Weekly Water News

Weekly Water News

WES PREVIEW WEEK: 3-7 September 2001

Water in the News

African dust could affect red tides in the Gulf of Mexico -- Researchers using imagery from polar orbiting satellites suggest that Saharan dust carried westward by prevailing tropical and subtropical winds could fall into the Gulf of Mexico. The iron associated with this dust fall is thought to stimulate toxic algae blooms in the Gulf that appear red, resulting in what is frequently called a "red tide". [NASA Goddard]

Crushing action of ice and rock probed -- Researchers from Dartmouth University recently reported on their work involved with the similar behaviors of both ice and rocks when compressed. Their work could provide for an improved understanding of fractures in underground rock formations and how they relate to the flow of toxic substances through groundwater systems. [Dartmouth]

Wood smoke over Great Lakes may be hazardous -- Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported at the recent national meeting of the American Chemical Society that smoke from campfires, wood stoves and fireplaces could be a source of air pollution over the Great Lakes, and represent a source of toxic chemicals for aquatic organisms in these lakes. [EurekAlert!]

Return of marine life near a deep-sea volcanic eruption examined -- A researcher at Rutgers University reported recently that aquatic life returned relatively rapidly around the hydrothermal vents on the floor of the Pacific Ocean following a lava flow that apparently destroyed life. [Rutgers]

Numerous wildfires blaze across the West -- Relatively high temperatures and an extended drought across the West have produced a relatively active wildfire season. [NCDC]

Pilot-less-planes ready to probe storms and hurricanes -- Four miniature planes called aerosondes are to be used by a team from the University of Colorado to probe storms and hurricanes in the vicinity of Jacksonville, FL through September. These 30-pound aerosondes, which will be flown into the middle of these storms, are equipped with instruments that will measure temperature, humidity and winds. The collected data will be transmitted to the National Hurricane Center near Miami, FL. [EurekAlert!]

Real estate rises and falls in L.A., literally! - USGS measurements of ground levels in the Los Angeles area rise and fall seasonally, presumably due to changes in groundwater levels. [LA Times]

Tsunami warning system being deployed - An underwater warning system for seismic sea waves, tsunamis, is being installed to give Pacific coast areas several hours warning of impending danger. [CNN]

Northwest drought dries up good will - The continuing drought in the Northwest is depleting reservoirs, causing competition for the water between farmers and environmentalists trying to save fish populations. [LA Times]

Peruvian glaciers may be shrinking from global warming - Tropical mountain glaciers have been shrinking, possibly from global warming. This loss of glacial ice also imperils local water supplies. [Wash. Post]

Water in space! - Water has been detected outside the solar system for the first time. Comets about a distant star contain water, an essential ingredient for life. [Wash. Post]

Earth diary -- A summary of the week's major environmental events on Planet Earth. [Pop. Sci.]

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 and accessing and interpreting 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.

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. (Note that 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. 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

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. A tide 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)