WEEKLY OCEAN NEWS

26-30 May 2014

DataStreme Ocean will return for Fall 2014 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 25 August 2014. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

Items of Interest:

National Hurricane Awareness Week -- NOAA has declared the week of 25 -31 May 2014 to be Hurricane Awareness Week across the nation.
Atlantic Hurricane Season begins -- The hurricane season in the North Atlantic basin, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico will begin this coming Sunday, 1 June. In the Eastern North Pacific basin, the hurricane season began on 15 May. The season will run until 30 November 2014 in both basins. NOAA has declared the week of 26 May-1 June 2013 to be Hurricane Awareness Week across the nation.
Change in season -- Meteorological spring in the Northern Hemisphere, the three-month span from March through May, concludes on Saturday (31 May 2014), while meteorological summer (June, July and August) will commence on the following day.
The "Global Selfie" is assembled from thousands of photos -- During the last week, NASA released the finished "Global Selfie," a mosaic image created from 36,422 individual images posted to social media sites on Earth Day 2014 (22 April) that was made to resemble what Earth would look like from space on that day. The photos were obtained from 113 counties on all continents. Each picture was used as a pixel (or picture element). [NASA's Earth Science News Team]

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the tropics --- Tropical cyclone activity was limited to the eastern North Pacific basin last week, as the first named tropical cyclone of 2014 formed off the southwestern coast of Mexico late in the week. This tropical cyclone, identified as Amanda, formed as a tropical depression last Thursday afternoon slightly more than 600 miles to the south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Initially traveling to the west-northwest, this tropical depression intensified to became a tropical storm on Friday afternoon. By Saturday afternoon, Tropical Storm Amanda had intensified sufficiently to become a category 1 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale), only nine days after the official start to the 2014 hurricane season in the eastern North Pacific basin. Within a span of 12 hours, Hurricane Amanda intensified to become a major category 3 hurricane as it continued to travel toward the west-northwest. By Sunday morning, Amanda was close to becoming a strong category 4 hurricane as maximum sustained surface winds surrounding the hurricane's central eye were estimated by satellites to have reached 155 mph. Therefore, Amanda has become the strongest hurricane to have formed in the eastern Pacific during the month of May. At that time the eye of Amanda was beginning to travel slowly toward the north, as it was located approximately 770 miles to the south of Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula . Forecasts on Sunday indicated that Amanda would drift slowly toward the north or north-northwest through the beginning of this week. Steady weakening was to be expected through Tuesday. Since the projected path was well out over the open waters of the Pacific, no coastal watches or warnings were in effect along the western coast of Mexico. For additional information on Hurricane Amanda along with satellite imagery, see the NASA Hurricane Page. NOTE: The earliest hurricane of the season in the eastern North Pacific basin was Hurricane Alma, a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale that formed on 12 May 1990 and reached hurricane status on the 15th.
Hurricane outlooks issued -- In anticipation of the start of Hurricane Awareness Week, scientists with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center released their outlooks for the upcoming hurricane seasons in the Atlantic, the eastern Pacific and central Pacific Basins:

For the North Atlantic basin, which includes the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the outlook indicates a 50-percent chance of a below-normal hurricane season in 2014 and a 40-percent chance of a near-normal season. Specifically, the outlook calls for a 70-percent chance that the basin could experience 8 to 13 named tropical cyclones (hurricanes and tropical storms with sustained surface winds of at least 39 mph). The forecasters also foresee that three to six tropical cyclones could become hurricanes (maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher). One to two of these hurricanes could become major hurricanes (Category 3 hurricanes or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale). These anticipated numbers would be slightly below the long-term average of 12 named tropical cyclones per year in the North Atlantic, and the six hurricanes that normally form during each year. Three of these hurricanes typically become major hurricanes. The forecasters claim that two of three factors appear to be capable of reducing hurricane activity across the Atlantic basin: possible development of an El Niño event and lower than average sea surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. On the other hand, the 20-year long pattern of highly active Atlantic hurricane seasons was expected to continue. NOAA will issue an updated outlook for the Atlantic hurricane season in early August, just before the historical peak of the season. [NOAA News]
For the Eastern North Pacific basin (east of 140 degrees West longitude), the outlook from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center suggests a near-normal or above normal hurricane season. This outlook would call for a 70 percent chance of the formation of between 14 and 20 named tropical cyclones, with seven to eleven hurricanes. Three to six major hurricanes (category 3 or higher) were also envisioned. These anticipated numbers compare with the 45-year average of 15 named tropical cyclones per year that include eight hurricanes and as many as four major hurricanes. The forecasters indicate that while a pattern favoring low hurricane activity across the eastern Pacific continues, the anticipated development of an

NOAA News

For the Central North Pacific basin (between 180 degrees and 140 degrees West longitude), forecasters at NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center in collaboration with their colleagues at the Climate Prediction Center expect that the upcoming hurricane season would have a 40 percent chance of above average normal activity and a 40 percent change of a near normal season. They called for four to seven tropical cyclones to affect the central North Pacific in 2014, either forming with in the basin or entering it from the Eastern Pacific. On average, four to five tropical cyclones (including tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes) travel across the basin that stretches from 140 degrees west longitude to the International Dateline. The forecasters claim that the anticipated development El Niño conditions should increase more and stronger tropical cyclones, although a continuation was expected of low activity in the Central Pacific Basin that began more than 15 years ago. [NOAA News]
For comparison, Phil Klotzbach and Bill Gray at Colorado State University released a forecast of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season in early April that called for a relatively quiet season. They envision nine named tropical cyclones, with three potentially becoming hurricanes. One of these hurricanes could become severe. [The Tropical Meteorology Project]
In addition, forecasters at the United Kingdom's Meteorological Office have also produced a forecast of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season that estimates between seven and thirteen named tropical cyclones could form, with a most likely value of 10. The forecasters feel that between three and nine hurricanes could form, with six being the most likely value, which is close to the long-term average number. They base their estimates on the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index, which measures the number of storms and their combined strength.

Experimental "Potential Storm Surge Flooding Map" is unveiled -- Late last week, NOAA officials introduced an experimental "Potential Storm Surge Flooding Map" for New York Harbor that will be used during this upcoming 2014 Atlantic hurricane season to better communicate with the public then risk of injury and damage caused by storm-related flooding, especially associated with tropical cyclones. These maps incorporate mapping and ocean data from NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS). [NOAA National Ocean Service]
A NOAA ENSO Blog is launched -- With the anticipated start of an El Niño event, NOAA has announced that the NOAA ENSO Blog has been launched by a team of three scientists who are experts in ENSO (El Niño - Southern Oscillation). This blog is meant to provide the public with updates on the development of the El Niño event. [NOAA News]
Agreement is made to help Caribbean and Latin American nations prepare and respond to severe weather -- Early last week officials with NOAA and the Inter-American Development Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding that is intended to explore cooperation in promoting programs and projects that use NOAA satellite imagery in an effort to quickly mobilize resources across those areas in Latin America and the Caribbean affected by life-threatening storms, flooding, volcanic eruptions and other disasters. With 48 member nations, the Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing across Latin America and the Caribbean. Line offices within NOAA that will be participating are: the National Environmental Satellite and Information Service, National Weather Service, National Ocean Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. [NOAA NESDIS News]
Introducing "CarbonTracker" -- Scientists at NOAA's Earth Systems Research Laboratory created "CarbonTracker," a data assimilation system and modeling system that tracks the sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide around the globe. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
Global temperatures for April 2014 reviewed -- Using preliminary data collected from the global network of surface weather stations, scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center report that the combined global land and ocean surface temperature for April 2014 tied April 2010 as the highest for any April since global climate records began in 1880, or approximately 1.4 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century (1901-2000) average. The scientists also reported that when considered separately, the average land temperature was the third highest for any April since 1880, while the temperature over the oceans also was the third highest April temperature. Although sea-surface temperatures for the month were generally above average, neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Many locations across northern Africa, Europe, northern Asia and Alaska experienced above average April temperatures.
Data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center indicated that the average Arctic sea ice extent was the fifth smallest monthly April extent since satellite surveillance began in 1979. Conversely, the Antarctic sea ice extent was the largest April Antarctic sea ice extent on record for the satellite era. [NOAA/NCDC State of the Climate]
A global map of Selected Significant Climate Anomalies and Events for April 2014 is available from NCDC.
Documenting three decades of coastline changes from space -- An animation of 15 high resolution images of a section of the southeastern coast of Cape Cod near Chatham, MA obtained by three generations of Landsat satellites between June 1984 and July 2013 shows how sections of the beaches changed over time, especially with the evolution of a coastal barrier. The instruments that obtained the data for the images were the Thematic Mapper on Landsat 5, the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on Landsat 7, and the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8. Some of the large and rapid changes to the coastline have been caused by coastal storms, such as nor'easters that travel along the New England coast. [NASA Earth Observatory]
GPS technology helps new tide gauges measure sea level change -- Scientists at Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new method of using the satellite navigation system signals received at existing coastal GPS (Global Positioning System) stations to measure sea level changes. The researchers claim that this new way of measuring sea level can be used to see how global sea level changes are affected by climate change. [Chalmers University of Technology News]
Hidden canyons under Greenland's ice could result in greater sea level rise -- Using radar data from several recent scientific missions, scientists at NASA and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have produced new topographic maps of Greenland's bedrock under its ice cap, finding that canyons under Greenland's ocean-feeding glaciers are deeper and longer than previously thought. The increase in the estimated size of these canyons would result in a corresponding increase in the amount of ice and the estimated contribution that Greenland would provide to future sea level rise. [NASA Global Climate Change ]
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, drought, floods, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

26 May 1967...A slow moving nor'easter battered New England with high winds, heavy rain, and record late season snow on this day and into the 26th. Winds 70 to 90 mph in gusts occurred along the coast. Over 7 inches of rain fell at Nantucket, MA with 6.57 inches falling in 24 hours to set a new 24-hour rainfall record. Severe damage occurred along the coast from very high tides. The 24.9 inches of snow that fell at Mount Washington, NH set a new May snowfall record. Other locations in New Hampshire received 10 inches of snow near Keene and 6 inches at Dublin. (Intellicast)
28 May 1963...A cyclone killed about 22,000 people along the coast of East Pakistan.
28 May 1987...A robot probe found the wreckage of the USS Monitor off Cape Hatteras, NC. (Wikipedia)
29 May 1827...The first nautical school was opened in Nantucket, MA, under the name Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin's Lancasterian School.
29 May 1914...Shallow river fog along the St. Lawrence River approximately 185 miles from Quebec City, Quebec contributed to the collision of the CP Liner Empress of Ireland and a Norwegian coal ship, The Storstad. Although the two ships had spotted each other several minutes before the collision, altered courses and confused signals contributed to the crash. In one of the worst ship disasters in history, the liner sank in 25 minutes drowning 1024 passengers of the 1477 people on board. Only seven lifeboats escaped the rapidly sinking vessel. (The Weather Doctor) (The History Channel)
29 May 1950...A Royal Canadian Mounted Police schooner, RCMPV St. Roch, became the first ship to circumnavigate North America, when it arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Wikipedia)
30 May 1767...The first stone of the tower for the Charleston Lighthouse on Morris Island, SC was laid on this date. (USCG Historian's Office)
30-31 May 1997...As many as 140 people had to be rescued from rip currents off Dayton Beach Shores, FL. One man died in a rip current while trying to save his wife. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
31 May 1911...The hull of the ill-fated Titanic was launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At the ceremony, a White Star Line employee claimed, "Not even God himself could sink this ship." (Information Please)
31 May 1997...The Confederation Bridge, also dubbed the "Fixed Link," was officially opened, linking Canada's Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick. This 8-mile long bridge that crosses the Northumberland Strait is the longest bridge in the world that spans waters that freeze. (Wikipedia)
1-17 June 2001...The deadliest and costliest tropical storm in US history, Tropical Storm Allison, wandered westward across the tropical Atlantic and crossed over into the Pacific before reversing direction and moving back into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. On 1 June the tropical wave, which eventually evolved into TS Allison, moved into the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific coast of Mexico after moving westward across the tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean from off the west coast of Africa on 21 May. On the 2^nd, a cyclonic (counterclockwise) circulation developed to the south-southeast of Salma Cruz, Mexico, but the low-level circulation became ill defined as the system moved inland on the 3^rd over southeastern Mexico and western Guatemala. This system intensified again and eventually moved northward to the Texas Gulf Coast and then eastward to the Atlantic before turning into an extratropical storm in mid-June. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)