Weekly Ocean News

DATASTREME OCEAN WEEK TWO: 11-15 September 2006

Ocean in the News

(Thur.) Pearl Harbor is not at high tsunami risk -- Following a comprehensive tsunami modeling study of Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research recently reported that the risk of a destructive tsunami inside this famous harbor, especially around Ford Island, is low. [NOAA News]
(Thur.) Increased coastal awareness due to 2004 tsunami -- Conservationists with the World Conservation Union in partnership with the United Nations Development Program are attempting to plant thousands of palm and mangrove seedlings along the coasts of Asia that were decimated by the 2004 tsunami in an attempt to mitigate the effects of future tsunamis. [ENN]
(Thur.) Unusual mollusks may have a long evolutionary history -- Scientists at the University of Leeds claim that unusual cold seep mollusks appear to be older than most marine mollusks, developing during the Eocene epoch between 55 to 34 million years ago. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Hurricane Florence brushes by Bermuda -- Hurricane Florence, the second hurricane of the 2006 North Atlantic hurricane season, passed close to Bermuda on Monday morning as it continued to travel northward across the North Atlantic. This Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir- Simpson Scale caused some damage to several buildings on Bermuda and left several thousand people without power. [USA Today]
(Tues.) Cleanup of Chesapeake Bay organized -- Various federal, state and local agencies, including the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, have announced plans to assist in a project called "Identification, Mapping and Assessment of Derelict Fishing Gear in the Chesapeake Bay," which is intended to cleanup the nation's largest estuary. [NOAA News]
(Tues.) Submerged wreck of historic naval airship explored -- Within the next week, researchers from the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute will begin an archaeological expedition of the submerged wreck of the US Navy's rigid airship USS Macon that sank during a February 1935 storm in the Pacific waters off California's Big Sur coast. Of the 83-man crew of the USS Macon, 81 survived the crash. [NOAA News]
(Tues.) A marine science riddle is explored -- A scientist at Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences and colleagues have been attempting to solve the debate surrounding the "island rule" that small animals isolated on islands evolve to be larger than their mainland relatives, and large animals evolve to be smaller. They have found a similar pattern for marine snail shells in the deep ocean. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) A submarine canyon is mapped -- Scientists from Rutgers University, the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and Stony Brook University in New York have produced a detailed map of the submarine Hudson Canyon that is located in the New York Bight. [Excite News] [A special thanks for this article is extended to the colleague Dr. Jim Brey of the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley who is a part of the AMS Education Initiative. EJH]
(Tues.) Award-winning student completes cruise on a NOAA research vessel -- A senior at Gold Beach (OR) High School recently completed a two-week cruise onboard the NOAA fisheries research ship ALBATROSS IV as the result of her being one of the three winners of NOAA's "Taking the Pulse of the Planet" award at this year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May. [NOAA News]
Eye on the tropics -- In the North Atlantic basin, Hurricane Florence, the second hurricane of the season, was traveling toward Bermuda on Sunday, where residents were preparing for the anticipated passage of this category 1 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson) on Monday. [USA Today]
Reporting on the NASA hurricane mission -- A scientist participating in the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) mission off the coast of west Africa recently reported on the mission and his experiences with it. [NASA]
Super Typhoon Ioke leaves a cool wake -- An image generated from the AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Radiometer for EOS) instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite shows a several hundred mile wide cool-water wake that Super Typhoon Ioke left in the surface waters of the central and western Pacific in the track following this powerful tropical cyclone (including tropical storms, typhoons and hurricanes, their Atlantic and eastern North Pacific counterparts). [NASA Earth Observatory]
Earthquake shakes the Gulf Coast -- A magnitude 6.0 earthquake with an epicenter at a depth of 6.2 miles under the eastern Gulf of Mexico and roughly 240 miles west of Tampa, FL was felt by thousands of people along the Gulf Coast late Sunday morning. However, the earthquake was not sufficient to trigger a tsunami warning. [CNN]
Whales are beached along the Outer Banks -- Scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service and colleagues were searching for an explanation for why as many as six pygmy sperm whales beached themselves along the Outer Banks of North Carolina just before the start of the Labor Day weekend. [The Outer Banks Sentinel] [A special thanks Terri Kirby Hathaway, Marine Education Specialist with the North Carolina Sea Grant Program for calling attention to this item. EJH]
Oil pool in Gulf could significantly increase nation's reserves -- The Chevron Oil Company and two partners have run a test well in the Gulf of Mexico that indicates the distinct possibility of a major oil deposit underneath the Gulf that could potentially increase the nation's petroleum reserves by more than 50 percent, representing the biggest domestic oil discovery in more than 20 years. [ENN]
Phytoplankton bloom seen off Russian coast -- An image obtained from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor onboard NASA's Aqua satellite reveals a large late August bloom of phytoplankton in the Barents Sea west of Russia's Novaya Zemlya (New Land). [NASA Earth Observatory]
Melting permafrost could accelerate warming -- An oceanographer from Florida State University and a colleague at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks have found that the melting of permafrost in northern Siberia has been releasing bubbles of methane that had been sequestered in the ice of lakes into the atmosphere, where it could contribute to higher temperatures. [EurekAlert!] [Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska]
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]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD --

A request: If you have some ocean-related experience that you would like to share with other DataStreme Ocean participants, please send them to the email address appearing at the bottom of this document for possible inclusion in a News file. Thank you. EJH

Concept of the Week: The Birth of Surtsey, A Volcanic Island

In early November 1963, cod fishers plying the waters of the North Atlantic south of Iceland observed what appeared to be smoke or steam emanating from the distant ocean surface. They were witnessing the beginnings of a volcanic eruption that ultimately would give birth to a new island later named Surtsey after Surtur, the fire giant of Norse mythology. Surtsey is located at 63.4 degrees N, 20.3 degrees W or 33 km (20 mi) south of the coast of Iceland. Volcanic activity was nothing new to the fishers who lived on the nearby volcanic Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar). These islands as well as the main island of Iceland straddle the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary where hot molten lava wells up from the Earth's mantle, cools and solidifies into new oceanic crust.

The eruptions that produced Surtsey began on the ocean floor, some 130 m (427 ft) below sea level. The accumulating lava, cinders, and ash first emerged from the sea on 15 November 1963. Over the next 3.5 years, episodic eruptions built an island that eventually covered 2.5 square km (1 square mi) and attained a maximum elevation of 171 m (560 ft) above sea level. The initial eruptions were explosive as hot magma interacted with cold seawater producing dark jets of ash and steam that shot up to 200 m (656 ft) above two main volcanic vents. At this time, clouds of ash and steam rose into the atmosphere to altitudes perhaps as great as 10 km (6.2 mi). Subsequent eruptions were much more peaceful, consisting of quiescent flows of lava. When the eruptions ceased in early June 1967, a cubic kilometer of ash and lava had built up on the ocean floor with 9% of this volcanic material above sea level.

No volcanic activity has occurred on Surtsey since 1967 and geologists consider the volcanic island to be extinct with little risk of future eruptions. Nonetheless, Surtsey remains off limits to visitors except for scientists who obtain permission from the Icelandic government. The island offers scientists a unique opportunity to study not only the geology but also the establishment of plants and animals on the island, a process known as ecological succession. For example, by 1987, some 25 species of higher plants were growing on the initially barren island and 20 species of birds were nesting there.

Unless volcanic activity begins anew, the future is not bright for Surtsey. Some geologists predict that in a hundred years or so the island will be reduced to scattered stacks of rock. The island is composed of basaltic rock that is particularly vulnerable to weathering and erosion, ocean waves are eroding its shores, and the island is gradually sinking into the sea. Scientists reported a total subsidence of about 1.1 m (3.6 ft) between 1967 and 1991. Compaction of the volcanic material and the underlying sea-floor sediments are likely causes of the subsidence. For a NASA topographical image of Surtsey, go to http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/islands/surtsey/. This image was obtained using a scanning airborne laser altimeter.

Concept of the Week: Questions

The volcanism responsible for the formation of Surtsey was associated with a [(divergent)(convergent)] plate boundary.
At present on Surtsey, erosive forces [(are)(are not)] prevailing over volcanic activity.

Historical Events

11 September 1961...Very large and slow moving Hurricane Carla made landfall near Port Lavaca, TX. Carla battered the central Texas coast with wind gusts to 175 mph, and up to 16 inches of rain, and spawned a vicious tornado (F4 on the Fujita tornado intensity scale) which swept across Galveston Island killing eight persons and destroying 200 buildings. A storm surge of up to 18.5 feet inundated coastal areas and Bay City was deluged with 17.1 inches of rain. The hurricane claimed 45 lives, and caused $300 million in damage. The remnants of Carla produced heavy rain in the Lower Missouri Valley and southern sections of the Upper Great Lakes Region. (David Ludlum) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
11 September 1992...Hurricane Iniki, the third most damaging hurricane in US history, hit the Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Oahu. Six people died as a result of the hurricane.
12 September 1775...The Independence Hurricane caught many fishing boats on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland killing 4000 seamen, most from Britain and Ireland. (The Weather Doctor)
12 September 1857...The S.S. Central America sank while in the midst of a hurricane off the North Carolina coast after beginning to take on water the previous day (11^th). Approximately 400 people onboard were lost, the greatest single loss from a commercial ship due to a hurricane. (Accord Weather Calendar)
12 September 1960...Hurricane Donna made landfall on central Long Island and then tracked across New England. Wind gusts reached 140 mph at the Blue Hills Observatory in Milton, MA and 130 mph at Block Island, RI. MacDowell Dam in New Hampshire recorded 7.25 inches of rain. Although a record tide of 6.1 feet occurred at the Battery in New York City, elsewhere fortunately the storm did not make landfall at the high tides so its effects were minimized. This was the first hurricane to affect every point along the East Coast from Key West, FL to Caribou, ME. (Intellicast)
12 September 1979...Hurricane Frederick smashed into the Mobile Bay area of Alabama packing 132-mph winds. Wind gusts to 145 mph were reported as the eye of the hurricane moved over Dauphin Island, AL, just west of Mobile. Frederick produced a fifteen-foot storm surge near the mouth of Mobile Bay. Winds gusted to hurricane force at Meridian, MS although the city is 140 miles inland. The hurricane was responsible for five fatalities and was the costliest in U.S. history to date causing $2.3 billion in damage. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
13-16 September 2004….Hurricane Ivan affected coastal Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle, with landfall near Gulf Shores, AL early on the 16th. Before breaking loose of its mooring, a buoy just south of the Alabama coastal waters reported a peak wave height of 52 feet on the 15th. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
14 September 1716...The Boston Light, the first lighthouse in America, was first lighted just before sunset. This light was located on Little Brewster Island to mark the entrance to Boston Harbor and guide ships past treacherous rocks. This original light was blown up by the British in 1776, rebuilt in 1783, and is currently the last staffed station in the U.S. (Today in Science History)
14 September 1988...Pressure in the eye of Hurricane Gilbert moving across the Caribbean Sea fell to 885 millibars (26.17 inches of mercury), the lowest recorded barometric pressure in the Western Hemisphere. Ultimately, 318 died in seven countries across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
15 September 1752...A great hurricane produced a tide (storm surge )along the South Carolina coast that nearly inundated downtown Charleston. However, just before the tide reached the city, a shift in the wind caused the water level to drop five feet in ten minutes. (David Ludlum)
16 September 1928...Hurricane San Felipe, a monster hurricane, which left 600 dead in Guadeloupe and 300 dead in Puerto Rico, struck West Palm Beach, FL causing enormous damage, and then headed for Lake Okeechobee. Peak winds were near 150 mph. The high winds produced storm waves that breached the eastern dike on Lake Okeechobee, inundating flat farmland. When the storm was over, the lake covered an area the size of the state of Delaware, and beneath its waters were 1836 victims. The only survivors were those who reached large hotels for safety, and a group of fifty people who got onto a raft to take their chances out in the middle of the lake. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
16 September 1988...Hurricane Gilbert made landfall 120 miles south of Brownsville, TX in Mexico during the early evening. Winds gusted to 61 mph at Brownsville, and reached 82 mph at Padre Island. Six-foot tides eroded three to four feet of beach along the Lower Texas Coast, leaving the waterline seventy-five feet farther inland. Rainfall totals ranged up to 8.71 in. at Lamark, TX. Gilbert caused $3 million in property damage along the Lower Texas Coast, but less than a million dollars damage along the Middle Texas Coast. During its life, Gilbert established an all-time record for the Western Hemisphere with a sea-level barometric pressure reading of 26.13 inches (888 millibars). Winds approached 200 mph, with higher gusts. Gilbert devastated Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (The Weather Channel)
17-23 September 1989...Hurricane Hugo hit the Virgin Islands on the 17^th, producing wind gusts to 97 mph at Saint Croix. Hurricane Hugo passed directly over the island of Saint Croix causing complete devastation and essentially cutting off the island's communications systems. A storm surge of five to seven feet occurred at Saint Croix. The only rain gauge left operating, at Caneel Bay, indicated 9.40 in. in 24 hrs. Hurricane Hugo claimed the lives of three persons at Saint Croix, and caused more than $500 million in damage. A ship, Nightcap, in the harbor of Culebra, measured wind gusts as high as 170 mph. On the 18^th, Hugo hit Puerto Rico, producing a storm surge of four to six feet, and northeastern sections of the island were deluged with more than ten inches of rain. Hugo claimed the lives of a dozen persons in Puerto Rico, and caused $1 billion in property damage, including $100 million in crop losses. On the 21^st, Hugo slammed into the South Carolina coast at about 11 PM, making landfall near Sullivans Island. Hurricane Hugo was directly responsible for thirteen deaths, and indirectly responsible for twenty-two others. A total of 420 persons were injured in the hurricane, and damage was estimated at $8 billion including $2 billion damage to crops. Sustained winds reached 85 mph at Folly Beach SC, with wind gusts as high was 138 mph. Wind gusts reached 98 mph at Charleston, and 109 mph at Shaw AFB. The highest storm surge occurred in the McClellanville and Bulls Bay area of Charleston County, with a storm surge of 20.2 ft reported at Seewee Bay. Shrimp boats were found one half-mile inland at McClellanville. On the 22^nd, Hugo quickly lost strength over South Carolina, but still was a tropical storm as it crossed into North Carolina, just west of Charlotte, at about 7 AM. Winds around Charlotte reached 69 mph, with gusts to 99 mph. Eighty percent of the power was knocked out to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Property damage in North Carolina was $210 million and damage to crops was $97 million. The greatest storm surge occurred along the southern coast shortly after midnight, reaching nine feet above sea level at Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach. Hugo killed one person and injured fifteen others in North Carolina. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
17 September 1996…Remnants of Hurricane Fausto that had initially formed over the eastern Pacific and moved northeastward from Mexico reformed into a powerful coastal storm in Atlantic waters off the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula, before passing Cape Cod in eastern Massachusetts. Winds gusted to 50 mph and rainfall was up to four inches. Minor coastal flooding in the New York City metropolitan area. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)