Weekly Ocean News

WEEK ONE: 31 August - 4 September 2015

Items of Interest:

• A change in seasons -- This Monday, 31 August 2015, marks the end of Northern Hemisphere's meteorological summer, the three-month span of June, July and August that meteorologists frequently use for record keeping processes. Meteorological autumn (September, October and November) for the Northern Hemisphere starts the following day, 1 September 2015.
  Additional information will be presented in the next several weeks concerning meteorological seasons and the astronomical seasons, such as the familiar autumn season that begins on the autumnal equinox in three weeks on Wednesday, 23 September 2015.
• 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.
• September is National Preparedness Month -- The upcoming month of September has been declared National Preparedness Month (NPM), which is aims to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters. NPM is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), which has provided a toolkit of marketing materials to help promote the month, is the lead on this campaign that was originally launched in 2004. The theme for 2015 NPM is "Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today." During Week 1 (1-5 September), the weekly hazard-focused theme is "Flood." [FEMA's Ready.gov] NOAA's National Weather Service is working with FEMA to communicate the importance of emergency preparedness as a key component of its Weather-Ready Nation campaign. [NOAA Weather Ready Nation]

Ocean in the News:

• Eye on the Tropics -- The weather across the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere were active during the last week with 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):
• In the North Atlantic basin, the fifth named tropical cyclone of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season formed early last week nearly 1000 miles to the east of the Leeward Islands and was named Tropical Storm Erika. During the week, Tropical storm Erika traveled toward the west-northwest with only small changes in intensity. By late in the week Erika traveled across the Leeward Islands and into the eastern Caribbean, passing just to the south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where heavy rain and gusty winds were reported. On Saturday, Erika traveled across Hispaniola, where it weakened to a tropical depression and then a remnant low pressure system. A mass of clouds, rainshowers and thunderstorms, along with gusty winds, marking the remnants of this tropical cyclone continued to the northwest across Cuba and the Bahamas. Some of the rain should reach south Florida early this week. Consult the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite images on Tropical Storm Erika.
  In the far eastern section of the tropical North Atlantic, Tropical Storm Fred formed from a tropical depression between the western coast of Africa and the Cape Verde Islands early Sunday morning. Traveling to the northwest on Sunday, Tropical Storm Fred strengthened as it approached the Cape Verde Islands. Fred was forecast to strengthen and become the second Atlantic hurricane of 2015 by early Monday as it would continue to the northwest. Additional information and satellite images for Tropical Storm Fred are available from the NASA Hurricane Page.
  
• In the eastern North Pacific basin, a tropical depression formed over the open waters of the eastern North Pacific well off the western coast of northern Mexico at the start of last week. Traveling generally to the west, this system strengthened to become Tropical Storm Ignacio, the ninth named tropical cyclone of 2015 in the eastern Pacific. Moving westward across the boundary with the central North Pacific basin (longitude 140 degrees East), at the start of the second half of the week, Ignacio intensified into a hurricane. By the end of the week, Hurricane Ignacio strengthened to become a major category 4 hurricane as it traveled toward the west-northwest and then northwest taking a path that would take it to the east and northeast of the Hawaiian Islands. Hurricane Ignacio should continue to travel to the northeast and pass to the north of the Aloha State early this upcoming week. Consult NASA Hurricane Page for satellite images and additional information on Hurricane Ignacio.
  Another tropical depression formed over the eastern North Pacific by midweek, before becoming Tropical Storm Jimena approximately 850 miles to the south-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. By early Friday morning, Jimena became the eight hurricane of 2015 in the eastern North Pacific and by Friday night it had become a major category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. As of Sunday, Hurricane Jimena had strengthened to a category 4 hurricane as it headed to the west-northwest . Current forecasts indicate that this hurricane would reach the central North Pacific basin. Satellite images and additional information on Hurricane Jimena are available on the NASA Hurricane Page.
• In the central North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Kilo weakened to a tropical depression early last week as it traveled in a slightly erratic fashion to the west and then west-northwest across the western sections of the central North Pacific basin well to the west-southwest of the Hawaiian Islands . However, late last week Kilo intensified rapidly to become a major category 4 hurricane as it approached the International Dateline. Eventually, Kilo could cross into the western North Pacific basin. Consult the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information on Hurricane Kilo and accompanying images.
  Tropical Storm Loke traveled northward, passing to within several hundred miles of Midway Island early last week, intensifying to a minimal category 1 hurricane on Monday. Eventually, Loke dissipated to the north-northeast of Midway Island. 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 northeast across the waters near Okinawa at the start of last week. . Entering the Sea of Japan, Typhoon Goni lost its tropical characteristics and became a midlatitude storm indicate that traveled across several of the southern Japanese islands before weakening. The NASA Hurricane Page has additional information and satellite information on Typhoon Goni.
  Former Super typhoon Atsani weakened to a tropical storm and then became a strong midlatitude storm as it lost its tropical characteristics early last week to the southeast of the main Japanese islands. At its peak intensity, Atsani was a category 5 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as maximum sustained surface winds reached 160 mph. See the NASA Hurricane Page has additional information and satellite information on Super typhoon Atsani.
• A decade of progress in hurricane observation and research since Hurricane Katrina -- This past weekend marked the 10th anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Katrina along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast, the costliest natural disaster in the United States ever and the deadliest since 1928 with the loss of more than 1800 lives along the coast and in the New Orleans metropolitan area. Additionally, the calendar year of 2015 had the most active season in recorded history, with 27 named tropical cyclones (hurricanes and tropical storms), 14 hurricanes and three category five hurricanes (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale). NOAA's fleet of polar orbiting and geosynchronous satellites are being updated to provide environmental data of increased resolution that would be used to produce improved weather models and forecasts. Archives of satellite animations for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and Hurricane Katrina are available from NOAA's Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS). [NOAA NESDIS News] [NOAA NESDIS News]
• Real-time data from unmanned Global Hawk used in hurricane forecast model for first time -- Real-time weather data collected by NASA's unmanned NASA Global Hawk aircraft as it flew through and above Tropical Storm Erika last week was used directly by NOAA's National Weather Service in one of its operational hurricane forecast models. The aircraft was flown into Tropical Storm Erika as part of the NOAA-led mission called Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT). Use of data from the unmanned Global Hawk aircraft was the first time that such data were used in an operation forecast model. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News]
• "Our Living Oceans: Habitat" for 2015 is available -- NOAA Fisheries recently announced that its 2015 Our Living Oceans: Habitat (OLO: Habitat) report is available to the public. This 350-page OLO: Habitat report represents the first comprehensive national summary of the status and trends of the various types of habitats used by living marine resources under the agency's purview. In addition, a five- page summary OLO: Habitat fact sheet is available, along with two-page fact sheets summarizing the habitat of five regional sectors in the OLO: Habitat report describing the habitat of each region, together with regional issues. [NOAA Office of Science and Technology]
• Grants awarded to boost coastal and ocean resilience -- During the last week NOAA officials announced that their agency has awarded more than $675,000 in grants to 13 projects aimed at aiding coastal communities in their fight against marine debris, the agency. [NOAA News]
• New high-resolution digital elevation models provide better view of nation's coasts -- NOAA is developing a methodology that will permit the building and rapid updating of high-resolution digital elevation models of the nation's coasts will permit the production of topographical maps of the coastal ocean bottom. The new digital elevation models along with the topographic maps should improve the country's ability to prepare for coastal storms, as well as for ecosystem management, habitat research and offshore planning. [NOAA News]
• Public input sought on Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary management priorities -- NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is currently soliciting public comments on a management plan for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary that represents the first stop in a process in which changes in how the sanctuary protects and manages its resources. This sanctuary is located in the waters of the Pacific off the Central California coast. The comment period is open through the end of October 2015. [NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries News]
• Nation's ocean and Great Lakes economy grew much faster than over GDP in 2012 -- NOAA recently released its "2012 Report on the U.S. Ocean and Great Lakes Economy" report that focuses on six economic sectors that depend on the oceans and Great Lakes. The report revealed that the nation's ocean and Great Lakes economy contribution to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012 grew by 10.5 percent, which was more than four times as fast as the entire US economy (which grew by 2.5 percent). Furthermore, employment in the ocean economy increased 3.8 percent in 2012, or twice the national average employment growth of 1.8 percent. The U.S. ocean and Great Lakes economy covers six sectors in 30 coastal states. The information appearing in this report was derived from the NOAA's Economics: National Ocean Watch data set. [NOAA News]
• Lakes Michigan and Huron reach highest levels in 17 years -- According to observations made by US and Canadian federal agencies in the region during the last week, the levels of Lakes Michigan and Huron reached 176.73 meters (579.82 ft) above mean sea level, which represents the highest levels that these two Great Lakes have been at since July 1998. This summer's peak lake level was 2.13 feet higher than the average peak of the low level summers of 2012 and 2013. [NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI News]
• Reducing climate change effects on fisheries and living marine resources is the aim of NOAA's new Climate Science Strategy -- NOAA Fisheries has developed a Climate Science Strategy that identifies seven objectives or "key steps" designed to increase production, delivery, and use of climate-related information to support the management of fish stocks, fisheries, and protected species. The steps focus on how a changing climate affects living marine resources, ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them, and how to respond to those changes. [NOAA News]
• Climate data used to ensure maintenance of oil supply route along Louisiana Gulf Coast. -- Nearly six decades of NOAA total gauge records along Louisiana's Gulf Coast along with satellite data were used by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD) and other agencies in determining the feasibility for rehabilitating Louisiana's Highway 1 (LA-1), the only main highway leading to Port Fourchon, the hub that services 90 percent of all deepwater oil drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico. Rising seas, sinking land along with several major hurricanes in 2005 and 2008 were considerations needed to be addressed. Based upon an economic impact study, LA-1 was made to be more resilient to storms and sea level rise by rebuilding a nine-mile section of highway on top of 17-foot pillars, which represents a level above the height zone of a 100-year storm surge. Another section of LA-1 will be elevated in the future. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
• Research designed to estimate climate change costs and improved severe weather prediction -- Scientists from NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory and an economist from the University of Arizona have proposed a new method designed to predict how regional warming patterns will affect the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of nations around the world. The researchers project that future warming could raise the average rate of economic growth in richer countries, reduce it in poorer countries and increase the variability of many countries' growth rates as warming increases climate variability. Scientists from NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory have found that rising levels of greenhouse gases may contribute to more extreme El Niño events, climate phenomena that can trigger more severe weather events. A scientist from NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory suggests that the El Niño originally anticipated to develop in 2014 was delayed to 2015 because of long-term changes in background oceanic and atmospheric conditions, including warming trends in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific due to greenhouse gas emissions. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research 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]

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD --

A request: If you have some ocean-related experience that you would like to share with other DataStreme Ocean participants, please send them to the email address appearing at the bottom of this document for possible inclusion in a News file. Thank you. EJH

Concept of the Week: Touring the DataStreme Ocean Website

NOTE: This Concept for the Week is a repeat of that which appeared in last week's Weekly Ocean News.

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

• 31 August 1842...The U.S. Naval Observatory was authorized by an act of Congress. (Today in Science History)
• 1 September 1858...The first transatlantic cable failed after less than one month of service. (Today in Science History)
• 1-2 September 1935...Perhaps the most intense hurricane ever to hit the U.S. struck the Florida Keys with sustained winds of over 155 mph with gusts exceeding 200 mph. On the 1^st, the "Labor Day Hurricane" formed rapidly over the Bahama Islands and intensified into a Category 5 hurricane (on the Saffir Simpson Scale) with sustained winds of over 155 mph and gusts exceeding 200 mph. On the next day, this hurricane generated a 15-foot tide and waves 30-ft high, as it became the first known Category 5 hurricane to hit the U.S. Mainland. More than 400 persons perished in the storm on that Labor Day, including many World War I veterans building a bridge from the Keys to the mainland. The barometric pressure at Matecumbe Bay, FL hit a record low for the U.S. at 26.35 inches of mercury (or 892 millibars). (David Ludlum) (The Weather Doctor)
• 1 September 1974...Navy Lieutenant Judy Neuffer became the first woman to pilot a plane through the eye of a hurricane. (Northern Indiana NWSFO)
• 1 September 1985...A joint French-American expedition headed by the American explorer, Robert D. Ballard, located the wreck of the sunken liner RMS Titanic on the floor of the North Atlantic using an experimental and unmanned submersible craft Argo. The wreckage of the Titanic, which sank in April 1912 on its maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg, was found at a depth of about 13,000 feet and approximately 400 miles west of Newfoundland. (The History Channel)
• 2 September 1752...The British Empire adopted the Gregorian Calendar, nearly two centuries later than most of western Europe (primarily 1582). To correct the imprecise leap year correction in the Julian Calendar, 11 days were dropped making the following day 14 September. (Wikipedia) (Today in Science History)
• 3 September 1821...A hurricane made landfall at Long Island, near the current J.F. Kennedy Airport and then moved through western Connecticut. The hurricane produced a record high tide at New York City. (David Ludlum)
• 4 September 1954...Icebreakers, USS Burton Island (AGB-1) and USCG Northwind, completed first transit of the Northwest Passage through McClure Strait. (Naval Historical Center)
• 4-6 September 1970...Moisture from Pacific Tropical Storm Norma led to heavy rain and severe flooding over a three-day span. Unprecedented rains caused rivers in central Arizona to rise five to ten feet per hour, sweeping cars and buildings as far as 30 to 40 mi downstream, leading to the greatest natural disaster of record for Arizona. Flooding claimed the lives of 23 persons, mainly campers, and caused millions of dollars in property damage. Water crested 36 feet above normal near Sunflower. Workman's Creek was deluged with 11.40 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a 24-hour precipitation record for the Grand Canyon State. An estimated six inches of rain fell at Bug Point, UT, setting a 24-hour precipitation record for the Beehive State. (The Weather Channel) (NCDC)
• 5 September 1987...A tropical storm, which formed off the South Atlantic coast, was responsible for torrential rains over coastal regions of South Carolina. Between 30 August and 8 September, Charleston, SC received 18.44 in. of rain. The heavy rains caused extensive flooding around the city of Charleston, seriously damaged cotton crops in the eastern part of the state, and resulted in an unusually high number of mosquitoes. (Storm Data)
• 5 September 1946...The U.S. Air-Rescue Agency, an inter-departmental group headed by the Commandant of the Coast Guard and engaged on the study of improved and standardized rescue and search methods, was renamed the Search and Rescue Agency. "Search and Rescue Units" of the Coast Guard were at the same time integrated into the peace time organization and the whole developed into a system of constantly alerted communications, coastal lookout, and patrols of institute instant and systematic search and rescue procedure in case of disasters." (USCG Historian's Office)
• 5 September 1950...Hurricane Easy produced the greatest 24-hour rainfall in U.S. weather records up to that time. The hurricane deluged Yankeetown, on the upper west coast of Florida, with 38.70 in. of rain. This record has since been replaced by 43 in. of rain at Alvin, TX on 25-26 July 1979. (David Ludlum)
• 6 September 1522...The Magellan expedition completed its historical circumnavigation of the globe as one of Ferdinand Magellan's five ships, the Vittoria, arrived at Sanlýcar de Barrameda in Spain with 17 other crew members and four Indians. Magellan, who lost his life in April 1521 in the Philippines, set sail from Spain with 270 seamen on 20 September 1519 in an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. (The History Channel)

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.