Weekly Ocean News

WEEK TWO: 14-18 September 2009

Ocean in the News

Eye on the tropics -- The weather across the tropical North Atlantic and the North Pacific basins remained active last week.
- In the North Atlantic basin, a tropical cyclone (low pressure system that forms over tropical waters) formed over the eastern tropical near the Cape Verde Islands Atlantic at the start of last week that became Hurricane Fred, the second hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. By midweek, Fred had intensified to become a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale as it moved to the northwest, but by this past weekend, this hurricane finally dissipated. The NASA Hurricane Page has additional information on Hurricane Fred, along with satellite imagery.
- In eastern North Pacific basin, a tropical cyclone formed early last week well off the western coast of Mexico. By mid week, this system became a minimal hurricane called Linda, the sixth hurricane of the 2009 eastern Pacific hurricane season. This system dissipated by this past weekend after traveling to the northwest. See the NASA Hurricane Page for satellite images and additional information on Hurricane Linda.
- In western North Pacific Tropical Depression Mujigae formed in the South China Sea early last week and traveled westward across China's Hainan Island, the Gulf of Tonkin into northern Viet Nam. Additional information and satellite images can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
  Over this past weekend, Typhoon Choi Wan formed over the tropical waters near the Northern Marianna Islands and was moving westward. A new tropical depression, identified as Tropical Depression 16, formed north of Luzon in the Philippines and was traveling to the west across the South China Sea.
A rogues gallery of major tropical systems -- NASA's Earth Observatory mission is displaying a collection of images obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites that feature the strongest tropical cyclones (hurricane, cyclone, or typhoon) from any ocean during each year commencing with 2000. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Increased tornado threat could accompany larger Gulf hurricanes -- Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology who studied nearly 90 years of hurricane statistics claim an increase in the frequency of tornadoes that are spawned by landfalling hurricanes along the Gulf Coast appear to be a reflection of the increase in size and frequency of large hurricanes that do make landfall. [Georgia Institute of Technology]
Efforts to protect whales launched -- A new voluntary program called Whale SENSE was recently launched that encourages whale watch operators along the East Coast from Virginia to Maine to observe responsible viewing practices. This program was developed by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service’s northeast region and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in partnership with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and several New England commercial whale-watching companies. [NOAA News]
Smart Growth guide designed to help coastal planning efforts -- NOAA, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, the International City/County Management Association and Rhode Island Sea Grant, recently released a guide called "Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities" that provides ten guidelines designed to bring smart economic growth to coastal and waterfront communities, while maintaining the coastal environment and quality of life in these communities. [NOAA News]
NOAA Class of 2009 Graduate Sciences Program awardees announced -- NOAA recently announced the names of nine exceptional graduate students from around the nation that have been selected to participate in the agency’s 2009 Graduate Science Program that provides tuition to selected students pursuing graduate degrees in atmospheric, environmental, or oceanic sciences or remote sensing technology. [NOAA News]
World War II sunken ship is located -- A recent three-week research expedition conducted in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast using a remotely operated submersible vehicle from the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster have discovered and surveyed the wreck of the YP-389, a U.S. Navy patrol boat sunk approximately 20 miles off Cape Hatteras, NC, by a German submarine in June 1942, as well as the wreck of the British HMT Bedfordshire, which was sunk in May 1942. [NOAA News]
Fish-killing toxin could have promising cancer fighting applications -- Collaborative research led by a US Department of Agriculture microbiologist and a NOAA chemist have found that a powerful fish-killing toxin called euglenophycin appears to also have cancer-killing properties. [NOAA News]
Aquiculture produces half of globally consumed fish -- A report prepared by researchers from the US, Canada, Norway and Australia concludes that approximately half of the fish consumed globally is now farm raised. [EurekAlert!]
Warmer Arctic causes sea geese to winter over in Alaska -- Research conducted by the US Geological Survey at the Alaska Science Center indicates that increased numbers of the Pacific brant, a small, dark sea goose, to winter over along the coast of Alaska rather than migrating to Mexico, apparently because of higher temperatures of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea over the last 40 years. [USGS Newsroom]
Robotic submersible used to monitor climate change impact -- A new submersible robot called the Benthic Rover developed and built by a team of engineers and scientists associated with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has been traveling across the deep seafloor off the California coast to monitor the impact of climate change on deep-sea ecosystems. [Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute]
More free oxygen would make colder climate -- Researchers in Denmark and Uruguay analyzing banded iron formations have found that a correlation exists between atmospheric and oceanic free oxygen concentrations and planetary temperature fluctuations over the last three billion years, with increased oxygen levels corresponding to periods of lower global temperatures. [University of Copenhagen] These researchers also found that the rise in atmospheric oxygen levels at 580 million years ago caused oxygenation of the oceans that was followed closely by the evolution of animal life. [EurekAlert!]
New director of NOAA's Great Lakes Laboratory selected -- Marie Colton, PhD, a physical oceanographer with experience with environmental satellite applications, has been selected as the new director of NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI, the national laboratory focusing on environmental issues across the Great Lakes basin. [NOAA News]
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 --

Terri Kirby Hathaway, an Ocean LIT leader and the Marine Education Specialist for the North Carolina Sea Grant program, recently reported that some whales and sea turtles wash up on the Outer Banks over the Labor Day holiday weekend. [hamptonroads.com] She also reported that manatees where sighted along the North Carolina coastal waters, a somewhat unusual occurrence for the Tar Heel State. [carolinacoastonline.com]

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.

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 NASA topographical images of Surtsey, go to http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/research/garvin/surtsey.html . These images were 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)]tectonic plate boundary.
At present on Surtsey, erosive forces [(are)(are not)]prevailing over volcanic activity.

Historical Events

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)
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 surge 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 span, 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)
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 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)
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)