to six miles downstream. (Accord Weather Calendar)
6 September 1667...A "Dreadful hurricane" hit Virginia with 12 inches of rain. It overturned houses, stripped the fields of crops and pushed tides 12 feet above normal. (Intellicast)
6 September 1992 (date approximate)...A downpour of rain near Bombay, India caused stampede of worshippers at a temple dedicated to Varuna, god of rain. Eleven people died. (Accord Weather Calendar)
7 September 1970...A lightning bolt struck a group of football players at Gibbs High School in Saint Petersburg, FL, killing two persons and injuring 22 others. All the thirty-eight players and four coaches on the field were knocked off their feet by the lightning discharge. (The Weather Channel)
8 September 1900...The greatest weather disaster in U.S. records occurred when a hurricane struck Galveston, TX. Waves fifteen feet high washed over the island demolishing or carrying away buildings, and drowning more than 6000 persons. The hurricane destroyed more than 3600 houses, and total damage was more than thirty million dollars. Winds to 120 mph, and a twenty-foot storm surge accompanied the hurricane. Following the storm, the surf was three hundred feet inland from the former water line. The hurricane claimed another 1200 lives outside of the Galveston area. (8th-9th) (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
Editor's note: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) posted a webpage commemorating the Galveston, TX hurricane of 1900. This page contains links to historic photos and excerpts of an eyewitness description of storm by the chief forecaster of the Galveston U.S. Weather Bureau Office.
9 September 1921...A dying tropical depression unloaded 38.20 inches of rain upon the town of Thrall in southeastern Texas killing 224 persons. The 36.40 inches that fell in 18 hours represents a record for the United States. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)