WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DataStreme WES Week Five: 20-24 February 2006

Water in the News

(Thurs.) Continuation of East African drought foreseen -- The World Meteorological Organization has recently warned that below average rainfall would cause a continuation of the drought that has plagued East Africa through at least this upcoming April. [USA Today]
(Thurs.) More cities could experience major flooding -- A variety of experts at a scientific meeting last weekend warned that urban sprawl has made numerous American cities that rely on levees, such as the St. Louis, MO and Sacramento, CA metropolitan areas, susceptible to major flooding of the scale experienced last fall by New Orleans following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. These other metropolitan areas could be flooded as levees fail due to moderate floods or earthquakes. [USA Today]
(Thurs.) The snow is brown -- Residents of Colorado reported chocolate brown snow last week, the result of reddish brown dust that was carried to the northeast from the drought-stricken areas of Arizona. [USA Today]
(Thurs.) An error in the rain gauge? -- A rain gauge at the automatic weather station located at the airport in Wenatchee, WA appears to have been malfunctioning for at least one year. Inconsistencies in the data collected there and at neighboring stations led to the replacement of this gauge. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
(Thurs.) Equatorial glacier disappearing -- Following a recent expedition to Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, researchers at Ohio State University report that the famous ice fields on Africa's highest peak are rapidly decreasing. This decrease could add to the water problems associated with a drought for residents living near the base of the mountain. [Ohio State University Research News]
(Thurs.) Draw-down of aquifer could prove costly -- Water managers along with state and local officials from the High Plains are becoming concerned about the increased costs for water as the multi-state Ogallala Aquifer is being rapidly drawn down by heavy usage and drought. They are beginning to rethink current water policy. [ENN]
(Tues.) Flow of Greenland glaciers accelerating -- Using data obtained from Canadian and European satellites, researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Kansas report an acceleration of the flow of the glaciers on Greenland during the last decade, probably due to higher air temperatures. This increased flow represents a loss in the Greenland ice cap, as well as a contribution to the rise in global sea level. [NASA JPL]
(Tues.) Antarctic snow not a good temperature proxy -- A Dutch researcher recently reported that the seasonal and interannual temperature variations in Antarctica are not accurately recorded by the isotopic composition of the snow on that continent. [Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research]
(Tues.) More rapid response to pollution disasters required -- Stemming from the slow response to the major chemical spill along a river in northeast China last November, the Chinese State Environmental Protection Agency has ordered that all environmental accidents need to be reported within one hour after discovery. [US Water News Online]
(Tues.) Environmental groups file suit over endangered fish -- Five environmental groups have filed a suit against the Federal government, alleging the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation of failing to protect several endangered fish species along the Colorado River by improperly operating the Glen Canyon Dam upstream of Grand Canyon National Park. [ENN]
(Tues.) Clear lakes may have more mercury contamination -- A team of limnologists and aquatic chemists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that fish caught from relatively clear northern lakes may have higher levels of mercury than those caught in less clear lakes. [University of Wisconsin News Service]
(Tues.) Plateau in water use in California projected -- A study by California's State Department of Water Resources indicates that the annual demand for water over the next 25 years should remain relatively steady as improved irrigation systems should reduce the amount of water used by agricultural interests, countering the increases associated with increased population in the Golden State. [US Water News Online]
Philippine mudslide results in tragic loss of village -- A mountain slope on the southern Philippines island of Leyte weakened by recent heavy rain collapsed, sending a mudslide down upon a village of more than 1800 residents late last week. As of Sunday, only 92 survivors had been found, along with 56 bodies, with more than 900 listed as missing. Unfortunately, more rain is expected across the region. [CNN]
Rains cause problems in Bolivia -- An extended spell of torrential rain across Bolivia have caused landslides, floods and the level of Lake Titicaca to rise by roughly one inch per day in recent weeks. With at least 20 fatalities and many residents losing homes and crops, the Bolivian government has declared a state of emergency. [USA Today]
Predicting flood potential with the aid of a satellite -- Various scientists believe that in the near future soil moisture data obtained from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite could be used to predict the possibility of flash flooding in an area. [NASA Earth Observatory]
New England suffering from a lack of snow -- Although southern New England received heavy snow one week ago, residents and the winter recreational industry in northern New England have had little snow this winter, leading to a major hit on the local economy of those regions that cater to snowmobilers and skiers. [USA Today]
Scratching the surface raises old pesticides -- Researchers at Dartmouth University report that disturbing the soil of old farms can cause arsenic and lead from pesticide applications made early in the 20th century to contaminate surface waters after being buried for years. [EurekAlert!]
Plant life could influence river flow -- A recent study led by a scientist at the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research indicates that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide could be causing plants worldwide to improve their efficiency for using water, thereby increasing the flow of rivers, which could also increase the risk of flooding. [The New Scientist]
Border canal project could cause international reaction -- The governor of the Mexican state of Baja California has warned of political backlash in his state over the apparent inaction by the US government to a project that would line a section of the All-American Canal along the California-Mexican border in an attempt to reduce the loss of water. [ENN]
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.

REPORT FROM THE FIELD -- Lucky Greenleaf, WES LIT Leader from Maine, reported on the strange weather along the coast of Downeast Maine last Friday. He reported a lack of snow as rain fell across the region on winds from the south that caused the afternoon temperature to reach 55 degrees. He was wondering about the lack of a traditional Downeast winter.

Concept of the Week: Artificial Snow

Snow is the essential ingredient for many winter recreational activities including downhill and cross-country skiing, snow boarding, and snowmobiling. No natural snow cover means no cross-country skiing or snowmobiling. But downhill ski hill operators have another option if weather conditions do not provide adequate snow cover--they can generate their own snow. Artificial snow is used to build a base for skiing, refresh snow surfaces, and make skiing possible even during a snow drought, significantly lengthening the ski season. Some ski areas have the equipment to spread artificial snow over 80% or more of their terrain. Whereas snowmaking offers many recreational and economic advantages, some drawbacks stem from altering the local water budget.

Artificial snow actually consists of tiny particles of ice. Snow makers use specially designed snow guns into which flexible hoses feed compressed air and water separately. A jet of compressed air breaks the stream of water into a fine mist of tiny droplets, which if conditions are favorable, freezes into ice crystals. Expansional cooling of the compressed air as it is emitted through the nozzle of the snow gun and into the atmosphere chills the water droplets. Artificial "snowflakes" settle onto the slopes and mechanized snow groomers then till and spread the accumulated artificial snow evenly over the ski slopes.

Many snowmakers add a special protein (commercially known as Snowmax) to the air/water mix to improve both the quality and quantity of artificial snow. A non-toxic and non-pathogenic strain of a bacterium produces the protein that attracts water and promotes ice crystal formation. Snowmax increases the amount of artificial snow produced at higher temperatures and snowflakes tend to be drier and lighter than other artificial snowflakes.

Ideal weather for snowmaking consists of low air temperature, light winds, and low humidity. Snowmaking is possible even when the air temperature is above 0ºC provided that the relative humidity is sufficiently low that the wet-bulb temperature is below 0ºC. Recall from pages 65-66 in your DataStreme WES Textbook that the wet-bulb temperature is the reading obtained through evaporative cooling when water vaporizes from the wetted bulb of a liquid-in-glass thermometer. Some droplets in the fine water spray (produced by the snow gun) evaporate, tapping latent heat from the air. With sufficient evaporative cooling, the air temperature drops to the wet-bulb reading, that is, to freezing or below, and subsequent water droplets freeze to ice crystals.

The water demand for snowmaking may impact the local water budget. In Vermont, for example, snowmaking uses about 2 billion gallons of water per year--equivalent to about one-seventh of the volume of the public water supply. To cover an area measuring 500 m by 60 m with 20 cm (8 in.) of artificial snow requires about 2500 cubic meters (658,000 gallons) of water. Streams are the usual source of water for snowmaking but ski areas are typically located high on hill or mountain slopes where stream flow is normally low, especially in winter. In some cases, dams or holding ponds are constructed to ensure an adequate water supply for snowmaking. Diversion of water for snowmaking may cut the supply of water for users downstream. Water that is stored in the winter snowpack on the ski trails runs off to streams during the spring snowmelt, adding to the normally high spring stream discharge and perhaps increasing the potential for downstream flooding.

Concept of the Week: Questions

If the air temperature were above 0ºC, artificial snow can be made if the wet-bulb temperature were [(above) (below)] the freezing point of water.
When water droplets evaporate while falling through a layer of relatively dry air, the temperature of the surrounding air [(falls) (rises)].

Historical Events

20 February 1805...The Potomac River was opened after being closed by ice for a period of two months. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)
20 February 1997...A vast mudslide swept off an Andean mountainside onto two remote villages in southeastern Peru burying up to 300 people. Inhabitants had been evacuated after weekend flooding, but their refuge above the village put them in the path of the mudslide. (The Weather Doctor)
21 February 1992...Today marked the 16^th consecutive day that Sacramento, CA recorded measurable rain, breaking the old record of 15 consecutive days set back in February 1936 and again in November 1970. Total rainfall over the 16-day period was 6.41 inches. (Intellicast)
22 February 1986...A twelve-day siege of heavy rain and snow, which produced widespread flooding and mudslides across northern and central California, finally came to an end. The storm caused more than $400 million in property damage. Bucks Lake, located in the Sierra Nevada Range, received 49.6 in. of rain during the twelve-day period. (Storm Data)
22-26 February 1995...Cyclone Bobby slammed into the Western Australia coast causing widespread flooding. Some areas reported up to 12 in. of rain from the storm. (The Weather Doctor)
23 February 1802...A great snowstorm raged along the New England coast producing 48 inches of snow north of Boston and 54 inches at Epping, NH. Three large (indiamen) ships from Salem were wrecked along Cape Cod by strong winds. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
23 February 1991...A black rain fell on eastern Turkey as soot from the Kuwait oil field fires mixed with the precipitation. (The Weather Doctor)
23 February 1998...Another storm in the series of storms during the major El Niño episode pounded southern California with 2 to 3 inches of rain, and 3 to 4 feet of snow in the mountains above 7000 feet. A sinkhole that measured 550 feet in length, 35 feet in width, and 65 feet in depth developed near I-15 in San Diego. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
24 February 1925...A 250,000-ton ice jam on the St. Lawrence River near Waddington, NY was removed using thermit for the first time in the U.S. Thermit is a mixture of finely divided magnesium and red iron oxide that produces hot molten iron when ignited. (Today in Science History)
24 February 1970…Eight people were killed by an avalanche as chalets and hotels were destroyed in near Mont Cenis, France. Earlier, on the 10^th of the month, 39 people were killed as an avalanche struck a chalet at Val d'Isere. On 15 April 1970, a landslide buried a sanatorium at Plateau d'Assy, killing 72 people. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
26 February 1910...Parts of Washington State were in the midst of a storm that produced 129 in. of snow at Laconia between the 24^th and the 26^th, a single storm record for the state. A series of storms, which began on the 23^rd, led to a deadly avalanche on the first of March. By late on the 28^th, the snow had changed to rain, setting the stage for disaster. (The Weather Channel)
26 February 1972...The "Buffalo Creek Disaster" occurred in the Buffalo Creek Hollow of Logan County in West Virginia. A coal slag dam on the Middle Fork of Buffalo Creek burst sending a fifty-foot wall of water down a narrow valley killing 125 persons and causing $51 million in damage. Three days of rain atop a six-inch snow cover prompted the dam break. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)