Weekly Ocean News

Weekly Ocean News

19-23 March 2018

Items of Interest:

Notice the Equinox -- The vernal equinox, which marks the commencement of astronomical spring, will occur late Tuesday morning (officially at 1615Z on 20 March 2018, or 12:15 PM EDT or 11:15 AM CDT, etc.). If you have already checked the sunrise and sunset times in your local newspaper or from the climate page at your local National Weather Service Office, you would have found that by late last week, the sun should have been above the horizon for at least 12 hours at most locations. The effects of atmospheric refraction (bending of light rays by the varying density of the atmosphere) along with a relatively large diameter of the sun contribute to several additional minutes that the sun appears above the horizon at sunrise and sunset.
Tsunami Awareness Preparedness along the Atlantic Coast -- A tsunami preparedness exercise will be conducted on Wednesday, 21 March, during which a simulated tsunami warning and advisory messages from the National Tsunami Warning Center will be triggered by a hypothetical earthquake located 90 miles south of Nantucket, MA and 170 miles southeast of Boston, MA. This exercise, called LANTEX, is designed to ensure that the U.S. /Canadian Atlantic coasts are ready to respond in the unlikely case of a dangerous tsunami.
IPCC celebrates its 30th anniversary -- During the last week, the 47th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) opened in Paris with special ceremonial events held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of IPCC. These events are designed to highlight advances in climate science and fundamental changes in the climate system. The IPCC, a scientific and intergovernmental body under the auspices of the United Nations, was initially created at the First World Climate Conference in February 1979. However, it was officially established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide recommendations based on current research. [World Meteorological Organization News]
International observances -- Several days during this upcoming week have been designated as special days that are intended to focus public attention on the environment and earth science:

"World Water Day" -- Thursday, 22 March 2018, has been designated by the United Nations (UN) as the annual World Water Day in order to focus on taking action to tackle the water crisis around the world. The theme for this year's World Water Day 2018 is "Nature for Water" -- exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges humans face in the 21st century. [UN-Water]
"World Meteorology Day" -- A celebration will be held on Friday, 23 March 2018, for World Meteorology Day. This day is designated to celebrate the anniversary of the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on 23 March 1950. The WMO is an agency within the United Nations. This year's theme for World Meteorological Day 2018 is "Weather-ready, climate-smart." This theme has been chosen to highlight the need for the world's population to be prepared for a wide range of potentially hazardous extreme weather and climate events, such as tropical cyclones, heatwaves and drought, which appear to be increasing in intensity and frequency due to long-term climate change.

Oceanographic expeditions that made an impact -- This week's Supplemental Information ... In Greater Depth provides a historical perspective of some of the oceanographic expeditions that made an impact upon science, especially in terms of oceanography.

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the tropics -- Tropical cyclone activity was found during the last week in the western South Pacific and South Indian and basins:

In the western South Pacific, a tropical storm that was called Linda developed over the waters of the Coral Sea at the start of last week. At that time, Tropical Storm was located nearly 600 miles to the west-northwest of Port Vila, Vanuatu. Over the next two days, Linda traveled southward and then to the south-southwest. By midweek, Tropical Storm Linda began to dissipate approximately 400 miles to the east-northeast of Brisbane, Australia as it moved over colder water, encountered increased vertical wind shear and dry air that was entrained in the storm. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite images and additional information for Tropical Storm Linda.
In the western South Indian Ocean basin Tropical Storm Eliakim formed last Thursday to the northeast of Madagascar or approximately 370 miles to the north-northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius. Traveling to the southwest, Eliakim made landfall on the coast of northeastern Madagascar on Friday. On Saturday, this tropical storm curved to the south and then south-southeast as it traveled overland, accompanied by strong winds and torrential rains. This system was the second tropical cyclone to affect this island nation within two weeks. At least one fatality was reported because of the flooding and landslides [Aljazeera]. As of late Sunday (local time), the center of Eliakim was off the Madagascar coast and located approximately 380 miles to the west of St. Denis on La Reunion Island. Current forecasts indicate that Eliakim should take a track across the western South Indian Ocean away from Madagascar during the first half of this week. Additional information and satellite imagery on Tropical Cyclone Eliakim can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/eliakim-southern-indian-ocean
In the eastern South Indian Ocean basin, Tropical Storm Marcus formed late last Thursday off the coast of the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia's Northern Territory. On Friday Marcus traveled slowly to the south-southwest over the offshore waters. On Sunday night Marcus was traveling across the far northern sections of the Kimberly region of Western Australia. Torrential rains and strong winds accompanying Marcus brought damage to Northern and Western Australia over the weekend, with tens of thousands of people loosing electrical power in Darwin. [abc.net News] (Editor's note: According to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, category 1 and category 2 tropical cyclones that are found in the waters around Australia are tropical storms according to U.S. nomenclature; a severe category 3 tropical cyclone is equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. EJH) As of early Monday (local time), the center of Cyclone Marcus was located approximately 290 miles to the northeast of Broome, Western Australia. Marcus was forecast to travel toward the west away from Western Australia before curving toward the southwest by midweek. Intensification was anticipated. Check the NASA Hurricane Page for satellite imagery and additional information on Cyclone Marcus.

The new GOES-S satellite becomes GOES-17 -- At the start of last week, the spacecraft that had been known as Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S (GOES-S) when it was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL on Thursday, 1 March, finally achieved its geosynchronous orbit, which resulted in a name change to GOES-17. This name change follows a tradition that has been employed for decades. Following several months of testing, GOES-17 will be moved westward in its orbit to a position where it will provide a view of the Pacific Ocean and western North America as NOAA's GOES West satellite. [NOAA NESDIS News]
Shorebirds and waterfowl hurt by shoreline hardening and development -- Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Western EcoSystems Technology and the University of Virginia recently reported "hardening" the shoreline with artificial structures such as seawalls or riprap (rubble) designed to protect coastal land and property from the sea can harm many species of water birds. Their research was conducted in Chesapeake Bay. The "armoring" of shoreline with barriers can reduce habitat that birds use to forage, rest, and raise their young. Shoreline hardening also appears to have negative affects on many species of fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. [NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science News]
NCCOS Coastal Aquaculture Planning Portal receives new tools -- The "Coastal Aquaculture Planning Portal" (CAPP) that was launched in 2016 by NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) has been expanded to include 87 tools and resources designed to assist coastal managers, planners, and industry with aquaculture development at the global, regional, local, and farm scale. CAPP was developed in partnership with Digital Coast, a product of the NOAA National Ocean Service Office for Coastal Management. [NOAA NCCOS News]
NOAA Research accomplishments during 2017 are highlighted -- NOAA recently released its "2017 NOAA Science Report" that presents the agency's research portfolio logic model and highlights a selection of NOAA's Research and Development (R&D) accomplishments during this past year. Some of these accomplishments include a new weather prediction model called the Next Generation Global Prediction System (NGGPS) that will dramatically improve U.S. operational weather and hurricane forecasting; advances in precision navigation; improved storm surge planning; better toxin detection for harmful algal blooms; and the use of new technology for exploring the Arctic. All six NOAA line offices (National Marine Fisheries, National Ocean Service, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research, National Weather Service and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations) provided unique contributions to NOAA R&D according to their missions. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News]
New instrument on Space Station starts staring at the Sun -- After nearly three months of testing following its attachment to the International Space Station, the Total and Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) became fully operational with all instruments collecting science data this month. TSIS-1 studies the total amount of energy emitted by the Sun using the Total Irradiance Monitor, one of two onboard sensors. This sensor extends a 40-year measurement of the Sun's total energy to Earth by satellite-borne sensors. The other onboard sensor, called the Spectral Irradiance Monitor, measures how the Sun's energy is distributed over the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. [NASA Global Climate Change News]
Data from three satellites help create a simulated 3-D solar eruption -- Two physicists from George Mason University and Johns Hopkins University used data obtained by three satellites of two different coronal mass ejections (or CMEs) propagating from the Sun. These CME data were then used as input into their models to simulate the 3-D structure and trajectory of each CME. One of their models is called the "croissant" model for the shape of nascent shocks, while the other is the "ellipsoid" model for the shape of expanding shocks. The three spacecraft that were used: ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and NASA's twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) satellites. One CME erupted in March 2011 and the second, in February 2014. [NOAA News]
North Atlantic Ocean is becoming less salty -- but is changing climate to blame? -- A team of researchers from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Johns Hopkins University have found that salinity (amount of salt dissolved in water) in the North Atlantic Ocean has dropped dramatically over the last decade, as determined from data collected by a network of floating sensors. The salinity fell by as much as half a gram of salt per kilogram of seawater in the sub-polar North Atlantic that includes the Labrador Sea. The reduction in salinity would be equivalent to diluting this portion of the Arctic Ocean with 5000 cubic kilometers of freshwater. However, the researchers attribute the immediate cause for the salinity decline to changes in ocean circulation, as the sub-polar gyre, a large system of circulating currents delivering freshwater to the region, appears to be moving faster, propelled by stronger winds tied to the North Atlantic Oscillation climate pattern. One of the researchers claims that if climate change were causing the ocean freshening trend, that should become clear within the next decade. [Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory News]
A mere half-Celsius degree increase in temperature could flood 5 million more people -- Researchers at Princeton, Rutgers and Tufts Universities, the independent scientific organization Climate Central, and ICF International warn that the small difference between an increase of 1.5 and 2.0 Celsius degrees by 2150 would mean the permanent inundation of lands currently home to about 5 million people, including 60,000 who live on small island nations. The team employed a global network of tide gauges and a local sea level projection framework to explore differences in the frequency of storm surges and other extreme sea-level events across three scenarios involving global temperature increases of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 Celsius degrees. [Princeton University 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]

Concept of the Week: Seiche Model

A seiche (pronounced "say-sh") is a rhythmic oscillation of water in an enclosed basin (e.g., bathtub, lake, or reservoir) or a partially enclosed coastal inlet (e.g., bay, harbor, or estuary). With this oscillation, the water level rises at one end of a basin while simultaneously dropping at the other end. A seiche episode may last from a few minutes to a few days. (Refer to your textbook for more on seiches.)

With a typical seiche in an enclosed basin, the water level near the center does not change at all but that is where the water exhibits its greatest horizontal movement; this is the location of a node. At either end of an enclosed basin, vertical motion of the water surface is greatest (with minimal horizontal movement of water); these are locations of antinodes. The motion of the water surface during a seiche is somewhat like that of a seesaw: The balance point of the seesaw does not move up or down (analogous to a node) while people seated at either end of the seesaw move up and down (analogous to an antinode).

The natural period of a seiche depends on the length and depth of the basin and generally ranges from minutes to hours. The period is directly proportional to basin length. For example, the natural period of a seiche in a small pond is considerably less than its period in a large coastal inlet. Also, for the same basin, the natural period is inversely proportional to water depth; that is, the period shortens as water deepens.

A 41-second mp4 video http://ametsoc.org/amsedu/ds-ocean/Seiche_Calculator.mp4 was produced providing a graphical simulation of a seiche by the University of Delaware's Seiche Calculator (http://www.coastal.udel.edu/faculty/rad/seiche.html ). The first demonstration on the video shows a case with the "Modal Number" set to 1 with a seiche in an enclosed basin. The second demonstration is for the "Modal Number" to 0.5, which would represent partially enclosed basins that usually have a node located at the mouth (rather than near the center) and an antinode at the landward end.

Historical Events:

20 March 1866...The immigrant ship Monarch of the Seas left Liverpool, England, but was never seen again. The ship with 738 people was officially declared "lost" after 130 days. A message in a bottle was found at Plymouth, supposedly sent by a passenger. In July, wreckage was found around the Dingle coast in Southern Ireland.
20 March 2000...A large iceberg measuring approximately 170 mi by 25 mi calved off Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf near Roosevelt Island. The iceberg was approximately 2.5 times the size of New York's Long Island. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
22 March 1778...Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy sighted Cape Flattery, in present day Washington State.
22 March 1999...Tropical Cyclone Vance produced Australia's highest measured wind speed of 166 mph at Learmonth, West Australia. Gusts reaching 185 mph were estimated in the eyewall in the Exmouth Gulf. All homes in the village of Exmouth were either damaged or destroyed. The storm surge was greater than 15 ft, and as much as 12" of rain fell. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (National Weather Service files)
24 March 1955...The first seagoing oil drill rig (for drilling in over 100 feet of water) was placed in service by the U.S. company C.G. Glasscock Drilling Co. The rig was able to drive piles with a force of 827 tons and pull a pile with the force of 942 tons. (Today in Science History)
24 March 1989...The tanker Exxon Valdez grounded on a reef in Prince William Sound, AK, spilling 10.1 million gallons of crude oil, resulting in the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Coast Guard units responded and prevented the entire cargo from spilling, cleaned up the oil which did spill, and conducted an investigation into the causes of the accident. The spill provided the impetus for the passage of the Oil Protection Act in 1990. (US Coast Guard Historians Office)
25 March 2000...A rouge wave near Shelter Cove, CA swept a lady from a Canadian school group into the ocean. Four members of the group tried to rescue her, but were overcome by the waves and currents. A fishing vessel and the US Coast Guard rescued two of the rescuers. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)