WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DATASTREME WES WEEK THREE: 15-19 September 2008

Water in the News

Eye on the tropics -- During the last week several tropical cyclones (low pressure systems that form over tropical or subtropical oceans) developed and traveled across tropical waters of the major ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere:
- In the North Atlantic basin, Hurricane Ike, which had reached category 4 status on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale on the previous weekend as it traveled across the southeastern Bahamas in southwestern Atlantic, weakened after making landfall along the northeastern coast of Cuba. After crossing Cuba, it had weakened to a minimal category 1 hurricane before it re-intensified to a strong category 2 system after entering the Gulf of Mexico late in the midweek. On early Saturday morning, Ike made landfall on the upper Texas Gulf coast near Galveston. Ike weakening to a tropical storm and then to a tropical depression by early Sunday, over southwestern Arkansas. An image from the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite shows the clouds surrounding Hurricane Ike approximately 14 hours before landfall. [NASA Earth Observatory] Additional information and images on Hurricane Ike are on the NASA Hurricane Page. Imagery from instruments onboard the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite also helped track Hurricane Ike. [ESA]
- In eastern North Pacific, Tropical Storm Lowell over the previous weekend off the coast of southwest Mexico. During the week, Lowell traveled to the northwest through midweek before turning toward the northeast and weakening to a tropical depression. This depression made an initial landfall near the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula late last week before traveling across the Gulf of California and making a second landfall along the western coast of mainland Mexico. Additional information concerning Tropical Storm Lowell, along with a variety of satellite imagery, can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
- In the western North Pacific, Tropical Storm Sinlaku formed over the waters of the Philippine Sea east of Luzon at the start of last week. During the week, it traveled to the north-northwest, intensifying to a major category 4 typhoon (on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale). By late in the weekend, Sinlaku was posed to make landfall along the coast of mainland China. A satellite image was made of Typhoon Sinlaku by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite late last week as this typhoon was brushing by Taiwan . [NASA Earth Observatory] Additional imagery and information concerning Sinlaku are available from the NASA Hurricane Page.
  A tropical storm, identified as Tropical Storm 16, formed briefly over the waters to the east of Japan.
Another Chesapeake Bay "smart buoy" deployed -- On this past weekend, NOAA deployed one of its "smart buoys" where the Susquehanna River empties into the head of Chesapeake Bay in an effort to monitor the weather, oceanographic and water quality at the northern end of the nation's largest estuary. This buoy is the fifth in the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System that marks the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. [NOAA News]
Historic hurricane tracks website is updated -- NOAA's Coastal Services Center along with the National Hurricane Center have updated the interactive "Historical Hurricane Tracks" website that permits users to generate custom maps showing the path of tropical cyclones (hurricanes and tropical storms) in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific basins between 1851 and 2007. [NOAA News]
Circumnavigation of the Arctic basin possible -- An image of the Arctic sea ice concentration generated from data obtained at the end of the first week of September by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer–Earth Observing System sensor on NASA’s Aqua satellite showed sufficiently open Arctic waters in the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Archipelago and the Northern Sea Route along the Russian coast for navigation around the basin's ice pack for the first time in at least 50 years. [NASA Earth Observatory]
A crack detected floating ice tongue -- An image made from data collected by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite one week ago shows a large crack that developed in the floating ice tongue attached to northwestern Greenland's Petermann Glacier. This floating ice tongue is reported to be the Northern Hemisphere's largest. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Marine vessel fuel emissions remain a global concern -- Faculty members from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Delaware warn that the emissions from ocean vessels provided significant contributions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter that would seriously impact the planetary climate. They champion a strategy of improved emission control policies and a switch to cleaner fuels with lower sulfur. [Rochester Institute of Technology]
New rules governing activities in fragile polar regions to be considered -- Experts at a UN-affiliated conference marking the International Polar Year in Iceland are considering a new internationally coordinated set of rules designed to govern commercial and research activities in the Arctic and Antarctic for the protection of these fragile polar regions on both the ocean and landmasses. [EurekAlert!]
Spinning eddies in Southern Oceans could affect planetary climate -- A research team headed by a mathematician from Australia's University of New South Whales report that the large gyres, or massive spinning eddies, in the Southern Oceans could have a profound influence on marine life and ultimately upon global climate, as they appear to trap pollutants, nutrients and drifting living organisms, as well as diverting major ocean currents. [EurekAlert!]
August weather extremes -- The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is complying a list of extreme weather events that have produced notable records of temperature and precipitation during the month of August 2008 across the nation in "Selected U.S. City and State Extremes for August 2008". Note that this site may be updated during the following several weeks as more data are received and analyzed.
Weather and climate reviewed for Summer of 2008 -- Based upon preliminary data, scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center report that the recently concluded meteorological summer of 2008 (June, July and August) was the 22nd warmest summer across the coterminous United States since sufficiently reliable climate records began in 1895. In addition, August 2008 was the 39th warmest August in 114 years of record. Many of the Western, Southern and East Coast states reported above to much above average summertime temperatures, while six states across the central part of the country, along with Washington State, reported below average statewide temperatures for the summer. Nationwide, this past summer was the 15th wettest three-month summer period and the ninth wettest August since 1895. Florida, four of the New England states and Iowa had much above statewide summer precipitation, while Mississippi experienced its all time wettest August. Conversely, states across the Middle Atlantic, the Ohio Valley, the upper Mississippi Valley and the West had below average summer rainfall, with Delaware its driest August on record. The drought eased across sections of the Southeast in August, while areas in the southern Appalachians, the high Plains and the Southwest continued to experience severe to exceptional drought conditions. [NOAA News]
Amazon river sunglint seen from space -- A photograph made by an astronaut onboard the International Space Station shows the sunglint off Brazil's Amazon River along with numerous lakes and tributaries. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Arizona considers tapping the ocean for water -- Water managers and other officials in Arizona are considering the feasibility of importing billions of gallons of desalinated seawater from Puerto Penasco, a coastal community in the Mexican state of Sonora to help satiate the increasing water demands in the Grand Canyon State. [US Water News Online]
Desalination project could save crops -- Research at Australia's University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney indicates that reverse-osmosis membranes incorporated into a sub-surface drip irrigation system that utilizes the plant roots could make brackish groundwater suitable for crops in agriculturally marginal and drought-affected areas. [EurekAlert!]
An ancient water works discovered in Ohio -- Archaeologists from the University of Cincinnati have discovered that a Native American earthwork site near Cincinnati, OH known as "Miami Fort" appears to be a water management system of dams and canals constructed by Shawnee nearly 2000 years ago for agriculture during a time of extended drought, rather than as a fortification as earlier assumed. [University of Cincinnati News]
Climate models accuracy confirmed by ice cores -- A researcher from Oregon State University claims that analysis of the concentrations of carbon dioxide and other trace gases trapped in bubbles contained in ancient ice cores obtained from Antarctica indicate that the carbon dioxide levels during a 70,000 year span with the most recent Ice Age appear to correlate well with abrupt changes in climate. The study also supports the theory that ocean currents and circulation patterns play an essential role in creating different patterns of warm and cold climates. Some suggest that this discovery confirms the validity of computer climate models that would project a warmer future climate. [EurekAlert!]
A miscalculation in undersea geologic record is uncovered -- A scientist from the University of Miami studying oceanic sedimentary records from three ocean basins for the last 10 million years claims that the assumptions made to date carbonate sediments based upon a radiochemical dating method using the ratio between the carbon-13 and carbon-12 isotopes are incorrect and would affect the dating farther into the past. [EurekAlert!]
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]
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]
Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Great Lakes Water Levels

In late 2000, Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie experienced their lowest water levels in 35 years with serious implications for lake-based activities. Over the past few years, however, changes in weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed appear to have somewhat reversed the decline in water levels, but overall they still remain below long-term averages.

From 1997 to 2001, Lakes Michigan and Huron dropped by 104 cm (40.8 in.) and Lake Erie dropped by 96 cm (37.6 in.), encompassing the greatest three-year drop in lake levels since continuous records began in 1860. This dramatic decline in lake level was due to a combination of weather conditions in the Great Lakes watershed. Rainfall, snowfall, and air temperature during winter and spring govern water levels of the Great Lakes in spring and summer. Spring melting of the winter snow pack in the watershed is an important contributing factor as is air temperature that ultimately governs evaporation rates. Between 1997 and 2000, lower than normal precipitation and higher than normal temperatures reduced the winter snow pack, decreased discharge on rivers flowing into the lakes, and accelerated lake evaporation. Although input of water into the Great Lakes was above the long-term average in Fall 2001, lake levels remained well below average because of less than the usual snow melt in the Spring of 2001 and less than normal winter ice-cover in 2001-02. (More open water translates into greater winter evaporation.)

Great Lakes water levels showed signs of recovery during 2002, but in early 2003, all the lakes were lower than the long-term average for that time of year. A cool wet summer in the eastern Lakes region, but dry summer weather across the west meant that lake levels for the upper lakes continued to remain below average, while the lower lakes had levels that returned to near average. The cool summer of 2004 was very similar to 2003, with below average precipitation across the western Lakes and above average rainfall over the eastern Lakes. By mid September 2004, Lakes Erie and Ontario had water levels that were above the long-term monthly average. However, following the dry spring and summer of 2005, lake levels of the western Lakes fell below long-term averages and remained below average into 2006. Continued drought and unseasonably warm weather across sections of the Upper Midwest during the summer of 2006 caused the level of Lake Superior to fall to approximately 30 cm (13 in) below the long-term average by early February 2007. By September 2007, the continued drought across the Lakes caused the water levels on all the lakes to drop below long-term level, even though the lower lakes were above average at the start of the year. The greatest departure was experienced on Lake Superior, where the lake level reached a record low level that was nearly one half meter (19 inches) below the long-term average in September 2007. Cold air and winter storms moving across the Upper Midwest helped provide a slight increase of several inches in the level of Lake Superior in January 2008 over the level one year earlier. By early September, the lake level was 9 cm (3 in) below average. The levels of Lakes Michigan and Huron fell to near record low levels in December 2007. (The Straits of Mackinac that link Lakes Michigan and Huron are so wide and deep that the levels of these two lakes are essentially the same.) However, winter snow and late spring rain, along with cool weather allowed levels on Lakes Michigan and Huron to come within 39 cm (16 inches) of the long term average by early September. Lakes Erie and Ontario had levels that were close to average (within an inch) on 12 September 2008.

Low lake levels adversely impact commercial navigation, marinas, recreational boaters, and electric power facilities. Shallower than usual water requires expensive and environmentally damaging dredging to keep shipping channels navigable and ports open. Even with more dredging, some channels cannot accommodate the draft of heavily laden freighters. Reduced carrying capacity impedes transport of grain, coal, ore, and other raw materials to processing facilities and markets. In 2000, Lake Carriers transported 5% to 8% less cargo, sending prices higher. If storm winds cause near-shore water levels to fall, marinas, docks, and boat ramps may be temporarily inaccessible. The Great Lakes supply most of the potable water for lakeshore communities and cooling water for coal-fired and nuclear electric power plants located along their shores. A drop in water level may require costly repositioning of intake pipes. On the positive side, lower lake levels translate into broader beaches and wetland habitats and less shoreline erosion.

For more information on past, current, and anticipated Great Lakes water levels, go to http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/, a web site maintained by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). Records of Great Lakes water levels constitute one of the longest high quality hydrometeorological data sets in North America, dating back to about 1860. Lake level measurements are collected and archived by NOAA's National Ocean Service.

Concept of the Week: Questions

With rising temperatures, the rate of evaporation of water [(increases)(decreases)].
A trend toward snowier and colder winters and springs is likely to cause levels of the Great Lakes to [(rise)(fall)].

Historical Events

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 storm 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 and storm waves broke 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)
15 September 1995…Heavy rain from remnants of Hurricane Ismael that had formed in the eastern North Pacific produced up to ten inches of rain in southeastern New Mexico. In Hobbs water was waist deep on some streets and eight feet deep on soccer fields. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
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 beaches 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 $1 million in 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. 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 September 1932...Westerly, RI received 12.13 inches of rain, which set a 24-hour precipitation record for the state. Concord, NH was drenched with 5.97 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a record for that location (16^th- 17^th). (NCDC) (The Weather Channel)
17 September 1963...Nearly two and a half inches of rain fell at Yuma, AZ in 24 hrs. This rain, from Tropical Storm Katherina, was the most intense rain for Yuma during the period between 1909 and 1977. (The Weather Channel)
17-23 September 1989...Hurricane Hugo hit the Virgin Islands on the 17th, 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 18th, 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 21st, Hugo slammed into the South Carolina coast at about 11 p.m., 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 22nd, 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 a.m. 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 $21 0 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 27.61 inches. Tides up to twelve feet high accompanied the hurricane, which claimed 372 lives. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
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 20th near the mouth of the Rio Grande River, where a wind gust of 135 mph was reported by a ship in the port. (19th-20th) (The Weather Channel)
20 September 1845...A tornado, called the "Adirondack Tornado" traveled 275 mi across Lake Ontario, New York and Lake Champlain, after starting as a waterspout over Lake Ontario and then traveling as a tornado through New York State to exit as a waterspout again on Lake Champlain. The treefall in the forest is still discernible. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) (Intellicast)
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)
20-23 September 1942 -- A torrential rainstorm hit Canada's Maritime Provinces. During these four days, 13.99 in. fell at Stellarton, Nova Scotia and 10.83 in. at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Halifax, Nova Scotia received 9.40 in. of rain on the 21 September. (The Weather Doctor)
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 which smashed against the New England shore with such force that earthquake-recording instruments on the Pacific coast clearly showed the shock of each wave. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
21-23 September 1992...Torrential rains deluged the south of France. As much as 17 in. fell in a 12-hr spell on the 22^nd. A 49-ft high wall of water swept through Vaison la Romaine. Whole trees penetrated houses and vehicles. At least 38 died. (Accord Weather Calendar)