WEEKLY OCEAN NEWS

6-10 August 2018

Items of Interest:

Earthquake preparedness -- This upcoming week (5-11 August) has been proclaimed Earthquake Awareness Week in Guam and Northern Marianas to commemorate the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Guam on 8 August 1993.
Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2018 Campaign for July is underway -- The eighth in the series of GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaigns for 2018 will continue through Saturday, 11 August. GLOBE at Night is a worldwide, hands-on science and education program designed to encourage citizen-scientists worldwide to record the brightness of their night sky by matching the appearance of a constellation with the seven magnitude/star charts of progressively fainter stars. These constellations are Cygnus in the Northern Hemisphere and Scorpius for the Southern Hemisphere. Activity guides are also available. The GLOBE at night program is intended to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution. The ninth series in the 2018 campaign is scheduled for 1-10 September 2018. [GLOBE at Night]
National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day is celebrated -- Tuesday, 7 August 2018, is designated National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day, which marks the anniversary of the signing of the Act of Congress on 7 August 1789 when the Federal Government assumed responsibility for building and operating the nation's lighthouses. [American Lighthouse Foundation]
Higher than normal ocean tides anticipated along nation's coasts late this week and into next week -- According to the NOAA National Ocean Service's High Tide Bulletin for Summer 2018, higher than average tides are expected between 9 and 14 August for most of the Pacific Coast of the US, stretching southward from Alaska to California and along the nation's Atlantic Coast, running from Maine southward to Florida's East Coast. Higher than average tides also can be expected surrounding Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands. Only the Gulf Coast of the U.S. should not have higher than normal tides. A new moon occurring early Saturday morning (11 August), coupled with lunar perigee (when the Moon is closest to Earth) that was reached fifteen hours earlier on Friday afternoon, will be responsible for the perigean spring tide that creates higher than normal high tides. [NOAA National Ocean Service News]
Get Into Your (marine) Sanctuary Photo Contest! -- NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is inviting the public to share their experiences in a nearby national marine sanctuary by submitting their photographs to a "Get into Your Sanctuary" photo contest. Photo entries need to be submitted by 15 August.
A Nighttime Show -- The annual Perseid meteor shower should peak on Sunday (12 August 2018), but the meteor shower should be able to be seen quite well on both Saturday and Sunday nights. The Perseids, which are associated with some bits of Comet Swift-Tuttle, are noted for being fast and bright, and often leave persistent trains. Typically, the Perseids are usually very active for several days before and after the peaks, often producing 30 to 60 meteors per hour. This year between 150 to 200 meteors per hour may be possible. A new moon early Friday morning (the 11th) will mean that illumination from the Moon will not be a factor in viewing the Perseids. If the skies are clear in your area, go to a region that has few lights and look up and to the northeast during the early morning hours. [Space.com]
"Satellite ride share" being offered -- Early last week NOAA published a Request for Information seeking demonstrations of key capabilities that will enable small satellites built by the commercial sector to hitch a ride on the upcoming advanced Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) spacecraft launch. The approved small satellites will have the opportunity to fly as a "rideshare" in one of several available slots on the JPSS-2 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. [NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service]

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the tropics -- The North Pacific Ocean continued to experience tropical cyclone activity over this past week:

In the western North Pacific basin:
- Typhoon Jongdari weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall on Japan's Honshu Island over the previous weekend. By the start of last week, this tropical storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression. Torrential rains and strong winds associated with Jongdari fell across southern Japan. During the latter part of last week Tropical Depression Jongdari headed west toward mainland China. By last Friday, Jongdari had made another landfall when it came onshore along the China coast near Shanghai. The NASA Hurricane Page has additional information and satellite images for former Typhoon Jongdari.
- Tropical Depression 16W (TD-16W) formed early last week approximately 300 miles to the north-northwest of Minami Tori Shima, Japan. Traveling generally toward the north, TD-16W never strengthened to become a tropical storm. By midweek, TD-16W had become subtropical and was beginning to dissipate approximately 600 miles to the north-northwest of Minami Tori Shima. Refer to the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite images on TD-16W.
- Tropical Depression 17W formed near the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands northeast of Guam late last week. This tropical depression strengthened to become Tropical Storm Shanshan late Friday (local time). Over the weekend, Shanshan continued strengthening to become a category 1 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Saturday afternoon as it was located approximately 600 miles to the northeast of Guam. Shanshan was the fifth typhoon of the year in the western North Pacific. On Sunday Typhoon Shanshan continued heading toward the north-northwest. As of early Monday morning (local time), Typhoon Shanshan was traveling toward the north-northwest as it was located approximately 340 miles to the east-northeast of Japan's Iwo To (also known as Iwo Jima). Shanshan was forecast to strengthen to a category 2 typhoon as it continues traveling toward the north-northwest, reaching the southern coast of Japan's Honshu Island near the Tokyo metropolitan area by early Thursday. Satellite images and additional information on Typhoon Shanshan are available on the NASA Hurricane Page.
In the eastern North Pacific basin:
- The tenth tropical depression of 2018 in the eastern Pacific formed last Tuesday afternoon approximately 830 miles to the southwest of Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. By Tuesday evening this tropical depression had strengthened to become Tropical Storm Hector as it was traveling to the west-northwest. Strengthening of Hector continued on Wednesday, becoming the fourth eastern Pacific hurricane of 2018 on Thursday morning as this system was located approximately 1115 miles to the west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Hurricane Hector strengthened as it continued westward, becoming a major category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale by Friday evening as it was located approximately 1500 miles to the west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas or 1640 miles to the east of Hilo, HI. Over this past weekend, Hector maintained a course toward the west, becoming a category 4 hurricane on Saturday evening, as maximum sustained surface winds reached an estimated 130 mph. Weakening slightly on Sunday morning, Hector was downgraded to a category 3 hurricane, but strengthened again by Sunday afternoon. By Sunday evening, Hector was a category 4 hurricane with 140-mph sustained surface winds as it approached the 140th west meridian longitude, which marks the boundary between the eastern and central Pacific basin. At that time, the center of Hector was located approximately 1130 miles to the east-southeast of South Point, Hawaii. The forecast suggests that Hurricane Hector should travel toward the west-northwest on Monday, with some fluctuations in intensity. Tropical-storm-force winds could reach the Hawaiian Islands by late Tuesday as the center of Hector would pass to the south of Hawaii's Big Island. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite images and additional information on Hurricane Hector.
- Another tropical depression formed Saturday afternoon over the waters south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Moving toward the west-northwest, this tropical depression became Tropical Storm Ileana on Sunday afternoon as it was approximately 165 miles to the south-southwest of Puerto Escondido, Mexico. As of Sunday evening, Tropical Storm Ileana was located approximately 185 miles to the south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Ileana was forecast to curve toward the northwest on Monday, remaining off the Mexican coast. Some intensification is possible on Monday. However, this tropical storm should dissipate on Tuesday.
- Tropical Depression 12-E (TD-12E) formed off the southwest coast of Mexico on Sunday afternoon. Movement was to the northwest. As of late Sunday evening, TD-12E had strengthened to become Tropical Storm John, the tenth named tropical cyclone of 2018 in the eastern North Pacific. At that time, the center of John was located approximately 310 miles to the south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. John was forecast to continue traveling toward the northwest and strengthen to become a hurricane by late Monday or early Tuesday.

Real-time hurricane tracker launched for 2018 season -- In anticipation of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) recently launched its "2018 Hurricane Tracker" that allows the public to track hurricanes from the NOAA fleet of satellites in essentially real time. [NOAA NESDIS News]
Atlantic hurricane season outlook is updated -- The team of hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University led by Dr. Philip Klotzbach issued its updated August forecast for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. Their "Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and Landfall Strike Probability for 2018" calls for below-average Atlantic hurricane activity through the remainder of the season. In addition, the forecasters indicate that the probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the United States coastline and in the Caribbean also would be less than average, a consequence of their forecast for a below-average season. The forecasters noted that the waters of the tropical Atlantic were remaining cooler than the long-term average, which would be unfavorable for tropical cyclone development, and they foresee a relatively high potential for the development of weak El Niño conditions over the next several months coinciding with the typical peak in the Atlantic hurricane season, which also diminishes activity over the Atlantic.
The forecasters anticipate nine additional named tropical cyclones (maximum sustained surface winds of 39 mph or higher) could form after the end of July. Three named tropical cyclones (Tropical Storm Alberto and Hurricanes Beryl and Chris) formed across the basin between April and July. Consequently, a total of 12 named tropical cyclones are now forecast for the entire 2018 season. Five of these systems could become hurricanes (maximum sustained surface winds greater than 73 mph) in the Atlantic basin, which includes the two hurricanes that had developed in July. The forecasters also anticipated one major hurricane (category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with winds of at least 111 mph). Furthermore, they also foresee a 35 percent probability of at least one major hurricane making a landfall along the entire coast of the continental United States. [The Tropical Meteorology Project]
This summer's "dead zone" in Gulf of Mexico found to be below average -- A team of scientists from Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium conducted a research cruise in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the last week of July onboard the Research Vessel Pelican. The scientists report that this summer's "dead zone," or region of with insufficient dissolved oxygen to support marine life, has been found to be the fourth smallest area since 1985. This area is smaller than the size forecast by NOAA and its partners back in June. Persistent and strong winds from the west, along with waves, appear to have been responsible for the smaller than expected zone size. [NOAA News & Features]
Polar orbiting satellite sees phytoplankton bloom in Barents Sea -- A true-color image generated from data collected by sensors onboard the NOAA-20 satellite early last week shows large blue and turquois swirls in the otherwise dark-colored waters of the Barents Sea to the north of Russia. These swirls represent a large phytoplankton bloom that developed in the open waters of the Arctic Ocean during the 24-hour daylight experienced by the region. [NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service]
State of the Climate in 2017 report indicates third warmest year of record -- During this past week NOAA scientists and their colleagues released a 309-page report entitled State of the Climate in 2017. This peer-reviewed study, compiled by more than 550 scientists from 65 countries, was based upon their examination of trends in temperature and precipitation, extreme weather and climate events, increases in greenhouse gas concentrations and changes in the polar sea ice around the world in 2017.
The report contained the following key points:

The atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) were the highest on record.
The global land and ocean combined surface temperature for 2017 was the third highest for the record beginning in 1880, slightly less than the annual temperatures in 2016 and 2015. However, 2017 represented the warmest non-El Niño year in the instrumental record.
The globally averaged sea surface temperature for the year was slightly below the highest on record set in 2016.
The global upper ocean heat content reached a record high level.
The global sea level for the year reached the highest on record.
The multiyear coral reef bleaching continued at unprecedented levels.
The maximum Arctic sea ice extent reached a record low level.
The waters around Antarctic experienced record low sea ice extent.
The global area of drought fell in early 2017 before rising to above-average values by end of year.
The number of tropical cyclones across all ocean basins in 2017 was slightly above average overall.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

NOAA Climate.gov News

map

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]

Historical Events:

6 August 1959...Hurricane Dot crossed Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands producing sustained winds of 105 mph with gusts to 125 mph. Over 6 inches of rain fell with over 9 inches on the Big Island of Hawaii. The sugar cane crop on Kauai sustained $2.7 million in damages. (National Weather Service files)
6 August 1986...A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast of Australia dumped a record 12.91 inches of rain in one day on Sydney. (Wikipedia)
7 August 1679...The brigantine Le Griffon, commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. The ship disappeared on the return leg of its maiden voyage from Lake Michigan. (Wikipedia)
7 August 1980...The central pressure of Hurricane Allen bottomed out at 899 millibars (26.55 inches of mercury) while moving through the Yucatan Channel in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Mexico. This was the second lowest pressure ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere up to that time. Allen's winds at the time were sustained at 190 mph. (National Weather Service files)
8 August 1585...The British navigator and polar explorer, John Davis, entered Cumberland Sound in quest for the North-West Passage. (Wikipedia)
8 August 2000...The Confederate submarine CSS H.L. Hunley was raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor. This submarine sank in the Charleston (SC) Harbor after sinking the USS Housatonic on 17 February 1864. (Wikipedia)
9 August 1988...Tropical Storm Beryl deluged Biloxi with 6.32 inches of rain in 24 hours, and in three days drenched Pascagoula, MS with 15.85 inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
10 August 1519...Five ships under the command of the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, set sail from the Spanish seaport Seville to Sanclucar be Barrameda, staying there until 21 September, when they departed to circumnavigate the globe. This expedition traveled westward and ultimately returned to Europe in September 1522. (Wikipedia)
10 August 1675...King Charles II laid the foundation stone of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. (Today in Science History)
10-11 August 1831...A violent hurricane devastated Barbados. Death toll was estimated to be from 1500 to 2500 people. (The Weather Doctor)
10 August 1856...The Isle Derniere (Last Island) disaster occurred off the coast of Louisiana. A storm tide drowned 140 vacationers as a five-foot wave swept over Low Island during a hurricane. (The Weather Channel) The hurricane completely devastated the fashionable hotel and pleasure resort on Last Island, 150 miles east of Cameron. Storm surge swept an estimated 400 people to their death. Today the island is just a haven for pelicans and other sea birds. (Intellicast)
10 August 1954...A ground-breaking ceremony was held at Massena, NY for the St. Lawrence Seaway. (Wikipedia)
10 August 1971...President Nixon signed the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 considered to be most significant legislation in the long history of federal action in this field. The new act, which repealed most of the Federal Boating Act of 1958 and amended the Motorboat Act of 1940, shifted responsibility from boat operator to manufacturer. (USCG Historian's Office)
10 August 1980...Hurricane Allen came ashore north of Brownsville, TX dropping fifteen inches of rain near San Antonio, and up to 20 inches in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, ending a summer long drought. Winds at Port Mansfield gusted to 140 mph with a storm surge of 12 feet. Tidal flooding occurred along the South Texas coast. Hurricane Allen packed winds to 150 mph, and also spawned twenty-nine tornadoes. Total damage from the storm was estimated at 750 million dollars. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
10 August 1993...Three ships -- the barge Bouchard B155, the freighter Balsa 37, and the barge Ocean 255 -- collided in Florida's Tampa Bay. The Bouchard spilled an estimated 336,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into Tampa Bay. (InfoPlease)
11 August 1909...The liner S.S. Arapahoe was the first ship to use the S.O.S. radio distress call. Its wireless operator, T. D. Haubner, radioed for help after a propeller shaft snapped while off the coast at Cape Hatteras, NC. The call was heard by the United Wireless station "HA" at Hatteras. A few months later, Haubner on the S.S. Arapahoe received an SOS from the SS Iroquois, the second use of SOS in America. Previously, the distress code CQD had been in use as a maritime distress call, standardized by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. in 1904. The second International Radio Telegraphic Convention (1906) proposed the alternative SOS for its distinctive sound, which was ratified as an international standard in 1908. (Today in Science History)
11 August 1940...A major hurricane struck Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC causing the worst inland flooding since 1607. A 13-foot storm tide was measured along the South Carolina coast, while over 15 inches of rain fell across northern North Carolina. Significant flooding and landslides struck Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia during the system's slow trek as a weakening tropical storm, and then as an extratropical cyclone, through the Southeast. (David Ludlum) (National Weather Service files)
11 August 1988...Moisture from what remained of Tropical Storm Beryl resulted in torrential rains across eastern Texas. Twelve and a half inches of rain deluged Enterprise, TX, which was more than the amount received there during the previous eight months. (The National Weather Summary)
12 August 1778...A Rhode Island hurricane prevented an impending British-French sea battle, and caused extensive damage over southeast New England. (David Ludlum)
12 August 1955...During the second week of August, hurricanes Connie and Diane produced as much as 19 inches of rain in the northeastern U.S. forcing rivers from Virginia to Massachusetts into a high flood. Westfield, MA was deluged with 18.15 inches of rain in 24 hours, and at Woonsocket, RI the Blackstone River swelled from seventy feet in width to a mile and a half. Connecticut and the Delaware Valley were hardest hit. Total damage in New England was 800 million dollars, and flooding claimed 187 lives. (David Ludlum)
12 August 1958...USS Nautilus (SSN-571) arrived Portland, England after completing the first submerged under ice cruise from Pacific to Atlantic Oceans. (Naval Historical Center)