WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DataStreme WES Week Eleven: 17-21 November 2008

Water in the News:

• Eye on the tropics ---
  • No organized tropical cyclones formed in the North Atlantic, eastern North Pacific or central North Pacific basins last week.
  • In the western North Pacific, Tropical Storm Mayask made a loop across the South China Sea and dissipated early last week. A satellite image and additional information on Tropical Storm Mayask can be seen on the NASA Hurricane Page
    Tropical Storm Haishen formed over the western Pacific over this past weekend and was moving to the northeast well to the south of Japan as of early Monday, local time.
    Tropical Storm Noul developed over the South China Sea west of the Philippines on Sunday (local time) and by Monday was traveling to the west toward the central coast of Viet Nam.
  • In the North Indian Ocean basin, Tropical Cyclone Khai-Muk formed over the Bay of Bengal late last week and after initially traveling northward, it took sharp turn to the west and reached the coast of Indian near Madras. For more information, including satellite imagery on Tropical Cyclone Khai-Muk, see the NASA Hurricane Page.
• Studying the highest clouds -- Researchers from the Naval Research Laboratory and several academic institutions have been studying the Polar Mesospheric Clouds, the highest altitude clouds on the planet, using the Laboratory's Spatial Heterodyne Imager for Mesospheric Radicals (SHIMMER) instrument that has flown on the Space Test Program Satellite-1 (STPSat-1) Extended Mission [EurekAlert!]
• Monitoring global water levels from space -- A team of scientists have been using altimeter data collected from several satellites, including NASA's GRACE mission, to monitor changes in water levels around the globe since 1993. They report an increase of sea level by approximately 3.3 mm per year, due in part to thermal expansion of the ocean and in part to melting of continental ice. Other scientists from the United Kingdom have begun monitoring lake and river levels on land using data from European Space Agency satellites. [EurekAlert!]
• Ocean ecosystems affected by Arctic sea ice decline -- Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center report that their analysis of NASA satellite images indicates an explosion in the phytoplankton population in the areas of the Arctic that experienced unprecedented open water due to changes in climate. [NASA GSFC]
• Calculating the cost of freshwater pollution by nutrients -- Researchers at Kansas State University estimate that pollution of freshwater by nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients costs the United States at least $4.3 billion annually. [Kansas State University]
• "Arid aquaculture" could serve as a suitable drylands alternative -- In a report made by researchers associated with the United Nations and the International Centre on Agricultural Research in Dryland Areas, the development of "arid aquaculture" where fish could be raised in ponds of saline water appears to be a potentially effective alternative source of livelihood for peoples suffering from desertification in some of the world's expanding drylands. Several other strategies were also considered. [EurekAlert!]
• Satellites viewed as valuable aid for wetland conservation -- The European Space Agency recently released a report on the GlobWetland project that ran from 2003 to 2008 in which its satellite data were used to inventory, monitor and assess wetland ecosystems in collaboration with the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. [ESA]
• Unusual microbe could play major role in ocean ecosystem -- Researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz claim that an unusual type of photosynthetic bacteria discovered in the waters of the open ocean may require a reconsideration of current theories involving the dynamics of the carbon and nitrogen cycles in the oceans. [EurekAlert!]
• New early tsunami warning system becomes operational -- A new Tsunami Early Warning System for the Indian Ocean, GITEWS, was placed into operation last week with the official transfer of operations was made to the BMKG (Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia). This system employs new procedures and technologies developed by Germany's Helmholtz-Association for the Indian Ocean basin since the devastating tsunami of December 2004. [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: Desertification

Desertification is one of the world's most pressing environmental issues, threatening the existence of more than a billion people who depend on the land for survival. In 1992, the United Nation's Conference on Environment and Development defined desertification as "land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climate variations and human activities." Through desertification, arable land is transformed into desert-like land, greatly reducing or eliminating the land's capacity to produce food. Desertification's impact on people dependent on subsistence farming and herding is food insecurity. Often, their only option to avoid famine is to migrate to urban areas.

According to U.N. estimates, desertification affects about 130 million hectares (320 million acres) of land worldwide, equivalent to the combined areas of France, Italy, and Spain. Portions of some 110 nations are impacted, including parts of the North American Great Plains, the Pampas of South America, the steppes of Asia, the Australia's "outback," and the edges of the Mediterranean. But by far the most widespread and severe impact is in Africa, where two-thirds of the continent's land area is desert or dry land. Almost three-quarters of Africa's dry-land agricultural area is degraded to some extent. Desertification is a very serious problem in Sub-Saharan Africa with its considerable year-to-year variability in seasonal rainfall and frequent long-term droughts (described on pages 83-84 of your DataStreme WES Textbook).

The systems approach is valuable in understanding desertification in that the process involves interactions of climate, Earth's land surface, the water cycle, and human activity. Desertification of dry lands accelerates during prolonged drought. Climate change can alter the frequency, duration, and intensity of drought and thereby contribute to soil desiccation. Although climate change may play an important role in desertification, a key factor is human mismanagement of the soil resource. Poverty and subsistence agriculture drive people to over-cultivate the land, quickly exhausting the soil's fertility. Overgrazing by livestock and deforestation exacerbate an already bad situation by removing the protective vegetative cover and exposing the topsoil to erosion by wind and running water. Winds can transport fine topsoil thousands of kilometers and sandstorms strip the leaves from plants and bury crops under dunes.

Land mismanagement also impacts the local climate and water budget, speeding up desertification. Without a vegetative cover, soil surface temperatures rise, accelerating evaporation of water, depletion of soil moisture, and build up of salts in the soil. Less soil moisture means that more of the available heat is used for raising the air temperature through conduction and convection (i.e., sensible heating). In this way heat stress combines with moisture stress to cut crop yields.

Concept of the Week: Questions

1. Through desertification, crop productivity [(declines) (increases)].
2. Human mismanagement of the soil resource [(is) (is not)] a key factor in desertification.

Historical Events:

• 18 November 1421...Wind-driven waves from an intense storm breached Dutch dikes, sweeping away 72 villages. At least 10,000 people died in "St. Elizabeth's flood." (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 18 November 1873...A severe storm raged from Georgia to Nova Scotia causing great losses to fishing fleets along the coast. In Maine, the barometric pressure dropped to 28.49 in. at Portland. (David Ludlum)
• 18-19 November 1921...A storm that produced 54 in. of snow, sleet and glaze in Oregon blocked the Columbia River Highway at The Dalles. Apart from traffic on the river itself, all transportation between Walla Walla, WA and Portland, OR came to a halt. Nine trains were stopped as railroads were blocked for days in both Washington and Oregon. (Intellicast) (David Ludlum)
• 19 November 1978...A waterspout came onshore to become a tornado near Muhio Wharf in Hilo Harbor on Hawaii's Big Island. Some industrial buildings lost their roofs. The proximity of the waterspout-tornado caused an airliner to change its landing approach to Hilo's airport. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 19 November 1996...A 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the state of Oregon was established when 11.65 in. of rain fell at Port Orford. (NCDC)
• 21 November 1967...Excessive rains in southern California caused the most severe flooding and the most damaging mudslides in 33 years. Downtown Los Angeles received 7.96 in. of rain, and 14 in. fell in the mountains. (David Ludlum)
• 21 November 1987...Truk Island (Federated States of Micronesia at 7.4 degrees N, 151.7 degrees E) was struck by the rapidly intensifying Tropical Storm Nina, as winds gusted to 95 mph. Five died and most buildings were destroyed. A storm of such intensity so close to the equator is somewhat unusual. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 23 November 1909...Rattlesnake Creek was deluged with 7.17 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a record for the state of Idaho. (The Weather Channel)
• 23 November 1943...Northern New Hampshire was in the grips of a record snowstorm that left a total of 55 inches at Berlin, 56 inches at Randolph and many other locations over 40 inches. The 56-inch total at Randolph in Coos County established a 24-hour snowfall record for the state. In Maine, Middle Dam received a record 35 inches of snow in 24 hours. (David Ludlum)
• 23 November 1909...Rattlesnake Creek was deluged with 7.17 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a record for the state of Idaho. (The Weather Channel)
• 23 November 1943...Northern New Hampshire was in the grips of a record snowstorm that left a total of 55 inches at Berlin, 56 inches at Randolph and many other locations over 40 inches. The 56-inch total at Randolph in Coos County established a 24-hour snowfall record for the state. In Maine, Middle Dam received a record 35 inches of snow in 24 hours. (David Ludlum)
• 23 November 1974...Bismarck, ND was in the middle of a 5-day snowstorm during which 28.3 inches fell, the greatest on record. (Intellicast)
• 23 November 1983...A 24-hour snowfall record for Duluth, MN was broken with 16.9 inches. 19.7 inches fell during the entire storm, also a record.
• 23 November 1991...La Crosse, WI set a new record for 24-hour snowfall with 13 inches. This storm brought the monthly total to 28.2 inches, also a record. (Intellicast)

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Prepared by AMS DataStreme WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2008, The American Meteorological Society.