Weekly Ocean News

PREVIEW WEEK: 24-28 August 2015

Items of Interest:

• Spring tide next weekend with a supermoon -- Since the moon will come within 221,765 miles of Earth, it is called a "supermoon," as its closeness would make the moon appear larger than usual. The closeness of the moon and increased gravitational pull will cause an increase in the height of ocean tides, resulting in what is called a "spring tide" as described by NOAA's Ocean Service.
  
• Free admission into the National Parks -- This Tuesday 25 August 2015 has been designated by the National Park Service as fee-free day in honor of its 99th Birthday. This fee waiver will cover entrance and commercial tour fees in many of the national parks and monuments administered by the Park Service. [National Park Service Fee Free Days]
• Media gets opportunity to discuss rising sea levels with experts -- As part of its "Rising Seas" events program, NASA will host a media teleconference this coming Wednesday, 26 August (at 12:30 PM EDT or 9:30 AM PDT), with four scientist-panelists from NASA and academic research institutions will be discuss recent insights on sea level rise and the continuing challenge of predicting the rate and amount of anticipated sea level will rise. On Friday, 28 August (at 1:00 PM EDT or 10:00 AM PDT), NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center will host a live TV program featuring scientists actively conducting field work in Greenland, along with extensive video footage of their work performed over this summer. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory News]
• Ocean charts, units, location and time -- Please read this week's Supplemental Information…In Greater Depth for a description of a several types of oceanographic charts along with the definitions of some units commonly used in ocean science to locate positions on the Earth's surface and to identify time.
• No asteroid appears to be threatening Earth -- During the past week, Paul Chodas, the manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory refuted recent blogs and web postings claiming that an asteroid will impact Earth, during the second half of September (15-28 September), with a possible impact area near Puerto Rico. He claims that NASA's Near-Earth Object Observations Program have not observed any asteroids or comets that would impact Earth anytime in the foreseeable future. All known Potentially Hazardous Asteroids have less than a 0.01% chance of impacting Earth in the next 100 years. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory News]

Ocean in the News:

• Eye on the Tropics -- During the last week several named tropical cyclones (low pressure systems that form over tropical ocean waters, with near surface maximum sustained winds that intensify to tropical storm or hurricane force status) had developed in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere:
• In the North Atlantic basin, the fourth named tropical cyclone of the season formed from a tropical depression over the waters to the east of the Windward Islands by midweek. Called Danny, this tropical cyclone intensified as it traveled toward the west-northwest across the waters of the central tropical Atlantic, eventually becoming the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. Hurricane Danny briefly became a category 3 hurricane late in the week as maximum sustained surface winds reached 115 mph. Over this past weekend, Hurricane Danny weakened to a tropical storm as it traveled to the west toward the Leeward Islands. Current forecasts indicate that Tropical Storm Danny should continue moving to the west passing close to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico early this week. See the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite images on Hurricane Danny.
• In the eastern North Pacific basin, Tropical Depression 11E continued to travel toward the northwest over the open waters of the eastern North Pacific well off the western coast of northern Mexico over the last weekend and into early last week. Eventually, this tropical depression dissipated by midweek.
  
• In the central North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Kilo formed late last week from a tropical depression that was located approximately 500 miles to the south-southeast of Hawaii's Big Island. Kilo traveled westward well to the south of the Hawaiian Islands over this past weekend. As of Sunday, Kilo was located approximately 600 miles to the southwest of Honolulu on Hawaii's Oahu Island. Forecasts indicate that Kilo would head toward the north at the start of this week, passing near Johnston Atoll before it dissipates. Consult the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information on Tropical Storm Kilo and accompanying images.
  Tropical Storm Loke also formed late last week from a tropical depression over the waters of the central North Pacific near the International Dateline, approximately 540 miles to the west of Johnston Atoll. Loke traveled northward as a minimal tropical storm late last week and through the weekend. As of Sunday, Tropical Storm Loke had strengthened and was located nearly 700 miles to the south-southwest of Midway Island. Forecasts indicate that Tropical Storm Loke would travel toward the north-northeast at the beginning of this upcoming week. Satellite images and additional information are available on the NASA Hurricane Page for Tropical Storm Loke, which was also identified as Tropical Depression 4C.
  
• In the western North Pacific basin, Typhoon (the name for hurricanes in the western Pacific) Goni traveled to the west-northwest across the waters surrounding the Northern Marianas at the start of last week. During the week Goni intensified to become a category 4 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as maximum sustained surface winds reached 130 mph as it continued its travels toward the waters just to the northeast of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Strong winds, high seas and heavy rains accompanying Goni were found across the northern Philippines. Over this past weekend, Goni took an abrupt turn to the north and traveled to the north and north-northeast, passing to the east of Taiwan. As of Monday (local time) Typhoon Goni was located approximately 220 miles to the west-southwest of Okinawa. Forecasts indicate that Goni should weaken slowly as it passes some of the islands to the southwest of Japan before reaching the southern Korean Peninsula. The NASA Hurricane Page has additional information and satellite information on Typhoon Goni (which had been Tropical Depression 16W).
  Typhoon Atsani strengthened as it traveled toward the northwest across the western North Pacific early last week. By midweek, this tropical cyclone had intensified to become Super typhoon Atsani as maximum sustained surface winds reached 160 mph, which made it a category 5 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The winds were producing ocean waves that had heights ranging between 40 and 45 feet. Atsani began weakening as it gradually curved toward the north and then to the northeast by late this past weekend. Current forecasts indicate that Typhoon Atsani, which was located approximately 425 miles to the northeast of Japan's Chichi Jima in the Ogasawara archipelago as of Monday (local time) should weaken and finally dissipate as it travels to the northeast off the southern coasts of the main Japanese islands. See the NASA Hurricane Page has additional information and satellite information on Typhoon Atsani (which had been Tropical Depression 17W).
• Hurricane science and forecasts advance during the decade following Katrina -- As the 10th anniversary of the landfall of major Hurricane Katrina along the Louisiana Gulf Coast approaches, researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center recently reflected on the advancements made by NASA in hurricane science and in storm models during the decade since this event. Over this past decade, improvements to instruments on NASA satellites and aircraft, along with NASA-led field missions, have improved data collection, assimilation and analysis, especially due to more extensive computer modeling efforts. These efforts have been documented. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Feature]
• Hurricane Katrina has lessons for the world that should be heeded -- An economist from the University of Wyoming claims that the lessons that Hurricane Katrina provided to peoples around the world should be heeded. Approximately 38 percent of the global population (2.5 billion people) lives within 100 kilometers of the coast, and more than three-quarters of them are in developing countries. He warns that many coastal regions across the world remain vulnerable to damaging storms, adding that providing similar protection to the tends of millions of peoples living in these countries to that given to residents along the Gulf Coast of the United States will require international action. [University of Wyoming News]
• Deaths of large whales in Gulf of Alaska declared an unusual mortality event -- Late last week NOAA Fisheries officials declared the recent deaths of 30 large whales in the western Gulf of Alaska as an "unusual mortality event," defined an unexpected event involving a significant die-off of a marine mammal population. This declaration has triggered a focused, expert investigation into the cause of the deaths for the stranded whales. NOAA and federal, state, and tribal partners will be allowed to develop a response plan. [NOAA Fisheries News]
• Global temperature and ice cover for July 2015 reviewed -- Scientists at the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information recently reported on their analysis of preliminary weather data collected during the month of July 2015:
• The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for July 2015 was the highest for any July since sufficiently detailed global climate records began in 1880. This record global temperature was nearly 61.9 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.46 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century (1901-2000) average. Furthermore, the July 2015 combined average temperature was the all-time highest monthly temperature in the last 135 years. When considered separately, the average air temperature temperature over the world oceans for July 2015 was the highest for any July since 1880, while the temperature over land surf\aces was the sixth highest July reading on record. The record high July temperature over the ocean, which was also a record for any month, was due to the record warm seawater observed across large sections of the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins. , indicating neither El Niño or La Niña conditions were present across this region during the month.
  
• The researchers at the National Snow and Ice Data Center noted the areal extent of the Arctic sea ice for July 2015 was the eighth smallest for any July since satellite surveillance began in 1979. On the other hand, the extent of the Antarctic sea ice was the fourth largest July ice extent in the 38-year record. [NOAA/NCDC State of the Climate]
• A global map of Selected Significant Climate Anomalies and Events for July 2015 is available from NCDC.
  
• Warning given to stay out of scum from Lake Erie's harmful algal bloom -- At the start of last week NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory issued its experimental Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom bulletin, with the warning that people and pets should stay out of the scum produced by Lake Erie's annual summer phytoplankton bloom that contains algae and other plant-like organisms that could produce poisonous toxins harmful to life. Earlier, a forecast was made indicating that this summer's algal bloom on western Lake Erie would be one of the worst in terms of extent and duration. The severity of the bloom is significantly influenced by spring and early summer rainfall, along with weather systems such as cold fronts passing across the Lake in early autumn. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
• World Water Week in Stockholm is underway -- The 25th annual "World Water Week in Stockholm" is being held from Sunday 23 August through Friday 28 August in Stockholm, Sweden/. This week-long global water conference, which is arranged by the Stockholm International Water Institute, addresses a wide range of the world's water, development and sustainability issues and related concerns of international development. This year's World Water Week Theme is "Water for Development."[World Water Week in Stockholm]
• Passage of historic Oil Pollution Act of 1990 needed more than Exxon Valdez oil spill -- Last week marked the 25th anniversary of the passage and enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 that was designed to mitigate and prevent civil liability from future oil spills off the coast of the United States. federal and state agencies could evaluate the full environmental impacts of oil spills more easily. This act was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush more than one year following the oil spill that occurred in Alaska waters after the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound. Several other large oil spills during the year following the Exxon Valdez and the passage of the Oil Pollution Act that helped in its passage. [NOAA Office of Response Restoration]
• A new Pacific Islands Climate Storybook is released -- A new 77-page "Pacific Islands Climate Storybook" has been recently released by NOAA and several partners including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Pacific Island Meteorological Services that comprehensively details community experiences in addressing the impacts of a changing climate in Pacific Island countries. This storybook incorporates experiential knowledge and scientific data and reflects broad community engagement over a two-year period. [NOAA NCEI News]
• An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA's National Weather Service, FAA and FEMA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAA/NWS Daily Briefing]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com]
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Concept of the Week: Touring the DataStreme Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal

Welcome to DataStreme Ocean! You are embarking on a study of the world ocean and the role of the ocean in the Earth system. This unique teacher enhancement course focuses on the flow and transformations of energy and water into and out of the ocean, the internal properties and circulation of the ocean, interactions between the ocean and the other components of the Earth system, and the human/societal impacts on and responses to those interactions. Throughout this learning experience, you will be using the DataStreme Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal to access and interpret a variety of environmental information, including recent observational data. The objective of this initial Concept of the Week is to explore features of the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal website.

On Monday of each week of the course, we will post the current Weekly Ocean News that includes Ocean in the News (a summary listing of recent events related to the ocean), Concept of the Week (an in-depth analysis of some topic related to the ocean in the Earth system), and Historical Events (a list of past events such as tsunamis or specific advances in the understanding of oceanography). When appropriate, a feature called Supplemental Information-In Greater Depth will be provided on some topic related to the principal theme of the week.

You will use the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal to access and download the weekly "Current Ocean Studies" (plus supporting images) that complement Investigations found in your Ocean Studies Investigations Manual. These materials should be available Monday morning. Click the appropriate links to download and print these electronic Current Ocean Studies and answer forms as well as your Chapter Progress and Investigations Response forms.

The body of the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal provides links to the Earth System, information on Physical & Chemical, Geological, and Biological aspects of the ocean, Atmosphere/Ocean Interaction, the Great Lakes, and extras-a glossary of terms, maps, educational links, and DataStreme Ocean information. Following each section is a link to other sites that examine the various subsystems of the Earth system. Let's take a quick tour to become more familiar with the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal.

Under Physical & Chemical, click on Sea Surface Temperatures. This image uses a color scale to depict the global pattern of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) (in degrees Celsius) averaged over a recent 7-day period and based on measurements by infrared sensors onboard Earth-orbiting satellites. (Depending on your browser, you may have to place your mouse cursor on the slide bar to the right and scroll down to view the entire image.) Compare SSTs in the Northern Hemisphere with those in the Southern Hemisphere. Return to the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal.

Under Geological, click on Current Earthquake Activity. The USGS Current World Seismicity page provides a global map of the locations of seismic (earthquake) events color-coded for the past seven days. The size of the squares represents the magnitude of recent earthquakes. Note how earthquakes are concentrated along the margin of the Pacific Ocean. Details of recent earthquakes can be found by clicking on their map squares. Return to the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal.

The ocean is home to a wide variety of habitats and organisms. Under Biological, click on Ocean "Color" (Productivity). This is a satellite-derived (SeaWiFS) color-coded map of biological productivity in the surface waters of the world ocean is averaged from October 1978 to date. Orange and red indicates the highest productivity, while dark blue and violet indicate the lowest productivity. Note the vast areas of relatively low productivity over the central regions of the subtropical ocean basins. Individual months within this period may be chosen for viewing. Now return to the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal.

Under Atmosphere/Ocean Interaction, click on TRMM/GPM Tropical Rainfall. The TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) page includes color-coded maps of the Monthly Mean Rainrate (in mm per day) across the tropics for the last 30 days ending on the present date. Changes in rainfall are linked to large-scale shifts in the atmosphere/ocean circulation in the tropics. Now return to the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal.

Take a few minutes when you have time to browse the other data and information sources available via the DS Ocean RealTime Ocean Portal. Return frequently to learn more about the many resources on the ocean in the Earth system. Bon voyage!

Concept of the Week: Questions

1. The latest global sea surface temperature map indicates that SSTs are generally higher over the [(western)(eastern)] tropical Pacific Ocean.
2. The USGS map of Current Earthquake Activity indicates that earthquakes appear to be more common along the [(east)(west)] coast of North America.

Historical Events

• 24-29 August 1785...Hurricane ravaged the Eastern Caribbean Sea from St. Croix, Virgin Islands to Cuba during the last week of August. Over 142 people were reported dead from the storm's impact. (The Weather Doctor)
• 24 August 1912...The US Congress gave effect to the convention between United States, Great Britain, Japan and Russia prohibiting taking of fur seals and sea otters in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea by authorizing the President "to cause a guard or patrol to be maintained in the waters frequented by the seal herd or herds of seal otter." (USCG Historian's Office)
• 24 August 1988...A tropical depression drenched the Cabo Rojo area of southwestern Puerto Rico with up to ten inches of rain. San Juan received 5.35 inches of rain. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
• 25 August 1885...A severe hurricane struck South Carolina causing $1.3 million damage at Charleston. (David Ludlum)
• 25 August 1927...The August Gale, a hurricane, raged across the East Coast, crossing the Cabot Strait between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the early morning hours. Hundreds of small boats in Newfoundland ports are among the storm's victims. (The Weather Doctor)
• 25 August-7 September 1979...Hurricane David crossed the island of Dominica on the 29th, with winds to 145 mph. Roseau, the capital, was devastated. Fifty-six people were killed on Dominica and 60,000 of the island's 80,000 residents were made homeless. About three-quarters of the coconut and banana crop were destroyed. The central pressure in David fell to 924 mb (27.28 in.) on the 30th as it moved south of Puerto Rico. At that time, highest sustained winds reached 173 mph. On the 31st, winds of 150 mph from Hurricane David brought over $1 billion in damage to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, killing over 1200. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 26 August 1883... Krakatau (or Krakatoa) Volcano exploded in the East Indies. The explosion was heard more than 2500 miles away, and every barograph around the world recorded the passage of the air wave, up to seven times. Giant waves, 125 feet high and traveling 300 mph, devastated everything in their path, hurling ashore coral blocks weighing up to 900 tons, and killing more than 36,000 persons. Volcanic ash was carried around the globe in thirteen days producing blue and green suns in the tropics, and then vivid red sunsets in higher latitudes. The temperature of the Earth was lowered one degree for the next two years, finally recovering to normal by 1888. (David Ludlum)
• 26 August 1949...A hurricane made landfall at Delray Beach, FL. Winds reached 153 mph at the Jupiter Lighthouse before the anemometer failed. The hurricane caused $45 million damage to crops, and caught the Georgia and South Carolina coast resulting in another $2 million in damage. (David Ludlum)
• 26 August 1992...Hurricane Andrew made its second landfall along the Louisiana coast near Burns Point, as a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Morgan City recorded wind gusts of 108 mph. Hammond was deluged with nearly a foot of rain. Total additional damage was estimated at $1.8 billion. Andrew, which had made its initial US landfall in South Florida on the 24th, was the most costly natural disaster in US history, with total damage reaching up to $30 billion. Additionally, record hurricane evacuation of 2.4 million people took place in Florida and Louisiana. (Intellicast) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 27 August 1881...As many as 335 people were lost in the Georgia Hurricane, especially severe at Savannah and Charleston, SC. (Intellicast)
• 27 August 1883...The after effects caused by the Krakatau explosion in Indonesia, including large tsunami waves of up to 300 feet, killed 36,000 people. The tsunami waves were powerful enough to cross the Indian Ocean and travel beyond Cape Horn. The most powerful blast was the most violent known in human history, was loud enough to be heard in Australia, and the shock wave was registered by barometers England. The huge amount of volcanic dust thrust high into the stratosphere eventually traveled around the world. The dust blocked sunlight causing temperature drops and chaotic weather patterns for several years afterward. (Wikipedia) (Today in Science History)
• 27 August 1893...The first of three great hurricanes that year struck South Carolina drowning more than 1000 persons in a storm surge at Charleston. Landfall was just south of Savannah, GA where sustained winds hit 120 mph. (David Ludlum)
• 27 August 1964...Hurricane Cleo battered Miami and the South Florida area, marking the first direct hit for Miami in fourteen years. Sustained winds of 100 mph gusted to 135 mph, and the hurricane caused $125 million in damage. (David Ludlum)
• 27 August 1995...Remains of Tropical Storm Jerry unloaded 12.32 inches of rain in 24 hours in Greer, SC, a record for 24 hours, for a rain event and for August. At Antreville, 17.00 inches fell in 24 hours, setting a 24-hour rainfall record for the Palmetto State. (Intellicast)
• 28 August 1965...CDR Scott Carpenter, USN, and nine aquanauts entered SeaLab II, 205 ft. below Southern California's waters to conduct underwater living and working tests. (Naval Historical Center)
• 28 August 1988...Tropical Storm Chris spawned a tornado near Manning, SC, which killed one person, and spawned three tornadoes in North Carolina. Chris produced one to two foot tides, and three to six inch rains, over coastal South Carolina. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 28-30 August 1839...A hurricane moved from Cape Hatteras, NC to offshore New England. An unusual feature of the hurricane was the snow it helped produce, which whitened the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Considerable snow was also reported at Salem, NY. (The Weather Channel)
• 28 August 1965...CDR Scott Carpenter, USN, and nine aquanauts entered SeaLab II, 205 ft. below Southern California's waters to conduct underwater living and working tests. (Naval Historical Center)
• 28 August 1988...Tropical Storm Chris spawned a tornado near Manning, SC, which killed one person, and spawned three tornadoes in North Carolina. Chris produced one to two foot tides, and three to six inch rains, over coastal South Carolina. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 29 August 1583...The Delight was wrecked on Sable Island, Nova Scotia during a heavy gale, blinding rain and thick fog. This was Canada's first recorded marine disaster, taking 85 lives. (The Weather Doctor)
• 29 August 1979...Winds associated with Hurricane David reached 145 mph as the hurricane crossed the island of Dominica. The capital city, Roseau, was devastated, with 56 fatalities and 60,000 out of a population of 80,000 left homeless. About three-quarters of the coconut and banana crops were destroyed. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 29 August 1988...The remnants of Tropical Storm Chris drenched eastern Pennsylvania with up to five and a half inches of rain, and produced high winds that gusted to 90 mph, severely damaging a hundred boats in Anne Arundel County, MD. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 29 August 2005...Hurricane Katrina, the costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in US history, made landfall along the Louisiana Gulf Coast southeast of New Orleans as a category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale after reaching category 5 status. Massive destruction was reported in coastal Mississippi and in New Orleans. As many as 1833 people reportedly died from Katrina in the US. (National Hurricane Center)
• 30 August 1913...The US Navy tested the Sperry gyroscopic stabilizer (automatic pilot). (Naval Historical Center)
• 30 August 1942...A hurricane weakened in moving 160 miles across south Texas from landfall at Matagorda to San Antonio, winds still gusting from 50 to 70 mph at San Antonio for more than five hours. Seventy of 75 planes were damaged at the city airport. Many trees were destroyed, but the famed Alamo's walls withstood the storm. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)

Return to DataStreme Ocean's RealTime Ocean Portal

Prepared by DS Ocean Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D.,
email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
©Copyright, 2015, The American Meteorological Society.