Weekly Ocean News

WEEKLY OCEAN NEWS

WEEK THREE: 21-25 September 2009

For Your Information

THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX -- The Autumnal Equinox will occur this Tuesday afternoon (officially at 2118Z, 22 September 2009 or 5:18 PM EDT or 4:18 PM CDT, 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 during the midday of Monday, 21 December 2009.
Editor's note: John White, a meteorologist from North Carolina involved with the AMS Education program, reported that the geosynchronous (or geostationary) satellites make an "satellite eclipse" of the sun near the spring and autumnal equinoxes because of their equatorial orbit, such that these satellites pass through the earth's shadow and the satellite is powered down when the solar array does not receive sufficient sunlight. [For more information, consult NWS Southern Region GOES Satellite FAQ] EJH.

Ocean in the News

Eye on the tropics --- During the last week some tropical weather activity was reported:
- In North Atlantic, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred (which had reached tropical storm force conditions during the previous week) continued moving across the open waters of the tropical Atlantic. See NASA Hurricane Page for additional details on this system.
- In the eastern North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Marty formed by the midpoint of last week several hundred miles to the south-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California. Marty traveled to the northwest and by the start of the weekend, this system had dissipated. Additional information and satellite imagery appears on the NASA Hurricane Page.
- In the western North Pacific -- Typhoon Choi-Wan, which had formed near the Northern Mariannas on the previous weekend, became a supertyphoon (major category 5 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson scale) by the mid-part of last week as it moved toward the northwest. This typhoon curved to the north and northeast and as of early Monday (local time) had weakened to a tropical storm as it passed to the southeast of the Japanese archipelago. The NASA Hurricane Page has additional information of Typhoon Choi-Wan, along with satellite images.
  Earlier in the week, Tropical Storm Koppu made landfall along the southern China coast south of Hong Kong. See the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite images.
Global review of August and boreal summer season -- Basing their analysis on preliminary data, scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center recently reported that the sea surface temperature of the world's oceans were the highest for any August, as well as for any boreal summer/austral winter (the three months of June, July and August) since widespread reliable climate data became available in 1880. The combined global land and ocean average temperature for June through August was the third highest on record, while that for August was the second highest.. [NOAA News]
Monitoring this summer's Arctic sea ice extent -- An image obtained nearly ten days ago from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS sensor on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows the extent of the Arctic sea ice at that time. [NASA Earth Observatory] Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder's National Snow and Ice Data Center report that as of mid September, the extent of Arctic sea ice appears to have reached a minimum for the 2009 summer season, with an areal extent that was the third smallest since routine satellite surveillance commenced in 1979. [University of Colorado] [National Snow and Ice Data Center]
White House releases ocean policy report -- Officials with President Obama's administration released for public review and comment the "Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report", which provides proposals from a various federal agencies for a comprehensive national approach designed to maintain then national stewardship responsibilities for the oceans surrounding the nation, along with its coasts and the Great Lakes. [NOAA News] Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., the US Undersecretary of Commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator provided comments on this report. [NOAA News]
Experimental harmful algae bloom forecasts announced -- NOAA recently announced that an experimental harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecast system has been implemented for Lake Erie, which will provide forecasts of current and future locations of blooms designed to alert the public and scientists of possible threats to the lake and shoreline ecosystem. [NOAA News] Funding was provided by NOAA and the National Science Foundation to the University of Washington and the University of California, Santa Cruz to develop early-warning forecast models for the Pacific Northwest beaches. [NOAA News] NOAA also has awarded funding to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to determine how nitrogen and phosphorus contribute to development of those HAB events on the East Coast that are locally called brown tides. [NOAA News]
Salmon protection strategy strengthened in the Northwest -- The Secretary of the US Department of Commerce recently announced that based on recommendations from NOAA scientists, the 2008 NOAA "Adaptive Management Implementation Plan" will be strengthened as a means of providing protection of the salmon and steelhead on the Pacific Northwest's Columbia and Snake Rivers. [NOAA News]
Exploring a salmon migration mystery in Idaho -- Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been tagging Chinook salmon along Idaho's Clearwater River to track the fish movement as part of the Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System in effort to determine why the salmon remain in the cool waters of the Clearwater prior to traveling downstream into the warmer Snake River, making them more robust by the time they reach the Pacific. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory]
An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
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.

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

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)
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)
25 September 1513...Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a Spanish conquistador-explorer, crossed the isthmus of Panama and reached the Pacific Ocean, which he christened Mar del Sur (South Sea), claiming the ocean and all adjacent lands for Spain. (Wikipedia)
25 September 1939...A West Coast hurricane moved onshore south of Los Angeles bringing unprecedented rains along the southern coast of California. Nearly 5.5 in. of rain drenched Los Angeles during a 24-hr period. The hurricane caused $2 million in damage, mostly to structures along the coast and to crops, and claimed 45 lives at sea. "El Cordonazo" produced 5.66 in. of rain at Los Angeles and 11.6 in. of rain at Mount Wilson, both records for the month of September. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
25 September 1956...The world's first transatlantic telephone cable system began operating (Clarenville, Newfoundland to Oban, Scotland). Previous cables had been limited to telegraph transmissions. (Today in Science History)
26 September 1580...English seaman Francis Drake returned to Plymouth, England, in the Golden Hind, becoming the first British navigator to circumnavigate the globe. He had commenced his voyage around the world on 13 December 1577 with five ships, but returned with only one ship. During his voyage in the Pacific Ocean, he paused near San Francisco Bay and then traveled as far north as present-day Washington State. He brought back valuable information about the world's ocean to Queen Elizabeth I. (The History Channel)
26-27 September 1959...Typhoon Vera ravaged Honshu, Japan, the nation's largest island, leaving over 5000 dead, more than 40,000 injured, 1.5 million homeless and 40,000 homes destroyed. It was Japan's greatest storm disaster. (The Weather Doctor)
27 September 1854...After colliding with the French ship SS Vesta in dense fog, the American Collins Line steamship Arctic sank with more than 300 people on board near Cape Race, Newfoundland, marking the first great disaster in the Atlantic Ocean. (Wikipedia)
27 September 1922...Report on observations of experiments with short wave radio at the Naval Aircraft Radio Laboratory in Anacostia, DC started US Navy development of radar. (Navy Historical Center)
27 September 1958...A typhoon caused the death of nearly 5000 people on Honshu, the main Japanese island. (Wikipedia)