WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DataStreme WES Week Ten: 7-11 November 2005

Water in the News:

(Thurs.) A view of a large artificial lake from space -- NASA recently posted a picture taken by an astronaut onboard the orbiting International Space Station of the large Lake Nasser, formed on the Nile River behind the Aswan High Dam. [NASA Earth Observatory]
(Thurs.) Plans for Louisiana wetlands lacking -- A National Academy of Sciences study says both the Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Louisiana fail to include restoration of wetlands as protective measures in rebuilding after Katrina. [CNN]
(Thurs.) Greenland ice sheet growth monitored from space -- According to the analysis of a Norwegian team of researchers, more than ten years of data obtained from radar altimeters onboard the European Space Agency's orbiting ERS satellites indicate that the elevation of interior sections of the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased by approximately 6 cm per year during the last decade. [ESA]
(Thurs.) Effects of Amazon drought could be long-lasting -- While relief efforts have provided help to residents of Brazil's Amazon River Basin who have been attempting to survive the worst drought in the basin in decades, experts indicate that the damage to the region's health and economy could persist for years. [ENN]
(Thurs.) African lakes are strained by human pressures -- A report, entitled "Africa's Lakes: An Atlas of Environmental Change," by the UN Environmental Programme has warned that the more than 600 lakes in Africa are being strained by demands from increased human population. [ENN]
(Tues.) Poultry waste in rivers cause interstate suit -- Arkansas is seeking permission in the US Supreme Court to sue Oklahoma for its attempt to impose water standards on streams with potentially high levels of poultry waste that cross the Oklahoma-Arkansas border because of what is viewed as a violation of a federal law and a 35-year old interstate agreement. [ENN]
(Tues.) Development planned for the Salton Sea -- The Salton Sea Authority, which manages California's largest lake approximately 90 miles northeast of San Diego, is seeking approval to build as many as 200,000 homes around the lake. However, this lake is on a major flyway for migratory birds and some of the adjoining property was a former nuclear weapons test site. [US Water News]
(Tues.) Chemical solution to cleaning Salton Sea proposed -- Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have proposed that two types of chemical treatment could be employed to remove phosphorous and silt from the river waters entering California's Salton Sea. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Donation made to protection of the Baltic Sea -- The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that a Swedish investor has donated $63 million to help protect the Baltic Sea from pollution. [ENN]
(Tues.) Cloud seeding sought to increase Wyoming snowfall -- Water officials in Wyoming have approved a five year study that would lead to artificial cloud seeding, which they hope would increase snowfall across the mountains in the Cowboy State by over 10 percent. [USA Today]
(Tues.) Where to escape natural disasters? -- With increased public awareness of recent natural disasters ranging from hurricanes, tornadic thunderstorms, blizzards and earthquakes, the question is raised as to where one can go to be safe from these disasters. In the opinion of a variety of experts, few places are immune to natural and human threats. [USA Today]
(Tues.) New England winters getting milder? -- USGS streamflow gauging station records from 1936 to 2000 show 20 fewer days iced-up river conditions over the period on 9 rivers with the longest records. Twelve of the 16 studied showed average earlier melts by about 11 days. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Snow machines have a Southern flavor -- A Cuban-born inventor has invented and manufactures a machine that produces snow for a variety of users ranging from amusement parks to movie companies. The machines are produced in the Tennessee Valley of northern Alabama. [USA Today]
(Tues.) Northwest ski resorts open -- The storms and weather systems have already brought enough snow or at least temperatures to make it, for ski resorts over much of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana to have slopes open. Last year's El Niño-like conditions were too warm for a good season. [USA Today]
Chesapeake Bay is in warm water -- The MODIS sensor onboard the polar orbiting NASA Aqua satellite indicates that surface waters of Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary, were warmer during August 2005 than the previous three summers. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Katrina could be downgraded -- Based upon analysis of a variety of data, hurricane specialists at the National Hurricane Center are considering downgrading the strength of Hurricane Katrina from a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale to a category 3 system when it made landfall on the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf coasts in late August 2005. [USA Today]
Snow in Northwest leads to happy skiers -- Ski resort operators in Washington State and Oregon were very happy with the recent heavy snow that has permitted these resorts to open early, especially in view of the meager snows during several recent winters. [USA Today]
And now there are 3 (icebergs) -- Using satellite imagery from polar orbiting satellites, scientists at the National Ice Center have discovered that the large B-15A iceberg in the waters off Antarctica has split into three icebergs, identified as Icebergs B-15M, B-15N and B-15P. [NOAA News]
A soggy October in the Northeast -- Climatologists at the Northeast Regional Climate Center and the National Weather Service report that the 15 cities in the Northeastern States set new monthly maximum precipitation records for October during the recently concluded October 2005. Of these, five sites recorded all-time precipitation records for any month. [USA Today]
Too many pharmaceuticals found in nation's waterways -- Experts from a variety of fields have found that a wide variety of pharmaceuticals are appearing in the nation's rivers at sufficiently high levels so as to affect aquatic life. These pharmaceuticals are entering the streams relatively unaltered since sewage plants are currently not required to remove these chemicals from the water. [US Water News]
California water supplies could be devastated by earthquakes An official with the California Department of Water Resources cautioned that a major earthquake in northern California could severely damage the water supplies for approximately two-thirds of the residents of the Golden State for more than one year. [ENN]
An incentive not to irrigate -- State water regulators in Nebraska are seeking ways to fund a program that would provide monetary incentives to farmers to retire cropland from irrigation in the Cornhusker State. [US Water News]
Level is up on Great Salt Lake -- Based upon recent data from a US Geological Survey gage, experts say that the level of Utah's Great Salt Lake should return to near normal readings in the next several years, following several years of drought that reduced the lake level. [ENN]
Alarming changes in polar ice caps and ocean levels foreseen -- Using a coupled climate and carbon cycle model to assess the future global climate, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have found that the planetary temperature could rise 8 Celsius degrees by the year 2300, with a possible 20 Celsius degree increase in polar temperatures, that would result in a melting of the ice caps, an increase in sea level by 7 meters and a change in the ocean's carbon chemistry. [EurekAlert!]
Uncertainty involved with protecting Colorado River -- Scientists continue to ponder a variety of attempts aimed at restoring the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon of Arizona to conditions before the construction of the upstream Glen Canyon Dam [ENN]
Improved measurement of UV radiation effects could be useful for safe tap water -- Researchers at Duke University have developed a technique that could measure the effects of UV radiation dosage upon microorganisms, thereby increasing the possible use of UV radiation as a means of improving the safety of the nation's tap water. [EurekAlert!]
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]
Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Water in Microclimates

Water is an important component of the planetary-scale climate system, playing a key role in the global radiation balance (e.g., the greenhouse effect) and large-scale transport of heat (e.g., latent heat transfer and ocean currents). The global climate system exhibits considerable spatial variability so that Earth is a mosaic of numerous climate types and water is often an important factor in distinguishing between individual climates. Hence, for example, the climate of a desert differs from that of a rainforest primarily because of differences in precipitation totals and potential evaporation rate.

Climate (long-term average atmospheric conditions) also varies on smaller spatial scales. Here, we consider examples of how the local water and heat energy budgets vary on the scale of microclimates, having horizontal dimensions from less than 1 m to 100 m (3.3 ft to 330 ft) and vertical dimension from Earth's surface to an altitude of 100 m (330 ft).

All other factors being equal, afternoon air temperatures tend to be lower over an irrigated farm field than over a non-irrigated field. Where soils are wet, more of the available heat is used to evaporate water (latent heating) leaving less to raise the temperature of the soil surface and overlying air (sensible heating). In the Northern Hemisphere, snow tends to persist longer and the growing season is shorter on the shaded north- and east-facing hill slopes (facing away from the sun) than on south- and west-facing slopes (facing the sun). In portions of the Rocky Mountains, the sunnier, drier, and warmer south-facing slopes are sparsely vegetated by grasses, ponderosa pine, and juniper. Meanwhile, dense stands of fir and spruce grow on the shaded, moist, and cooler north-facing slopes.

Trees, sand dunes, buildings and other obstacles slow the wind and reduce the wind's ability to transport material (including soil particles) in suspension. Farmers take advantage of this effect by constructing shelterbelts (or "windbreaks") that reduce wind erosion of soil and modify the microclimate. A shelterbelt may consist of a fence or multiple rows of trees or bushes planted upwind of an agricultural field--usually perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. In the winter, snow-bearing horizontal winds slow as they encounter a shelterbelt. The wind's ability to transport snow diminishes and snow accumulates on the field immediately downwind of the shelterbelt. The air spaces within a snow cover make it a relatively poor conductor of heat so that the snow cover protects the underlying soil from deep penetration of subfreezing temperatures. In areas where winter wheat is grown, the snow cover protects the dormant plants from potentially damaging fluctuations in soil temperature. Snow trapped by shelterbelts also increases the local supply of soil moisture that becomes available during the spring thaw. Furthermore, slowing the wind reduces the evaporation of soil moisture. Significant increases in crop yields can be attributed to the microclimatic effects of shelterbelts.

Climatic contrasts are also evident between forested and non-forested areas. Wind speed diminishes considerably within a forest--as much as 60% to 80% at a distance of only 30 m (100 ft) into a deciduous forest. Weaker winds coupled with reduced solar radiation reaching the forest floor (due to the forest canopy) decreases the amount of evaporation from the forest floor. However, the relatively high rate of transpiration by forest vegetation more than compensates for the reduction in evaporation from the forest floor. Overall, the air in a forest tends to be somewhat more humid than the air over a nearby non-forested area. Even tall field crops such as corn have a similar effect on the microclimate.

Concept of the Week: Questions

In the Northern Hemisphere, snow is likely to persist longer on the shaded [(north-) (south-)] facing slope of a hill.
The relatively high humidity in forested areas is primarily the result of relatively high [(precipitation) (evaporation) (transpiration)] occurring in forested areas.

Historical Events:

8 November 1876...Two days of rain dumped 4.9 in. on Fredericton, New Brunswick. The rail line near Lawrence Station was washed out causing the derailment of the morning St. John-Fredericton run. (The Weather Doctor)
8 November 1914...On this date the longest "official" rain-free time span on record for the U.S. of 767 days ended in Bagdad, CA. Some meteorologists question the accuracy of this record kept by railroad employees at that time. (Accord Weather Calendar)
8 November 1876...Two days of rain dumped 4.9 in. on Fredericton, New Brunswick. The rail line near Lawrence Station was washed out causing the derailment of the morning St. John-Fredericton run. (The Weather Doctor)
8 November 1914...On this date the longest "official" rain-free time span on record for the U.S. of 767 days ended in Bagdad, CA. Some meteorologists question the accuracy of this record kept by railroad employees at that time. (Accord Weather Calendar)
9 November 1913...The "Freshwater Fury," a rapidly deepening midlatitude cyclone, caused unpredicted gales on the Great Lakes. Seventeen ships, including eight large ore carriers on Lake Erie sank drowning 270 sailors. Cleveland, OH reported 17.4 in. of snow in 24 hrs, and a storm total of 22.2 in., both all-time records for that location. During the storm, winds at Cleveland averaged 50 mph, with gusts to 79 mph. The storm produced sustained winds of 62 mph at Port Huron, MI, wind gusts to 80 mph at Buffalo, NY and buried Pickens, WV under three feet of snow. (9^th-11^th) (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
9 November 1932...An unnamed hurricane struck Cuba, with winds reaching approximately 210 mph at Nuvitas. However, a storm surge was the main killer of 2500 of the 4000 residents of Santa Cruiz del Sur. Essentially no storm records exist, as the observer drowned, with records and instruments washed away. (Accord Weather Calendar)
9-11 November 2001...More than the average month's total (3.7 inches) of heavy rains fell on Algiers, Algeria in just a few hours. The resulting massive floods and mudslides devastated northern Algeria and killed more than 700 people causing nearly $300 million worth of damage. (The Weather Doctor)
10 November 1835...A severe storm crossed the Great Lakes with 19 ships lost and 254 sailors killed. (Intellicast)
10 November 1975...Another "freshwater fury" hit the Great Lakes. A large ore carrier on Lake Superior, the Edmund Fitzgerald, sank near Crisp Point with the loss of its crew of 29 men. Eastern Upper Michigan and coastal Lower Michigan were hardest hit by the storm, which produced wind gusts to 71 mph at Sault Ste Marie, MI and gusts to 78 mph at Grand Rapids, MI. Severe land and road erosion occurred along the Lake Michigan shoreline. A popular hit song by Gordon Lightfoot was inspired by the storm. (David Ludlum) (Accord Weather Calendar)
Editors note: The National Weather Service Forecast Office at Marquette, MI created a web page commemorating the 25^th anniversary of the sinking and describing the advances in marine weather forecasting over the last quarter century. EJH
10 November 1993...Violent storm over the Black Sea closed the Russian oil terminal port of Novorossisk for 20 days. "Bora" winds reported as high as 112 mph sank at least seven ships. (The Weather Doctor)
11 November 1099...Violent storm in the North Sea killed 100,000 people in England and The Netherlands. (The Weather Doctor)
12 November 1956...(date approximate) The crew on the icebreaker USCGC Glacier saw what may have been the world's largest iceberg. Observed about 150 miles west of Antarctica's Scott Island, the iceberg was about 60 mi wide by 208 mi long, or roughly the size of Maryland. (Accord Weather Calendar)
12 November 1968...New England was battered by the third severe coastal storm in only 5 days. An intense low crossed Long Island and produced wind gusts to 100 mph at Block Island, RI. Tides ran 5 to 10 ft above normal in some places with severe coastal flooding and property damage. Rockland, ME recorded a wind gust of 86 mph. Winds reached 90 mph in Massachusetts. Up to 10 in. of snow fell at some of the higher elevations, bringing the totals for the three storms to as much as 60 in. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
12 November 1974...A great Alaska storm in the Bering Sea caused the worst coastal flooding of memory at Nome, AK with a tide of 13.2 ft. The flooding caused $12 million damage; however, no lives were lost. (David Ludlum)
12 November 1980...A fringe rain band from Hurricane Jeannie in the Gulf of Mexico let loose a deluge of 23.38 in. of rain in 24 hrs at Key West, FL, an all-time 24-hr record. (Intellicast)
13 November 1946...General Electric scientists, led by Vincent J. Schaefer, produced snow from a natural cloud over Mt. Greylock in the Massachusetts Berkshires in the first modern day cloud seeding experiment. An airplane spread small pellets of dry-ice (frozen carbon dioxide) for three miles at a height of 14,000 ft. Although the snow fell an estimated 3,000 feet, it evaporated as it fell through dry air, and never reached the ground. (The Weather Channel) (Today in Science History)
13 November 1970... A cyclone swept over Bangladesh, then known as East Pakistan, pushing a 49-foot storm surge against the coast at high tide. Flooding killed an estimated 500,000. Over 50 million people were affected by the storm rain, wind and surge. (The Weather Doctor)
13 November 1998...The youngest son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and two companions were swept into Kokanee Lake in British Columbia's Kokanee Glacier National Park by an avalanche while on a backcountry ski trip. The companions swam to shore, but the young Trudeau drowned. (Accord Weather Calendar)
13 November 2002...The single-hulled oil tanker Prestige sank off Spain's Galician coast, causing a huge oil spill. (Wikipedia)

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