Weekly Ocean News

WEEK SEVEN: 19-23 October 2009

Items Of Interest

Half-century of studying climate from space is celebrated -- A 50th-anniversary celebration of the launch of Explorer 7 will be held at next month in Madison, WI, to honor University of Wisconsin-Madison Professors Verner Suomi and Robert Parent, along with their colleagues who built a radiometer that provided the first global scale measurements of the Earth's energy budget. This instrument package on the Explorer 7 satellite not only predated the launch of TIROS-1, the first weather satellite, but also helped revolutionize remote sensing of the planetary climate. [University of Wisconsin-Madison News] [Space Science and Engineering Center]
NOAA researchers honored for their publications -- The NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research has recently announced the recipients of the office's 2009 Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards. These awardees included:
- Three Seattle (WA)-area scientists for their publications describing their discoveries on oceanic and atmospheric conditions that affect the West Coast. [NOAA News]
- Ten Boulder (CO)-area scientists for their publications on discoveries that are expected to help improve weather forecasting and offer scientists a potential new tool to improve understanding of the global carbon cycle. [NOAA News]
- Five Princeton (NJ) researchers for their publication on a study that provides new insights on climate change.
- Five Norman (OK)-area researchers for their publication that expected to enable earlier warnings for severe storms. [NOAA News]
  [NOAA News]

Ocean in the News

Eye on the tropics -- During the last week several tropical cyclones developed and traveled across tropical waters of the major ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere:
- In the eastern North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Patricia, the sixteenth named tropical cyclone of 2009 in that basin, formed at the start of last week off the western coast of Mexico. This tropical storm traveled northward and by midweek weakened to a tropical depression before reaching the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California. Additional information can be obtained from the NASA Hurricane Page.
  Hurricane Rick, the seventh hurricane in the eastern North Pacific of 2009, formed near the end of last week off the Central American coast. This hurricane intensified into a major category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale over this past weekend as it traveled to the west-northwest. As of last Sunday afternoon, maximum sustained surface winds surrounding the eye of Hurricane Rick had reached 180 mph, making it the second strongest hurricane in the eastern North Pacific in more than one decade. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite images and additional information on Hurricane Rick.
- In the central North Pacific basin, Tropical Depression 3-C formed southeast of the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday.
- In the western North Pacific basin, Typhoon Parma, which had become a major category 4 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale during the previous week, continued westward across China's Hainan Island and the Gulf of Tonkin, making landfall in northern Viet Nam late last week. See the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information on Typhoon Parma.
  Tropical Storm Nepartak moved to the northeast across the western North Pacific early last week before weakening and dissipating south of Japan.
  Typhoon Lupit formed last week near the Mariannas and intensified as it moved to the west-northwest and then to the north, reaching major category 4 typhoon status east of Luzon in the Philippines. Additional information and satellite images on Typhoon Lupit can be seen in the NASA Hurricane Page.
Alaskan seal populations not placed on endangered lists -- Last week, NOAA’s Fisheries Service announced that after an 18-month review, it has determined that two of three populations of spotted seals along the coasts of Alaska currently do not appear to be in danger of extinction, meaning that these seals will not be placed on the endangered lists at this time. [NOAA News]
Secretary's support of listing Atlantic Bluefin Tuna as endangered -- Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator recently released a statement announcing US support for listing Atlantic Bluefin Tuna on the International Trade Endangered Species List, which would provide the strongest conservation management practices for this species. [NOAA News]
New environmental geosynchronous satellite prepared for launch -- Engineers from NASA and Boeing Corporation are preparing and testing the instrument package that will be placed on the GOES-P satellite, scheduled to be launched in March 2010. Once launched, this GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) will be operated by NOAA to monitor atmospheric and oceanic environmental conditions across sections of the Americas. [NASA GOES]
Determining the economic worth of a coral reef -- In research presented at a recent global biodiversity conference held in Cape Town, South Africa, economists presented data that concludes the services provided by coral reef are worth between $130,000 and $1.2 million per hectare per year. [EurekAlert!]
Shoreline is at lower risk from rip currents than swimmers -- Stony Brook University researchers who studied rip currents at East Hampton Village Beach on Long Island, NY have found that these rip currents have a typically short duration and do not significantly alter the coastline. However, rip currents are more dangerous to human life and property, as more than 100 deaths are attributed to rip currents along the nation's beaches per year. [EurekAlert!]
Two historical droughts of 20th century studied for trigger mechanisms -- Scientists at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory have been studying two of the nation's major droughts of the 20th century, finding these resulted from two different causes. They conclude that the drought across the northern Plains in the early 1930s that led to the "Dust Bowl" was not caused by ocean conditions, but by random changes in the atmosphere. However, they claim that the drought across the southern Plains in the 1950s was caused by global sea surface temperatures. [NOAA News]
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: Seiche Model

A seiche (pronounced "say-sh") is a rhythmic oscillation of water in an enclosed basin (e.g., bathtub, lake, or reservoir) or a partially enclosed coastal inlet (e.g., bay, harbor, or estuary). With this oscillation, the water level rises at one end of a basin while simultaneously dropping at the other end. A seiche episode may last from a few minutes to a few days. (Refer to pages 156-157 in your textbook for more on seiches.)

With a typical seiche in an enclosed basin, the water level near the center does not change at all but that is where the water exhibits its greatest horizontal movement; this is the location of a node. At either end of an enclosed basin, vertical motion of the water surface is greatest (with minimal horizontal movement of water); these are locations of antinodes. The motion of the water surface during a seiche is somewhat like that of a seesaw: The balance point of the seesaw does not move up or down (analogous to a node) while people seated at either end of the seesaw move up and down (analogous to an antinode).

Go to the University of Delaware's Seiche Calculator at http://www.coastal.udel.edu/faculty/rad/seiche.html. Set the "Modal Number" to 1 and then press "Calculate" for a graphical simulation of a seiche in an enclosed basin.

Partially enclosed basins usually have a node located at the mouth (rather than near the center) and an antinode at the landward end. Go to the Seiche Calculator, set the "Modal Number" to 0.5 and then press "Calculate" for a simulation of a seiche in a basin open to the right. Furthermore, some basins are complex and have multiple nodes and antinodes; these can be simulated on the Seiche Calculator by selecting different values of "Modal Number" greater than one.

The natural period of a seiche depends on the length and depth of the basin and generally ranges from minutes to hours. The period is directly proportional to basin length. For example, the natural period of a seiche in a small pond is considerably less than its period in a large coastal inlet. Also, for the same basin, the natural period is inversely proportional to water depth; that is, the period shortens as water deepens. Using the Seiche Calculator, you may wish to experiment with different basin lengths and depths. Conversely, one can determine the average depth of a lake by determining the period of the seiche and the length of the lake.

Concept of the Week: Questions

In an enclosed basin the node of a seiche is located [(at either end) (near the center)] of the basin.
The natural period of a seiche [(depends on) (is independent of)] the size of an enclosed basin.

Historical Events:

19 October 1843...Captain Robert Stockton of the Princeton, the first screw propelled naval steamer, challenged the British merchant ship Great Western to a race off New York, which Princeton won easily. (Naval Historical Center)
20 October 1892...After ten years of difficult and costly construction, the St. George Reef Lighthouse, built on a rock lying six miles off the northern coast of California, midway between Capes Mendocino and Blanco, was first lighted. (USCG Historian's Office)
20 October 1956...A German physician, Dr. Hannes Lindemann, began a voyage on which he would become the first person to cross the Atlantic in the smallest craft. Using a double-seat folding kayak that was 17 feet in length and outfitted with an outrigger and sail, he made the trip from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands in 72 days. He had made a prior crossing in a 23-foot African dugout canoe. He later wrote a book, Alone at Sea, describing his experiences. (Today in Science History)
20 October 1984...The Monterey Bay Aquarium opened on Cannery Row in Monterey, CA as the largest artificial environment for marine life, housing 500 marine animals from at least 525 species. The aquarium also supports active research and conservation programs. (Today in Science History)
21 October 1797...The USS Constitution was launched at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, MA. The ship, nicknamed "Old Ironsides," is now the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy. (Naval Historical Center)
21 October 1580...Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage of the globe reached Cape Virgenes and the strait at the tip of South America that now bears his name. Only three ships entered the 373-mile long passage separating Tierra del Fuego (land of fire) and the continental mainland. Navigating the treacherous strait in 38 days, the expedition entered the South Pacific Ocean, which Magellan named "Mar Pacifico" for the relatively tranquil seas that he found. However, one ship had been wrecked and another deserted. (The History Channel)
21-26 October 1998...Hurricane Mitch, a category 5 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale), developed as a tropical depression over the southwestern Caribbean Sea about 360 mi south of Kingston, Jamaica on the 21^st. It would intensify over the next few days to become the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, on the 24^th. By the 26^th, Mitch finally dissipated after remaining a category 5 hurricane for 33 hours. Estimated rainfall totals of up to 75 in. caused devastating flooding and mudslides in Honduras and Nicaragua for days. Estimated death toll from this hurricane was more than 11,000, the worst since 1780. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord Weather Calendar)
22 October 1988...A "nor'easter" swept across the coast of New England. Winds gusted to 75 mph, and large waves and high tides caused extensive shoreline flooding. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
23-24 October 1918...The Canadian steamship Princess Sophia carrying miners from the Yukon and Alaska became stranded on Vanderbilt Reef along coastal British Columbia. A strong northerly gale hampered rescue attempts, and the next day, the ship sank with the loss of the 268 passengers and 75 crewmen onboard. (The Weather Doctor)
25 October 1859...The Royal Charter Storm, named after the loss of the fully rigged ship Royal Charter off the coast of Anglesey, England, drowned about 500 people, along with the loss of gold bullion. The ship was one of over 200 vessels wrecked between 21 October and 2 November, with the loss of around 800 lives. This tragedy led to the introduction of gale warnings in June 1860. (The Weather Doctor)
25 October 1941...South Greenland Patrol expanded to include three cutters of the Northeast Greenland Patrol and form the Greenland Patrol. (USCG Historian's Office)
25-26 October 1980...The combination of unusually high tides and southeasterly winds gusting to 75 mph generated waves with heights to 25 ft, resulting in serious flooding, beach erosion and sea wall damage along the Maine coast. Wind damage was considerable and as many as 100,000 homes were without power for up to 40 hrs. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)