Weekly Ocean News

WEEKLY OCEAN NEWS

DATASTREME OCEAN WEEK THREE: 18-22 September 2006

Ocean in the News

(Thurs.) Limited tsunami warning test conducted -- Last Wednesday, the National Weather Service conducted a limited communications test of its Tsunami Warning Systems for areas along the Washington, Oregon and California coasts. A brief message noting the test was broadcast on the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards. [NOAA News]
(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!]
(Tues.) 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]
(Tues.) Researchers announced the discovery of dozens of new species of sea life off Indonesia. These included new species of walking sharks that hinted at incredible biodiversity in the region. [BBC News]
(Tues.) 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]
(Tues.) Iceland resumes whale meat exports -- Iceland's whaling commissioner told reports last week that Iceland was resuming whale meat exports to the Faeroe Islands following a 15-year hiatus. [ENN]
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]
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]
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]
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 indiscriminate 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]
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]
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: Sea Water Salinity and Carbon Dioxide

In view of the contemporary concern regarding global climate change, scientists are studying the various factors that govern the ocean's ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide. Concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide are on the rise primarily because of the burning of fossil fuels (i.e., coal, oil, natural gas). Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas (an atmospheric gas that absorbs and radiates infrared radiation) so that higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be contributing to global warming. The ocean's role in regulating the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide depends on the temperature, salinity, and biological components of surface waters.

As noted in Chapter 3 of your textbook, gases are more soluble in cold seawater than warm seawater. Hence, changes in sea surface temperature affect the ability of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide. As noted in Chapter 1 of your textbook, photosynthetic organisms take up carbon dioxide and release oxygen. And through cellular respiration, all organisms release carbon dioxide. What about the effects of changes in salinity on the ocean's uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide? Research from the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii provides some insight on this question.

Since the late 1980s, scientists have been recording ocean conditions at a site (dubbed ALOHA) about 100 km (62 mi) north of Oahu. In 2003, David M. Karl, a biogeochemist at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, reported a decline in the rate at which surface ocean waters were absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In fact, in 2001, the rate of CO₂ uptake was only about 15% of what it was in 1989. Why the change in CO₂ uptake? In this region of the Pacific north of Hawaii, sea surface temperatures showed no significant change during the period of observation but precipitation decreased and evaporation increased. Less precipitation coupled with higher rates of evaporation caused the surface water salinity at ALOHA to increase by about 1%. Increasing salinity inhibits water's ability to absorb gases including carbon dioxide. Karl and his colleagues attribute 40% of the decline in the ocean's CO₂ uptake to the saltier waters. The balance of the decline may be due to changes in biological productivity or ocean mixing

Concept of the Week: Questions

With rising sea surface temperatures, the rate of evaporation of sea water [(increases)(decreases)].
With increasing salinity and constant temperature, the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide that is taken up by ocean water [(increases)(decreases)].

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 935.0 millibars (27.61 inches of mercury). Tides up to twelve feet high accompanied the hurricane, which claimed 372 lives. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
19 September 1957...Bathyscaph Trieste, in a dive sponsored by the Office of Naval Research in the Mediterranean, reached a record depth of 2 miles. (Naval Historical Center)
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 20^th near the mouth of the Rio Grande River, where a wind gust of 135 mph was reported by a ship in the port. (19^th-20^th) (The Weather Channel)
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)
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 smashed against the New England shore with such force that earthquake-recording machines on the Pacific coast clearly showed the shock of each wave. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
20 September 1519...Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain in an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. In October 1520, he passed through the straits that now bear his name separating Tierra del Fuego and the South American mainland and became the first known European explorer to enter the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic. In September 1522 one remaining ship from the original five that set sail returned to Spain, to become the first ship to circumnavigate the globe. Magellan was killed in the Philippines in 1521. (The History Channel)
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 200 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)
24 September 1493...Christopher Columbus set sail with 17 ships on his second expedition to the New World, reaching the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola before returning to Europe in March 1496. (Wikipedia)