WEEKLY WATER NEWS

6-10 August 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 North Atlantic, Tropical Storm Chantal formed at the start of last week well off the North Carolina coast and raced to the northeast, dissipating off the Grand Banks by midweek. This weak tropical storm was the third named tropical cyclone (low pressure systems that include hurricanes and tropical storms) of the 2007 North Atlantic hurricane season. An image from NOAA's GOES-12 satellite shows the cloud mass surrounding Chantal. [NOAA OSEI]
  • In the Western North Pacific, Typhoon Usagi intensified to become a category-4 typhoon (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) early last week as it traveled to the northwest toward the Japanese archipelago. It made landfall in southern Japan and finally dissipated over the Sea of Japan at the end of last week. Images of the clouds surrounding this typhoon near peak strength are provided from the Japanese MTSAT satellite [NOAA OSEI] and the MODIS sensor onboard NASA's Terra satellite. [NASA Earth Observatory]
    Tropical Depression 06W formed late last week and moved across the South China Sea toward the coast of Viet Nam before curving to the north.
    Tropical Storm Pabuk formed on Sunday (local time) near Guam and was moving toward the west-northwest.
  • In the Eastern North Pacific, Tropical Storm Erick, the fifth tropical cyclone of the season in that basin formed early in the week off the coast of Mexico and moved westward, where it dissipated. [USA Today] By late in the week, an image from NOAA's GOES-11 satellite shows clouds associated with Tropical Depression Erick. [NOAA OSEI]
• Updated hurricane forecast -- At the end of last week, hurricane forecasters William Gray and Philip Klotzbach from Colorado State University issued their August update to their forecast of the 2007 hurricane season in the North Atlantic Basin, lowering the number of anticipated named tropical cyclones (hurricanes and tropical storms) from 17 in their earlier forecasts to 15 named systems because of what they saw to be slightly more unfavorable weather conditions across the basin. They call for eight of these systems to become hurricanes with four to be considered major, reaching Category 3 or higher status on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, down from the nine hurricanes and five major hurricanes predicted earlier. [USA Today]
• Doubling in frequency of Atlantic hurricanes blamed on climatic change -- Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Georgia Institute of Technology claim that the doubling in the number of hurricanes that form annually in the North Atlantic basin currently as compared with approximately 100 years ago are due to higher sea surface temperatures and wind patterns that have been altered because of global climate change. [NCAR/UCAR]
• More DART buoys are deployed -- NOAA's National Data Buoy Center recently deployed four additional DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami) buoys across the northwestern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Japan and Russia as a means of providing additional tsunami warnings to Hawaii, Alaska and the West Coast of Canada and the US. Currently, 32 buoys of a projected 39 have been deployed across the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. [NOAA News]
• Health of nation's estuaries appears to be worsening -- Officials at NOAA recently released a report entitled "Effects of Nutrient Enrichment in the Nation’s Estuaries: A Decade of Change, National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment Update" that indicates that nutrient pollution associated in part with greater human activity can lead to increased eutrophication and diminished health of the nation's estuaries and associated coastal ecosystems. [NOAA News]
• Large "dead zone" documented in Gulf of Mexico -- Following a survey cruise in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana Gulf coast, scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium have confirmed that the hypoxic or "dead" zone in these waters had the third-largest area since measurements began in 1985 and is close to the size predicted by a NOAA-Louisiana State University forecast model. [NOAA News]
• Off to Mars -- The Phoenix Mars Lander was launched by NASA from Florida early Saturday morning on a mission that should place the robotic dirt and ice digger in the Martian polar cap region following a scheduled landing next May. The goal of the mission is to collect soil and ice from the surface, which will then be analyzed for its chemical composition, to determine if organic compounds exist that could indicate if conditions at some time in the planet's history would have been favorable for life. [CNN] One of the co-investigators associated with the Phoenix Mars Mission hopes that the chemical analysis can help decipher the climatic history of Mars, which could also help in studying the long-term history of climate change on earth. [EurekAlert!]
• Label could tell if bottled water came from the tap -- A major beverage company, PepsiCo Inc., announced that it will change the label on its Aquafina water bottles to identify explicitly that the source of the bottled water is "a public water source", the same as for tap water. [US Water News Online]
• State high court narrows an environmental protection law -- In a ruling on a case involving a suit against a water bottling company, Michigan's Supreme Court placed limits on the 1970 Michigan Environmental Protection Act that allowed state citizens to sue over drilling, dredging and development they deemed would damage the state's environment. [US Water News Online]
• Drop in Lake Superior level is baffling -- Attention has been on the fall in the level of Lake Superior to near record low levels this year from many interested parties, including scientists with Michigan Tech University and the University of Minnesota-Duluth who have been monitoring the lake water temperature and dissolved carbon dioxide concentration. Reduced precipitation across the lake's watershed and increased evaporation rates due to recent mild winters appear to be contributing factors in the current fall in lake level. [US Water News Online]
• Asian water supplies are threatened by increased global temperatures -- Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography report that increased levels of greenhouse gases associated with human activity could cause an alarming retreat of Himalayan and other tropical glaciers, thereby potentially jeopardizing Asian water supplies. [Scripps Institution of Oceanography]
• Widen the buffers -- Based upon data collected by scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, wider riparian buffers that have vegetation appear to have help remove excess nitrogen that contaminate the water of wetlands from a variety of sources. [EurekAlert!]
• Torrential monsoon rain results in death in South Asia -- Recent torrential rain associated with the southwest or summer monsoon season across South Asia has resulted in as many as 186 deaths and the displacement of 19 million people in India and Bangladesh as of the end of last week. [USA Today] Two images taken three months apart by MODIS sensors on NASA's Aqua satellite shows the flooding of three rivers in Bangladesh due to above-average rainfall. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Vulnerable residents of Bangladesh could receive flood warnings -- Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a weather forecasting system that would provide residents of low-lying sections of Bangladesh along the Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers with up to a 10-day forecast designed to warn of the possibility of flooding rain. [UCAR/NCAR]
• African water shortage problems tackled using satellite sensors -- Water managers in Zambia are using data provided by satellite imagery to help alleviate water shortages in their country through a project called IWAREMA (Integrated Water Resource management for Zambia), funded in part by the European Space Agency. [ESA]
• Lone Star State gets space-age help for historic flooding -- NASA, along with the Universities of Texas and Colorado, provided a variety of sophisticated equipment including high altitude research aircraft and expertise to emergency agencies in Texas due to the flooding in early July, the result of a persistent weather pattern than brought torrential rain to many areas of the Lone Star State. [NASA GSFC]
• Flooding in the British Isles -- An image of southwestern England last week from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on one of NASA's satellites shows the effects of the devastating flooding that occurred in this region during the last two months following a period of heavy rain. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Indonesian mud volcano theory is challenged -- A professor at the United Kingdom's Durham University is claims that a 2006 Indonesian mud volcano eruption was due to water and gas sucked into a drill hole during a drilling operation and not triggered by an earthquake, which is the commonly held theory. [EurekAlert!]
• New material could be used to clean contaminated water -- Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a porous semiconducting material called an aerogel that they claim can be used to clean contaminated water and to purify hydrogen for fuel cells. [Argonne National Laboratory]
• 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:

• 6 August 1890...Thunderstorms left four inches of hail covering the ground in Adair County and Union County in Iowa. The hail drifted into six-foot mounds, and in some places remained on the ground for twenty-six days until the end of the month. (The Weather Channel)
• 6 August 1905...Princeton, IN received 10.50 inches of rain, which established a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Hoosier State. (NCDC)
• 5-6 August 1959...A bucket survey showed that thunderstorms dropped 16.70 inches of rain on parts of Decatur County, IA. The total was accepted as Iowa's 24-hour rainfall record. (The Weather Channel)
  Hurricane Dot crossed Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands producing sustained winds of 103 mph and gusts to 125 mph. Over 6 inches of rain fell there and over 9 inches on the island of Hawaii. The sugar cane crop on Kauai sustained $2.7 million in damages. (Intellicast)
• 6 August 1987...Afternoon thunderstorms deluged Milwaukee, WI, breaking all previous rainfall records for the city. Among the records: 1.10 inches in 5 minutes, 3.06 inches in 1 hour, 5.24 inches in 2 hours, 6.24 in 6 hours and 6.84 inches in 24 hours. Floodwaters were four feet deep at the Milwaukee County Stadium, and floodwaters filled the basement of the main terminal at the airport. Flooding caused 5.9 million dollars damage, and claimed the life of one person. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 7 August 1904...A flash flood near Pueblo, CO washed a train from the tracks killing 89 passengers. A bridge, weakened by the floodwaters sweeping through the valley below, gave way under the weight of the train dashing all but the sleeping cars into the torrent drowning the occupants. Rail service was frequently interrupted in the Rocky Mountain Region and southwestern U.S. that summer due to numerous heavy downpours, which washed out the railroad beds, delaying trains as much as five days. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
• 7 August 1922...A violent hailstorm struck a passenger train near Pinneo, CO. Sixty-mile per hour winds blew jagged chunks of ice into the train, breaking windows and injuring the passengers. The train was so severely damaged that another train had to pick up the passengers to take them on their way. (Flora, Hailstorms of the United States, 1956)
• 7 August 1984...El Paso, TX normally receives 1.21 inches of rain in August. They got that amount in forty-five minutes, with four more inches to boot, during a storm that left Downtown El Paso under five feet of water. (The Weather Channel)
• 7 August 1990...A thunderstorm moving through Nome, AK, the ninth thunderstorm of the year, more than in the previous 20 years combined. (Intellicast)
• 7-8 August 1995...Lockington Dam, OH recorded 10.75 inches of rain, establishing a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Buckeye State. (NCDC)
• 8 August 1882...An August snowstorm was reported by a ship on Lake Michigan. A thick cloud reportedly burst on the decks covering them with snow and slush six inches deep. Snow showers were observed at shore points that day. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
• 8 August 1982...Scattered severe thunderstorms dropped up to three inches of rain over western Arizona. Mud and rock debris from the rain covered approximately 250 miles of highway. Water to depths of three feet were reported in Parker and the town was isolated for three days. A number of streets in Lake Havasu City were seriously damaged. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 8 August 1987...Thunderstorm rains in eastern Nebraska sent the Wahoo River and Ithica River above flood stage. Thunderstorm rains in western Iowa sent the Nishnabotna River over flood stage. Up to seven inches of rain deluged the Council Bluffs area Friday evening and Saturday morning. Thunderstorms produced 4.4 inches of rain in three hours Friday evening, along with golf ball-size hail. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 8 August 1992...Parts of south central and southeastern Indiana were hit by three to thirteen inches of rain in six hours. Streams rose between 30 to 35 feet in northern Clark and southwest Lincoln Counties. Sixty-five miles of Conrail railroad tracks were washed out. One death was reported as a man was swept away as he attempted to wade across a flooded road east of Scottsburg. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 9 August 1988...Tropical Storm Beryl deluged Biloxi with 6.32 inches of rain in 24 hours, and in three days drenched Pascagoula, MS with 15.85 inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 9 August 1989...Evening thunderstorms in Arizona deluged Yuma with record torrential rains for the second time in two weeks. The rainfall total of 5.25 inches at the Yuma Quartermaster Depot established a 24-hour record, and was nearly double the normal annual rainfall. As many as 1000 homes were flooded with water to 5 feet deep. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 9 August 1997...Heavy thunderstorms over central Mojave County in Arizona produced flash flooding near Kingman shortly after midnight. To the east of Kingman, a passenger train was derailed upon crossing a flood-weakened creek and 116 of 302 passengers were injured. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 10-11 August 1831...A violent hurricane devastated Barbados. Death toll was estimated to be from 1500 to 2500 people. (The Weather Doctor)
• 10 August 1856...The Isle Derniere (Last Island) disaster occurred off the coast of Louisiana. A storm tide drowned 140 vacationers as a five-foot wave swept over Low Island during a hurricane. (The Weather Channel) The hurricane completely devastated the fashionable hotel and pleasure resort on Last Island, 150 miles east of Cameron. Storm surge swept an estimated 400 people to their death. Today the island is just a haven for pelicans and other sea birds. (Intellicast)
• 10 August 1980...Hurricane Allen came ashore north of Brownsville, TX dropping fifteen inches of rain near San Antonio, and up to 20 inches in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, ending a summer long drought. Winds at Port Mansfield gusted to 140 mph with a storm surge of 12 feet. Tidal flooding occurred along the South Texas coast. Hurricane Allen packed winds to 150 mph, and also spawned twenty-nine tornadoes. Total damage from the storm was estimated at 750 million dollars. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
• 10 August 1981...Up to six inches of rain fell in several hours over the desert in the Moapa Valley of northeast Clark County in Nevada. A massive flash flood resulted, with 762 cows killed on a dairy farm in Hidden Valley. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 11 August 1940...A major hurricane struck Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC causing the worst inland flooding since 1607. (David Ludlum)
• 11 August 1979...Rainfall totals for the previous two weeks were up to 20 inches in parts of India's state of Gujarat. A rain-weakened dam broke on the 11th, resulting in a 20-foot high wall of water that devastated Morovi, and drowning approximately 5000 people. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 11 August 1987...An early evening thunderstorm in Wyoming produced hail up to two inches in diameter from Alva to Hulett. Snowplows had to be used to clear Highway 24 south of Hulett, where hail formed drifts two feet deep. (The National Weather Summary)
• 11 August 1988...Moisture from what remained of Tropical Storm Beryl resulted in torrential rains across eastern Texas. Twelve and a half inches of rain deluged Enterprise, TX, which was more than the amount received there during the previous eight months. (The National Weather Summary)
• 11 August 1989...One of the most severe convective outbreaks of record came to a climax in southern California after four days. Thunderstorms deluged Benton, CA with six inches of rain two days in a row, and the flooding that resulted caused more than a million dollars damage to homes and highways. Thunderstorms around Yellowstone Park, WY produced four inches of rain in twenty minutes resulting in fifteen mudslides. Thunderstorms over Long Island, NY drenched Suffolk County with 8 to 10 inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 12 August 1778...A Rhode Island hurricane prevented an impending British-French sea battle, and caused extensive damage over southeast New England. (David Ludlum)
• 12 August 1891...An 80-minute deluge, possibly related to a tropical storm system, pelted Vampo, CA with between 11.5 and 11.8 inches of rain. The observer measured, then emptied the rain gauge several times as it filled. No other U.S. storm has come close to producing this much precipitation in an 80-minute span. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 12 August 1955...During the second week of August, hurricanes Connie and Diane produced as much as 19 inches of rain in the northeastern U.S. forcing rivers from Virginia to Massachusetts into a high flood. Westfield, MA was deluged with 18.15 inches of rain in 24 hours, and at Woonsocket, RI the Blackstone River swelled from seventy feet in width to a mile and a half. Connecticut and the Delaware Valley were hardest hit. Total damage in New England was 800 million dollars, and flooding claimed 187 lives. (David Ludlum)
• 12 August 1985...With the span of two hours, 17.32 inches of rain fell at Gajo, Gansu, China, marking a worldwide record rainfall event for such a length of time. (NWS)
• 12 August 1997...A storm three to five miles upstream produced a 10 to 30 foot high wall of water in Antelope Canyon, located approximately 5 miles southeast of Page, AZ. Eleven hikers and tourists died. Only the guide survived, after being carried several miles downstream. All had been warned not to enter the canyon. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)

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