WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DATASTREME WES WEEK THREE: 18-22 September 2006

Water in the News

(Thurs.) Death toll rises from India, Bangladesh storms -- At least 95 are dead and a thousand missing from wind and rains of widespread storms. Torrential rains and flooding swept people away and destroyed houses. [USA Today]
(Thurs.) Human activities could help raise ocean temperatures in hurricane breeding grounds -- Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Center for Atmospheric Research report that their computer models indicate that increases in greenhouse gases due to anthropogenic effects appear to have been responsible for increases in the ocean temperatures especially in those areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that key hurricane breeding grounds. [UCAR/NCAR]
(Thurs.) China's capital city could run out of water -- Without capping population growth, Beijing, China's capital and host of the upcoming 2008 Olympics, runs the risk of running out of water because of insufficient precipitation and water supplies that can support the current rapid rate of population growth. [ENN]
(Thurs.) Fuel cell membranes could aid desalination efforts -- Researchers at Virginia Tech report that a polymer membrane currently used for fuel cells appears to be resistant to degradation by chlorine, making it a suitable substitute for current polyamide membranes used in reverse osmosis desalination processes that remove salt from seawater. [EurekAlert!]
(Thurs.) Air quality research effort commences along western Gulf Coast -- The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory is leading a joint study of the air quality across east Texas and the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. A large team of scientists from the federal, state, university and private sectors are participating in this study called Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS) that also involve several instrumented aircraft, a research ship and numerous land and sea-based sensors are [NOAA News]
(Thurs.) Arizona physicists model the icicle -- After mathematically describing the growth of stalactites, Arizona physics reserchers applied the model to explain the growth of icicles. An Internet view of icicles compared to the model. The rising air warmed by latent heat of freezing is crucial to the continuing surface growth. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Area of wintertime Arctic sea ice shrinks -- A research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center who has been studying satellite data of the polar ice since 1979 has found that the maximum area of the sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean has shrunk by at least six percent during each of the last two winters, reaching record low readings, as abnormally high wintertime temperatures have been found across the basin. [NASA Earth Observatory] Similar findings have been made by also a team from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [NASA Earth Observatory] Images and a graph are also available. [NASA GSFC]
(Tues.) Validation of satellite data is made -- Scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center and the Dryden Flight Research Center have been collecting data using high altitude aircraft in order to obtain "ground-truth" and validate the data obtained from the CloudSat and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellites. These satellites, launched last April, have already provided scientists with unprecedented images of cloud particles and aerosols. [NASA Earth Observatory]
(Tues.) Antidepressants disrupt freshwater mussel reproduction-- Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and North Carolina State University recently reported that laboratory tests indicate that chemical derivatives from a commonly prescribed antidepressant appear to interfere with the reproductive cycle of freshwater mussels. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Great Lakes could suffer fate similar to Aral Sea -- Peter Annin, an environmental author, recently noted that the North American Great Lakes could suffer a fate similar to the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan unless steps are taken to limit indiscriminant water withdrawal. Major diversions of water by the former Soviet Union have caused the Areal Sea, once the earth's fourth-largest inland water body, to shrink by approximately half. [US Water News Online]
(Tues.) Vegetable oil could help aquifers -- Researchers a Clemson University and at the Savannah River National Laboratory testing vegetable oils have found that these edible oils could help cleanup chlorinated solvents that contaminate groundwater aquifers. [Clemson News]
(Tues.) European polar-orbiting weather satellite to be launched -- The European Space Agency recently announced that the MetOp-A, Europe's first polar-orbiting weather satellite, is scheduled to be launched on 7 October from a site in Kazakhstan. This satellite, the first in a new series of European operational weather satellites, is intended to compliment the agency's Meteosat geosynchronous satellites and the NOAA POES (Polar Orbiting Satellites) fleet. [ESA]
(Tues.) Bluegills on duty -- Government agencies are using the fish to warn of widespread irritants in the water. The behavior of the senstive fish can be detected and used as an alert system to possible contaminants. [Wash. Post]
Eye on the tropics -- During the last week several tropical cyclones (low pressure systems that form over tropical or subtropical oceans) developed and moved across tropical waters:
- In the North Atlantic basin, the newest hurricane is Hurricane Helene, which formed last week off the coast of Africa south of the Cape Verde Islands and migrated to the west-northwest. This hurricane was a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A visible satellite image obtained from NOAA's GOES-12 satellite shows Tropical Storm Helene at the end of last week to the north of the northern coast of South America. [NOAA OSEI] The previous hurricane, Gordon was the first hurricane in the Atlantic this season to become a major hurricane as it reached Category 3 status. It developed in the western tropical Atlantic and moved northward and then northeastward, passing well to the east of Bermuda. An image obtained from data collected by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite shows this powerful hurricane late last week. [NASA Earth Observatory] Earlier, Hurricane Florence brushed by Bermuda as it made its way northward across the Atlantic. An image obtained from the MODIS sensor onboard NASA's Terra satellite as this hurricane was passing Bermuda. Subsequently, Florence lost its tropical characteristics as it moved into the northern waters of the Atlantic. [NASA Earth Observatory]
- In the Eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Miriam formed well off the Mexican coastline and was moving northward on Sunday. Earlier, Hurricane Lane formed and moved parallel to the western coast of Mexico, becoming a Category 3 hurricane. By Sunday, Lane had made landfall along the Mexican coast and was weakening quickly to tropical depression status. Heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides along the mountainous coast of Mexico and winds downed trees and power lines. This former hurricane was responsible for at least three fatalities. [CNN]
Cloud streets are seen from space -- An image made from data collected by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite shows an array of cloud elements called cloud streets off an Antarctic ice shelf that are arranged in parallel rows resulting from the persistent offshore wind regime. [NASA Earth Observatory]
El Niño appears to make a return -- Last week, scientists with the Climate Prediction Center reported that tropical waters across the Pacific have warmed sufficiently and a particular pattern of tropical rain over Oceania has developed for them to conclude that a anomalous atmospheric and oceanic circulation regime as El Niño has begun. They also suggest that this El Niño event could persist into early 2007. This event, usually associated with above average sea-surfaces in the eastern Pacific, could have implications concerning the remainder of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season and produce a variety of anomalous winter weather regimes in midlatitudes, such as across the US and Canada. [NOAA News]
Drought ruins crops across the South -- Although recent rain has fallen across the Southern States, for the most part this rain is too little and too late to save many of the crops that farmers across these states depend on for livelihood. The Southeast has been added to the ranks of areas suffering from severe drought, joining the southern and central Plains that continue to experience extreme drought conditions. [USA Today]
Droughts may be "normal" -- A climatologist from the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, NE reports that drought across many areas of the US is not uncommon, but the US continues to react to these droughts as unexpected emergencies. In addition, a political scientist from the Australian National University in Canberra will report that Australia had developed policies that are designed to handle drought conditions and encourages the US to do likewise. Pending legislation in the US Congress could authorize funding for the National Integrated Drought Information System currently implemented by NOAA. [EurekAlert!]
Teachers involved with polar science in the Arctic -- Teachers from Alaska, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Sweden and England have been conducting in polar atmospheric and oceanic research through participation in the "Arctic Expedition for K-12 Teachers", organized in part by the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. [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.

THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX -- The Autumnal Equinox will occur early Saturday morning or late Friday night (officially at 0403Z, 23 September 2006 or 12:03 AM EDT or 11:03 PM CDT Friday, 22 September, etc.). At that time the noontime sun will appear directly above the equator, representing one of the two times during the year for such an occurrence, with the other being at the vernal equinox in March. The term "equinox" arises from the fact that this time of year represents "equal night" and equal day essentially everywhere. Within the subsequent several days, the length of daylight will become noticeably shorter. This decrease in daylight will continue for another three months to the winter solstice late Thursday, 21 December 2006.

Concept of the Week: Great Lakes Water Levels

In recent years, Great Lakes water levels declined significantly to near historic lows. In late 2000, Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie experienced their lowest water levels in 35 years with serious implications for lake-based activities. Over the past year or so, however, changes in weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed appear to have somewhat reversed the decline in water levels, but they still remain below long-term averages.

From 1997 to 2001, Lakes Michigan and Huron dropped by 104 cm (40.8 in.) and Lake Erie dropped by 96 cm (37.6 in.), encompassing the greatest three-year drop in lake levels since continuous records began in 1860. This dramatic decline in lake level was due to a combination of weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed. Rainfall, snowfall, and air temperature during winter and spring govern water levels of the Great Lakes in spring and summer. Spring melting of the winter snow pack in the watershed is an important contributing factor as is air temperature that ultimately governs evaporation rates. During 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000, lower than normal precipitation and higher than normal temperatures reduced the winter snow pack, decreased discharge on rivers flowing into the lakes, and accelerated lake evaporation. Although input of water into the Great Lakes was above the long-term average in Fall 2001, lake levels remained well below average because of less than the usual snow melt in the Spring of 2001 and less than normal winter ice-cover in 2001-02. (More open water translates into greater winter evaporation.)

Great Lakes water levels showed signs of recovery during 2002, but in early 2003, all the lakes were lower than the long-term average for that time of year. A cool wet summer in the eastern Lakes region, but dry summer weather across the west meant that lake levels for the upper lakes continued to remain below average, while the lower lakes had levels that returned to near average. The cool summer of 2004 was very similar to 2003, with below average precipitation across the western Lakes and above average rainfall over the eastern Lakes. By mid September 2004, Lakes Erie and Ontario had water levels that were above the long-term monthly average. However, following a dry spring and summer of 2005, lake levels of the upper (or western) Lakes fell below long-term averages and remained below average into 2006. Continued drought and unseasonably warm weather across sections of the Upper Midwest during the summer of 2006 caused the level of Lake Superior to fall to approximately 26 cm ( 10 in) below the long-term average by September 2006 and the levels of one year ago. The levels of Lakes Michigan and Huron were about 54 cm (21 in) below the long-term average at the start of September 2006. (The Straits of Mackinac that link Lakes Michigan and Huron are so wide and deep that the levels of these two lakes are essentially the same.) On the other hand, the lower lakes had received sufficient precipitation that helped bring levels to above long-term average levels by the end of Summer 2006. Levels on Lakes Erie and Ontario were slightly above the above long-term averages, with the level of Erie being 6 cm (2.4 in) above the long-term average and on Ontario 4 cm (1.5 in) above.

Low lake levels adversely impact commercial navigation, marinas, recreational boaters, and electric power facilities. Shallower than usual water requires expensive and environmentally damaging dredging to keep shipping channels navigable and ports open. Even with more dredging, some channels cannot accommodate the draft of heavily laden freighters. Reduced carrying capacity impedes transport of grain, coal, ore, and other raw materials to processing facilities and markets. In 2000, Lake Carriers transported 5% to 8% less cargo, sending prices higher. If storm winds cause near-shore water levels to fall, marinas, docks, and boat ramps may be temporarily inaccessible. The Great Lakes supply most of the potable water for lakeshore communities and cooling water for coal-fired and nuclear electric power plants located along their shores. A drop in water level may require costly repositioning of intake pipes. On the positive side, lower lake levels translate into broader beaches and wetl and habitats and less shoreline erosion.

For more information on past, current, and anticipated Great Lakes water levels, go to http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/, a web site maintained by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). Records of Great Lakes water levels constitute one of the longest high quality hydrometeorological data sets in North America, dating back to about 1860. Lake level measurements are collected and archived by NOAA's National Ocean Service.

Concept of the Week: Questions

With rising temperatures, the rate of evaporation of water [(increases)(decreases)].
A trend toward snowier and colder winters and springs is likely to cause levels of the Great Lakes to [(rise)(fall)].

Historical Events

18 September 1926...The great "Miami Hurricane" produced winds reaching 138 mph which drove ocean waters into Biscayne Bay drowning 135 persons. The eye of the hurricane passed over Miami, at which time the barometric pressure dropped to 27.61 inches. Tides up to twelve feet high accompanied the hurricane, which claimed 372 lives. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
19 September 1967...Hurricane Beulah deluged Brownsville, TX with 12.19 in. of rain in 24 hrs, to establish a record for that location. Hurricane Beulah made landfall on the 20th near the mouth of the Rio Grande River, where a wind gust of 135 mph was reported by a ship in the port. (19th-20th) (The Weather Channel)
20 September 1845...A tornado, called the "Adirondack Tornado" traveled 275 mi across Lake Ontario, New York and Lake Champlain, after starting as a waterspout over Lake Ontario and then traveling as a tornado through New York State to exit as a waterspout again on Lake Champlain. The treefall in the forest is still discernible. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) (Intellicast)
20 September 1909...A strong hurricane made landfall in southeastern Louisiana. A 15-ft storm surge flooded the Timbalier Bay area. Some 350 people perished. (Intellicast)
20-23 September 1942 -- A torrential rainstorm hit Canada's Maritime Provinces. During these four days, 13.99 in. fell at Stellarton, Nova Scotia and 10.83 in. at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Halifax, Nova Scotia received 9.40 in. of rain on the 21 September. (The Weather Doctor)
21 September 1938...The "Great New England Hurricane" smashed into Long Island and bisected New England from New Haven, CT across Massachusetts and Vermont, causing a massive forest blowdown and widespread flooding. Winds gusted to 186 mph at Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, MA, and a storm surge of nearly 30 ft caused extensive flooding along the coast of Rhode Island. The hurricane killed over 600 persons and caused $500 million damage. The hurricane, which lasted twelve days, destroyed 275 million trees. Hardest hit were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Long Island NY. The "Long Island Express" produced gargantuan waves with its 150 mph winds, waves which smashed against the New England shore with such force that earthquake-recording instruments on the Pacific coast clearly showed the shock of each wave. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
21-23 September 1992...Torrential rains deluged the south of France. As much as 17 in. fell in a 12-hr spell on the 22^nd. A 49-ft high wall of water swept through Vaison la Romaine. Whole trees penetrated houses and vehicles. At least 38 died. (Accord Weather Calendar)
22-23 September 1998... Hurricane Georges raked Hispaniola leaving over 580 dead in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, due mainly to flash flooding and subsequent mud slides in high terrain regions. Damage estimates from the storm exceeded $1 billion (US). (The Weather Doctor)
23 September 1551...The Grand Harbour at Valetta, Malta was hit by a waterspout that then moved inland and caused extensive damage. A shipping armada in the harbor about to go into battle was destroyed by the waterspout killing at least 600 people. (The Weather Doctor)
23 September 1815...One of the most powerful hurricanes to strike New England made landfall initially on Long Island, NY and then again at Old Saybrook, CT before crossing into Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Extensive structural damage resulted. Providence, RI was flooded and six people were killed. This "Great September Gale" was the worst tempest in nearly two hundred years, equal in strength to the Great 1938 Hurricane, and one of a series of severe summer and autumn storms to affect shipping lanes that year. (David Ludlum)