WEEKLY WATER NEWS

16-20 July 2007

Water in the Earth System will return for Fall 2007 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 27 August 2007. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

Water in the News:

• Eye on the tropics ---
  • In the Western North Pacific, Tropical Storm Man-Yi intensified to become a typhoon (the western North Pacific's counterpart to a hurricane), as it moved to the northwest and to the north, passing near Okinawa as a Category 4 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale near the end of the week. Over the weekend it curved to the northeast as it brushed the southern islands in the Japanese archipelago. As of Monday (local time), Man-Yi had weakened and had been downgraded to a tropical storm as it traveled to the east-northeast along the southern coast of the main Japanese islands. As many as three people were killed and more than 70 injured in Japan due to the torrential rain, strong winds and landslides associated with Man-Yi. [CNN] An image obtained from the MODIS instrument onboard NASA's polar orbiting Terra satellite shows Typhoon Man-Yi passing near Okinawa late last week. [NASA Earth Observatory] The Japan Meteorological Agency's MTSAT-1R geosynchronous satellite captured several images of Typhoon Man-Yi with a distinct eye at mid week while the typhoon moved across the western North Pacific [NOAA OSEI] and at the end of the week as it passed near Okinawa [NOAA OSEI].
  • In the Eastern North Pacific, two tropical depressions formed and moved westward late last week. As of Sunday afternoon, Tropical Depression 5-E continued to move to the west as a disorganized system, while Tropical Depression 6-E intensified to become Tropical Storm Cosme, the third named tropical cyclone (hurricane or tropical storm) of the season in the eastern North Pacific. This tropical storm was projected to move toward the west-northwest during the early part of the week.
• Absence of a La Niña event does not change hurricane season forecast significantly -- NOAA scientists recently have predicted that the development of a La Niña event should not occur within the next two months. Such an event involving anomalous atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns is marked by a cooling of the surface waters of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. However, the researchers believe that despite the lack of a La Niña event, the upcoming hurricane season in the Atlantic remain active, with the official NOAA hurricane forecast for the 2007 North Atlantic hurricane season calling for 13 to 17 named tropical cyclones (low pressure systems including hurricanes and tropical storms), including 7 to 10 hurricanes, of which 3-5 could become major systems (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale). In addition, the forecast from the Colorado State University includes 17 named cyclones, including 9 hurricanes (5 of which could be major). [USA Today]
• Melting along the North Slope -- Full-color and false-color images constructed from data collected by the MODIS sensor on NASA's Terra satellite in early July show the melt water pools that have developed on the permafrost of Alaska's North Slope. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Ice jams on a Russian river -- An image made at the end of June from data collected by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite shows an ice jam located in northern Russia that continued to block the northward flowing Ob River, resulting in the flooding of the land surrounding the river farther south, a common seasonal occurrence. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Big-time green-up in Texas -- A recent vegetation anomaly image of Texas and neighboring regions in the Southwest and northern Mexico made from data collected by SPOT show the greening of the vegetation across the region due to near-record June rainfall across the southern Plains and southern Rockies. While much of the vegetation across the Lone Star State responded favorably to the heavy rainfall, vegetation across east Texas and Oklahoma may have fared worse than average. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Venezuelan oil slick seen from Space Station -- A photograph made by an astronaut on the International Space Station shows an oil slick that formed in the surface waters of the strait between the Gulf of Venezuela and northern Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo earlier this year. This oil slick may have been the result of ocean-going oil tankers pumping their bilges. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• A rare snowfall in Argentina's capital city -- The first snow to fall in Buenos Aires, Argentina since 1918 was reported early last week, as part of an austral winter cold spell that claimed 23 lives and created an energy crisis. The MODIS sensor on NASA's Terra satellite detected the snow cover across the city and in the highlands to the west, but a corresponding sensor on the agency's Aqua satellite approximately six hours later noted that much of the snow cover had disappeared. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Where did a Chilean lake go? -- Images made by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite in early April and late June of 2007 confirm the ground-based discovery made by glaciologists that a lake on the Southern Patagonia Icefield in the Chilean Andes had disappeared. Explanations of the sudden disappearance of the lake include the occurrence of a large earthquake that opened a fissure in the rocks and the occurrence of a glacial lake outburst flood associated with melting of ice blocks. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Review of June weather extremes ...The National Climate Data Center (NCDC) has produced a list of notable monthly temperature and precipitation extremes established in June 2007 in http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2007/jun/junext2007.html. This page will be updated as additional data for the month are processed.
• An unique volcanic mudflow witnessed -- A volcanologist from the University of Hawaii and colleagues were witnesses to a lahar or flow of volcanic mud and water that broke through the banks of Crater Lake, a volcanic lake at Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand. [EurekAlert!]
• Increased agriculture demands placed on water supply in India -- With increased rice and wheat production across India's Punjab region, usable groundwater supplies have becoming scarcer. An international team of scientists from the Punjab Agricultural University, Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M have used a simulation model called CropMan to develop alternative cropping systems intended to reduce irrigation water use and improve environmental conditions. [EurekAlert!]
• Origins of Martian polar ice studied -- European scientists who analyzed data from the OMEGA instrument (Visible and Infrared Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer) on board the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission have shown that the South Pole of Mars contains three types of perennial deposits: water-ice mixed with carbon dioxide ice, water-ice, and deposits covered by a thin layer of carbon dioxide ice. The statistics generated by a computer- generated Martian Global Climate Model indicate that these southern polar deposits have a 51,000 periodicity, corresponding to the precession of the Martian spin axis. [ESA]
• Water detected on a planet outside our solar system -- An international team of astronomers, using data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, claims that it has discovered water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet in the constellation Vulpecula approximately 63 light-years distant from our Solar System. [EurekAlert!]
• Control of invasive water weed shown to be beneficial in Africa -- Scientists with the Uganda National Agricultural Research Organization, along with those from Florida, Australia and South America reported that a bio-eradication program designed to control the highly invasive water hyacinth in Africa's Lake Victory appears to have contributed to the health and socioeconomic improvement of the region around the freshwater lake that has the second largest surface area in the world. [EurekAlert!]
• Water dynamics in southern forests could be affected by tree loss -- Researchers at the US Forest Service's Southern Research Station report that the loss of eastern hemlock because of a non-native insect species could have an impact upon the water dynamics of the southern Appalachian Mountains. [Southern Research Station, US Forest Service]
• Mining oil shale would consume large amounts of water -- Environmentalists claim that a large commercial oil shale mining operation that is planned for western Colorado would require as much as twice the amount of water that Denver would consume per year, as well as cause water and air pollution. In addition, large quantities of electricity would be required annually. [US Water News Online]
• Preliminary draft of Georgia water plan unveiled -- The Georgia Water Council recently presented the first draft of a comprehensive state plan for the management of the waters in the Peach State, with a goal of providing adequate water to meet the needs of an increased population, while safeguarding the groundwater and water in river systems. [US Water News Online]
• 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.

Historical Events:

• 17 July 1987...Slow-moving thunderstorms caused flooding on the Guadalupe River in Texas resulting in tragic loss of life. A bus and van leaving a summer youth camp stalled near the rapidly rising river, just west of the town of Comfort, and a powerful surge of water swept away 43 persons, mostly teenagers. Ten drowned in the floodwaters. Most of the others were rescued from treetops by helicopter. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 17-18 July 1996...Heavy rains were responsible for unprecedented flooding across north central and northeast Illinois, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Aurora, IL received 16.91 inches of rain, which established a new 24-hour precipitation record for the Prairie State. Approximately 60 percent of the city's homes were affected by flooding. At Romeoville, 10.36 inches of rain fell. Interstates were closed and some towns were isolated. Rampaging floodwaters scoured out roads near Dayton, leaving gravel and sand deposits to twenty feet high. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 18 July 1889...A cloudburst in West Virginia along the small creeks in Wirt County, Jackson County and Wood County claimed twenty lives. Rockport, WV reported 19.00 inches of rain in two hours and ten minutes that Thursday evening, setting a 24-hour precipitation record for the Mountain State. Tygart Creek rose 22 feet in one hour, and villages were swept away on Tygart, Slate, Tucker, and Sandy Creeks. (The Weather Channel) (NCDC)
• 18 July 1942...A record deluge occurred at Smethport in northern Pennsylvania, with 30.70 inches in just six hours. The 24-hour rainfall total for the day was 34.50 inches, which set a maximum 24-hour precipitation for the Keystone State. The downpours and resultant flooding in Pennsylvania were devastating. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast) (NCDC)
• 18 July 1955...In Martinstown, England, eleven inches of rain fell in a 15-hour period on this day believed to be the 24-hour greatest rainfall for the United Kingdom. (The Weather Doctor)
• 18-19 July 1979...A 30-foot high tsunami wave leveled four Indonesian villages on the Sunda Islands during the night. The wave swept 1500 feet inland, causing 589 deaths among the sleeping villagers. A landslide from Mount Werung (Lomblen Island) caused the tsunami. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 18-21 July 1996...Between six and twelve inches of rain fell on an already saturated Saguenay River Valley of Quebec, producing Canada's first billion-dollar disaster ($1.5 billion). Flooding destroyed or damaged 1718 houses and 900 cottages. Ten people were killed and 16,000 were evacuated. Roads and bridges disappeared. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (The Weather Doctor) (Wikipedia)
• 18-22 July 1997...Hurricane Danny, the only hurricane that made landfall in the continental US in 1997, moved inland into coastal Alabama at a snails pace. Radar storm total estimates of 43 inches over Mobile Bay. A torrential 32.52 inches of rain fell on 19-20 July at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, establishing a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for Alabama. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 19 July 1886...A hurricane from the Gulf of Mexico crossed Florida causing great damage from Cedar Keys to Jacksonville. This was the third hurricane in one month to cross the Florida peninsula. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
• 19 July 1955...The Yarkon Water Project was opened to supply water to Negev desert in Israel. The Yarkon "flows" through the most densely populated areas of the country to the Mediterranean. The river has deteriorated rapidly since the 1950's due to excessive draining for irrigation by the National Water Carrier, with marked decline in water quality, animal habitats, flora and fauna. The National Water Carrier (1964), which crosses Israel from north to south, is the 81-mile main artery connecting all regional water projects in the State. (Today in Science History)
• 19 July 1974...A severe thunderstorm with winds to 80 mph and up to two inches of rain washed out four to five foot deep sections of roadway in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Three persons in a station wagon died as it was carried 3000 feet down a wash by a ten foot wall of water. (The Weather Channel)
• 19 July 1977...Thunderstorms produced torrential rains over parts of southwestern Pennsylvania. Some places in the Johnstown area received more than twelve inches in a seven-hour period. The heavy rains cause flash flooding along streams resulting in widespread severe damage, representing the "second Johnstown flood", second to the more disastrous flood in May 1889. The cloudburst flooded Johnstown with up to ten feet of water resulting in 76 deaths, countless injuries, and 424 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
• 19 July 1994...Hurricane Emilia was the first of three Category-5 hurricanes to develop in the Central Pacific in 1994 as unusually warm sea temperatures prevailed south of Hawaii. Sustained winds reached 160 mph. (Intellicast)
• 21 July 1970...The Aswan High Dam in Egypt was completed after 18 years of work. This huge rockfill dam that lies just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan captures the world's longest river, the Nile, in the world's third largest reservoir, Lake Nasser. Built with Soviet aid at a cost of $1 billion, it now produces hydroelectricity meeting 50% of Egypt's power needs. It holds several years of irrigation reserves, assists multi-cropping, has increased productivity 20-50%, enormously increased Egypt's arable land, and overall, increased Egypt's agricultural income by 200%. The embankment is 111 meters high, with a width of near 1,000 meters. Lake Nasser is 480 km long and up to 16 km wide. (Today in Science History)
• 20 July 1965...The 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Show-Me State was set at Edgarton, MO as 18.18 inches of rain fell. (NCDC)
• 20 July 1989...Showers and thunderstorms in the Middle Atlantic Coast Region soaked Wilmington, DE with 2.28 inches of rain, pushing their total for the period May through July past the previous record of 22.43 inches. Heavy rain over that three-month period virtually wiped out a 16.82-inch deficit that had been building since drought conditions began in 1985. Thunderstorms in central Indiana deluged Lebanon with 6.50 inches of rain in twelve hours. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 21 July 1964...The runoff from a torrential three-inch rainfall in a relatively short time span caused a storm sewer to break under Tallmadge Parkway in Akron, OH. A 40-foot deep hole resulted. One person died when she drove her car into the unexpected hole. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 21 July 1970...The massive Aswan High Dam was across the Nile River in Egypt was completed after 11 years of construction. This dam, costing $1 billion, was designed to end the annual cycle of flood along the Nile and produce electric power to Egypt. A giant reservoir, named Lake Nasser, formed behind the dam and measured 300 miles in length and 10 miles in width. (The History Channel)
• 21 July 1997...A $100 million hailstorm ripped through the orchards of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Nearly 40% of the fruit crop was deemed unsuitable for fresh market. Winds gusting to 62 mph, accompanying the rain and hail, capsized boats in the interior lakes and caused power outages and traffic accidents. (The Weather Doctor)
• 22 July 1972...Fort Ripley, MN received 10.84 inches of rain, to establish a new 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Gopher State. (NCDC)
• 22 July 1986...Hurricane Estelle passed 120 miles south of the Hawaiian Islands creating a ten to twenty-foot surf. The large swells resulted from a combination of high tides, a full moon, and 50-mph winds. The hurricane also deluged Oahu Island with as much as 6.86 inches of rain on the 24th and 25th of the month. (Storm Data)
• 22 July 1987...Barrow, AK received 1.38 inches in 24 hours on the 21^st and 22^nd, an all-time record for that location. The previous record was the 1.00 inch water equivalent in a 15 inch all-time record snowfall of 26 October 1926. The average annual precipitation for Barrow is just 4.75 inches. Thunderstorms in Montana produced 4 to 6 inches of rain in Glacier County causing extensive flooding along Divide Creek. Missoula, MT received 1.71 inches of rain in 24 hours, a record for the month of July. (The National Weather Summary) (The Weather Channel) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 22-23 July 1996...A strong storm system centered south of Tahiti in the South Pacific was responsible for eight-foot surf along the south shores of Hawaii's Oahu Island. Water safety personnel rescued 95 people from the high surf. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)

Return to DataStreme WES website

Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2007, The American Meteorological Society.