Weekly Ocean News

DATASTREME OCEAN WEEK THREE: 4-8 February 2008

Ocean in the News

(Thurs.) Important dolphin agreement is a decade old -- NOAA officials and their international counterparts are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the landmark Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program, where the United States, the European Union and eleven other countries agreed to a pact designed to save dolphins from being unintentionally caught in tuna nets. [NOAA News]
(Thurs.) Clues of ancient climates obtained from ocean depths -- An international research team on board the research vessel Southern Surveyor recently returned to Australia after collecting coral samples from the deep ocean floor approximately three kilometers below the surface off Tasmania using a remotely operated submersible. The coral should provide information on past climate. [CSIRO] Images are also available. [CSIRO]
(Thurs.) River plants could affect health of oceanic coastal waters -- Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that the growth of aquatic plants in rivers and streams could play a major role in the health of the coastal waters of the oceans in which the rivers flow. [MIT]
(Tues.) A shipwreck exhibit is open -- NOAA officials recently announced that an exhibit entitled "Shipwrecks! an Exhibition" will be on display this coming week (2-10 February 2008) at its Silver Spring, MD headquarters as part of the Preserve America Initiative. The public is invited to this free exhibit that focuses upon the discovery and exploration of shipwrecks in the nation's waters. [NOAA & Preserve America]
(Tues.) Avoid seal pups on California beaches -- Staff at NOAA’s Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are advising the public to avoid contact with newborn harbor seal pups that may found lying along California's beaches. These animals are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. [NOAA News]
(Tues.) A link seen between increased hurricane activity and higher sea surface temperatures -- Scientists at University College London claim that the approximately 40 percent increase in hurricane activity in the North Atlantic basin during the last decade can be associated with the 0.5 Celsius degree increase in sea surface temperature. [EurekAlert!]
Applications deadline extended for a marine sanctuary council members -- Representatives with NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of southern California recently announced that they were extending the deadline for applications for membership on the Sanctuary's Advisory Council. [NOAA News]
Eye on the Tropics -- Two tropical cyclones (low-pressure systems that form in the tropics) were found over the tropical waters of the Southern Hemisphere as austral summer begins to wane.
In the Indian Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Gula, which formed early last week, intensified to a Category 2 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it took an erratic path southward to the east of Mauritania and Reunion Islands. As of Saturday, Gula was traveling to the south-southeast. An image obtained from the sensors on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite at midweek shows estimated rain rates in Cyclone Gula [NASA Earth Observatory] Earlier, an image from the ME-7 satellite shows Gula and Tropical Cyclone Fame that had made landfall on Madagascar. [NOAA OSEI]
In the western South Pacific, Tropical Cyclone Gene formed early last week near the Fiji Islands, where damage was sustained. During the week, Gene traveled to the west-southwest, becoming a major category 3 tropical cyclone (on the Saffir Simpson Scale) before curving to the south before reaching New Caledonia. As of early Monday (local time), Gene was continuing to the south across the western South Pacific. An image obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite shows the clouds surrounding Tropical Cyclone Gene. [NASA Earth Observatory] (Editor's Note: Since this tropical cyclone is in the Southern Hemisphere, a clockwise swirl of clouds appears because of the clockwise circulation around low pressure systems in that hemisphere, which is opposite the counterclockwise circulation and characteristic cloud swirl around Northern Hemisphere low pressure centers. EJH)
Humpback whales counted off Hawaii -- The annual Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count on the last Saturday in January as more than 600 volunteers stationed at 56 sites across the Aloha State counted two humpback whales per count period, a relatively low number caused in part by the winds that made whale viewing difficult. [NOAA News]
Hot spot volcanism studied -- Researchers from the L'Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) and the University of Chile have been studying the hot spot volcanic activity around on a group of islands and archipelagos in the central Pacific Ocean to ascertain if movements of the Pacific plate could be involved with formation of these islands. [EurekAlert!]
A half century in the "space business" -- Fifty years ago last Thursday, Explorer 1 satellite was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, FL, marking the entry of the United States into space exploration, following the earlier Sputnik satellite launched by the USSR. One of the successes of Explorer 1 was the discovery of the Van Allen Belts. [NASA Earth Observatory]
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

5 February 1924...Hourly time signals from the Royal Greenwich Observatory were broadcast for the first time. (Wikipedia)
5 February 1997...High winds pushed mountains of ice against the northern shore of Lake Erie crushing several houses and cottages in Colchester, Ontario. This phenomenon is known as ice shove. (The Weather Doctor)
5 February 2004 - Nineteen Chinese cockle-pickers from a group of 35 drowned after being trapped by rising tides in Morecambe Bay, England. (Wikipedia)
6 February 1933...The highest reliably observed ocean wave was observed by crew of the US Navy oiler, USS Ramapo, in the North Pacific during the night on its way from Manila to San Diego. The wave was estimated (by triangulation) to have a height of 112 feet. Average winds at the time were 78 mph. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (See additional discussion on highest ocean waves)
7 February 1969...USCGC Tern, commissioned on this date and stationed in New York, embodied an advanced concept in servicing aids to navigation. Her over-the-stern gantry system of handling buoys is unique. The automation and modernization of over-age, isolated lighthouses and light stations showed significant progress this year. A new, more effective version of the LAMP (Lighthouse Automation and Modernization Project) plan was promulgated in this year. (USCG Historian's Office)
7 February 1978...The worst winter storm of record struck coastal New England. The storm produced 27.5 inches of snow at Boston, and nearly 50 inches in northeastern Rhode Island. The fourteen-foot tide at Portland, ME was probably the highest of the century. Winds gusted to 79 mph at Boston, and reached 92 mph at Chatham, MA. A hurricane-size surf caused 75 deaths and 500 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)
8 February 1987...A powerful storm produced blizzard conditions in the Great Lakes Region. North winds of 50 to 70 mph raised the water level of southern Lake Michigan two feet, and produced waves 12 to 18 feet high, causing seven million dollars damage along the Chicago area shoreline. It was the most damage caused by shoreline flooding and erosion in the history of the city of Chicago. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
8 January 2001...The log-carrying ship, Leo Forest, lost much of its cargo as over 2300 logs went overboard approximately 400 miles north of Adak, AK. The ship lost power in waves that were greater than 35 feet and the loss of the logs caused the ship to list 10 degrees to port (left) with the bow three feet down. Fortunately, the ship made safe passage to Dutch Harbor for repairs. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
9 February 1942...The French Liner Normandie, a 79,280-ton luxury ocean liner, burned and capsized in New York Harbor during its conversion to an Allied trip transport ship. (The History Channel)
10 February 1807...With the backing of President Thomas Jefferson, the US Coast Survey was authorized by Congress "to provide for surveying the coasts of the United States." The Coast Survey represents the oldest U.S. scientific organization to encourage commerce and to support a growing economy in a safe and efficient manner. (NOAA History)
10 February 1940...USCGC Bibb and Duane made the first transmissions as weather stations as part of the Atlantic Weather Patrol. (USCG Historian's Office)