WEEKLY WATER NEWS

17-21 July 2006

Water in the Earth System will return for Fall 2006 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 28 August 2006. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

Water in the News:

• Puzzling effects of pollution on clouds and climate -- NASA Goddard scientists recently report that they have found that cloud formation is affected by the reflectivity of aerosol pollutants, which also affects the planetary climate. They have found that dark colored aerosols reflect less sunlight resulting in warming of the atmosphere that help suppress cloud formation, while more reflective light colored aerosols permit clouds to form. The change in cloud cover can influence surface temperatures. [NASA Earth Observatory] [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Monitoring the oceanic component of Earth's chlorophyll -- A composite global image of the chlorophyll concentrations in the near-surface ocean waters for the boreal (northern hemisphere) spring season has been created from data obtained from Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) satellite and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• A New England river changes course -- Images obtained from the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) sensor onboard NASA’s Terra satellite shows the change in course of the Suncook River in New Hampshire as a result of the torrential rain that inundated New England in May 2006. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Monitoring gaseous plume from a volcano -- An image made by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA’s Aura satellite of the plume of sulfur dioxide gas that has been injected into the stratosphere from the May eruption of the Caribbean Soufriere Hills volcano shows that this gas has been carried westward around the world, reaching the Philippines. This sulfur dioxide gas could combine with water to form sulfuric acid droplets that could result in reduced receipt of solar radiation and a modification of global climate. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• First half of year in review -- Based upon preliminary statistics, scientists at the National Climatic Data Center report that the just concluded six-month span of January through June 2006 was the warmest half year of any year across the continental United States since detailed and reliable climate records commenced in 1895. Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas in the central and southern Plains reported their highest statewide temperatures during this 112-year period of record. Much of the central sections of the nation also experienced below average precipitation, with Arizona, Colorado and Florida reporting much below average precipitation for the first six months of the year. On the other hand, the Northeast and the West Coast had above average precipitation for this first half of the year, with Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont reporting much above average precipitation. The weather conditions during the month of June maintained these trends, with the month being the second warmest June on record nationally. [NOAA News]
• Summer scholarships promote atmosphere and ocean sciences -- One-hundred ten students from colleges and universities across the US and Puerto Rico are participating in the Hollings Scholarship Program, which allows them to serve as summer interns with NOAA and participate in a wide variety of oceanic and atmospheric research projects, including conducing fish surveys, analyzing storm data and participating in Antarctic climate studies. [NOAA News]
• NOAA restoration project is lauded -- The 10th anniversary of the NOAA Community-based Restoration Program was recently celebrated at the US Capitol. This program, which attempts to encourage collaborative strategies and partnerships, applies a grass-roots approach to restoration of fishery habitats around the nation. [NOAA News]
• Flooding is deadly in Chile -- Torrential rain across central Chile early last week caused flooding and landslides that resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people and forced approximately 30,000 others to flee their homes. [USA Today]
• Tropical weather update -- Tropical cyclones (low pressure systems) continued to form and move across both eastern and western sections of the tropical North Pacific last week:
  • In the eastern Pacific, two tropical cyclones intensified to become the first two hurricanes of the 2006 hurricane season in the Eastern North Pacific basin. Hurricane Bud formed early last week, followed by Hurricane Carlotta. By late in the week, Bud had intensified to a strong Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity scale before weakening to a tropical depression, while Carlotta became a weak Category 1 hurricane. Both systems were moving away from land during the weekend. [USA Today] A visible satellite image obtained from sensors onboard NOAA's GOES 11 satellite at the end of last week shows Tropical Storm Bud and Hurricane Carlotta moving westward across the Eastern Pacific away from the Mexican coast. [NOAA Operational Significant Event Imagery]
  • In the Western Pacific, Typhoon Bilis (the western Pacific's counterpart to a hurricane) weakened to tropical storm status late last week as moved across the East China Sea and made landfall in China. Earlier, Bilis had been responsible for 14 deaths in the northern Philippines as it moved across the Philippine Sea and across northern Taiwan, producing torrential rain and strong winds across the Philippines, Taiwan and southeast China. In southern China, 326,000 people were evacuated from coastal regions. [USA Today] A satellite image made from Japan's geosynchronous MTSAT-1R satellite last week shows Tropical Storm Bilis east of Taiwan moving to the northwest toward the East China Sea. [NOAA Operational Significant Event Imagery]
• Demise of alpine glaciers foreseen -- Based upon the results of numerical modeling experiments, scientists from the University of Zurich have concluded that continued warming could result in the European Alps loosing most of its mountain glaciers and become essentially ice-free by 2100. [EurekAlert!]
• Factors determining water quality are studied -- Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory have been exploring how ions interact with mineral surfaces in water, which has given these scientists a better understanding of how contaminants travel and affect water quality. [EurekAlert!]
• Land-use practices can have an effect upon Earth System processes -- Scientists at the University of New Hampshire who have studied land-use activities over the last three centuries and used these data in coupled climate models showed that the substantial alterations in the land surface may have had a profound affect upon processes in the earth system, including altered reflectivity of solar radiation and a modified carbon dioxide exchange between atmosphere and the ground. [University of New Hampshire]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
• Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

• 17 July 1987...Slow-moving thunderstorms caused flooding on the Guadalupe River in Texas resulting in tragic loss of life. A bus and van leaving a summer youth camp stalled near the rapidly rising river, just west of the town of Comfort, and a powerful surge of water swept away 43 persons, mostly teenagers. Ten drowned in the floodwaters. Most of the others were rescued from treetops by helicopter. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 17-18 July 1996...Heavy rains were responsible for unprecedented flooding across north central and northeast Illinois, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Aurora, IL received 16.91 inches of rain, which established a new 24-hour precipitation record for the Prairie State. Approximately 60 percent of the city's homes were affected by flooding. At Romeoville, 10.36 inches of rain fell. Interstates were closed and some towns were isolated. Rampaging floodwaters scoured out roads near Dayton, leaving gravel and sand deposits to twenty feet high. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 18 July 1889...A cloudburst in West Virginia along the small creeks in Wirt County, Jackson County and Wood County claimed twenty lives. Rockport, WV reported 19.00 inches of rain in two hours and ten minutes that Thursday evening, setting a 24-hour precipitation record for the Mountain State. Tygart Creek rose 22 feet in one hour, and villages were swept away on Tygart, Slate, Tucker, and Sandy Creeks. (The Weather Channel) (NCDC)
• 18 July 1942...A record deluge occurred at Smethport in northern Pennsylvania, with 30.70 inches in just six hours. The 24-hour rainfall total for the day was 34.50 inches, which set a maximum 24-hour precipitation for the Keystone State. The downpours and resultant flooding in Pennsylvania were devastating. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast) (NCDC)
• 18 July 1955...In Martinstown, England, eleven inches of rain fell in a 15-hour period on this day believed to be the 24-hour greatest rainfall for the United Kingdom. (The Weather Doctor)
• 18-19 July 1979...A 30-foot high tsunami wave leveled four Indonesian villages on the Sunda Islands during the night. The wave swept 1500 feet inland, causing 589 deaths among the sleeping villagers. A landslide from Mount Werung (Lomblen Island) caused the tsunami. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 18-21 July 1996...Between six and twelve inches of rain fell on an already saturated Saguenay River Valley of Quebec, producing Canada's first billion-dollar disaster ($1.5 billion). Flooding destroyed or damaged 1718 houses and 900 cottages. Ten people were killed and 16,000 were evacuated. Roads and bridges disappeared. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar) (The Weather Doctor) (Wikipedia)
• 18-22 July 1997...Hurricane Danny, the only hurricane that made landfall in the continental US in 1997, moved inland into coastal Alabama at a snails pace. Radar storm total estimates of 43 inches over Mobile Bay. A torrential 32.52 inches of rain fell on 19-20 July at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, establishing a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for Alabama. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 19 July 1886...A hurricane from the Gulf of Mexico crossed Florida causing great damage from Cedar Keys to Jacksonville. This was the third hurricane in one month to cross the Florida peninsula. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
• 19 July 1955...The Yarkon Water Project was opened to supply water to Negev desert in Israel. The Yarkon "flows" through the most densely populated areas of the country to the Mediterranean. The river has deteriorated rapidly since the 1950's due to excessive draining for irrigation by the National Water Carrier; with marked decline in water quality, animal habitats, flora and fauna. The National Water Carrier (1964), which crosses Israel from north to south, is the 81-mile main artery connecting all regional water projects in the State. (Today in Science History)
• 19 July 1974...A severe thunderstorm with winds to 80 mph and up to two inches of rain washed out four to five foot deep sections of roadway in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Three persons in a station wagon died as it was carried 3000 feet down a wash by a ten foot wall of water. (The Weather Channel)
• 19 July 1977...Thunderstorms produced torrential rains over parts of southwestern Pennsylvania. Some places in the Johnstown area received more than twelve inches in a seven-hour period. The heavy rains cause flash flooding along streams resulting in widespread severe damage, representing the "second Johnstown flood", second to the more disastrous flood in May 1889. The cloudburst flooded Johnstown with up to ten feet of water resulting in 76 deaths, countless injuries, and 424 million dollars damage. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
• 19 July 1994...Hurricane Emilia was the first of three Category-5 hurricanes to develop in the Central Pacific in 1994 as unusually warm sea temperatures prevailed south of Hawaii. Sustained winds reached 160 mph. (Intellicast)
• 21 July 1970...The Aswan High Dam in Egypt was completed after 18 years of work. This huge rockfill dam that lies just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan captures the world's longest river, the Nile, in the world's third largest reservoir, Lake Nasser. Built with Soviet aid at a cost of $1 billion, it now produces hydroelectricity meeting 50% of Egypt's power needs. It holds several years of irrigation reserves, assists multi-cropping, has increased productivity 20-50%, enormously increased Egypt's arable land, and overall, increased Egypt's agricultural income by 200%. The embankment is 111 meters high, with a width of near 1,000 meters. Lake Nasser is 480 km long and up to 16 km wide. (Today in Science History)
• 20 July 1965...The 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Show-Me State was set at Edgarton, MO as 18.18 inches of rain fell. (NCDC)
• 20 July 1989...Showers and thunderstorms in the Middle Atlantic Coast Region soaked Wilmington, DE with 2.28 inches of rain, pushing their total for the period May through July past the previous record of 22.43 inches. Heavy rain over that three-month period virtually wiped out a 16.82-inch deficit that had been building since drought conditions began in 1985. Thunderstorms in central Indiana deluged Lebanon with 6.50 inches of rain in twelve hours. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 21 July 1964...The runoff from a torrential three-inch rainfall in a relatively short time span caused a storm sewer to break under Tallmadge Parkway in Akron, OH. A 40-foot deep hole resulted. One person died when she drove her car into the unexpected hole. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 21 July 1970...The massive Aswan High Dam was across the Nile River in Egypt was completed after 11 years of construction. This dam, costing $1 billion, was designed to end the annual cycle of flood along the Nile and produce electric power to Egypt. A giant reservoir, named Lake Nasser, formed behind the dam and measured 300 miles in length and 10 miles in width. (The History Channel)
• 21 July 1997...A $100 million hailstorm ripped through the orchards of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Nearly 40% of the fruit crop was deemed unsuitable for fresh market. Winds gusting to 62 mph, accompanying the rain and hail, capsized boats in the interior lakes and caused power outages and traffic accidents. (The Weather Doctor)
• 22 July 1972...Fort Ripley, MN received 10.84 inches of rain, to establish a new 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Gopher State. (NCDC)
• 22 July 1986...Hurricane Estelle passed 120 miles south of the Hawaiian Islands creating a ten to twenty-foot surf. The large swells resulted from a combination of high tides, a full moon, and 50-mph winds. The hurricane also deluged Oahu Island with as much as 6.86 inches of rain on the 24th and 25th of the month. (Storm Data)
• 22 July 1987...Barrow, AK received 1.38 inches in 24 hours on the 21^st and 22^nd, an all-time record for that location. The previous record was the 1.00 inch water equivalent in a 15 inch all-time record snowfall of 26 October 1926. The average annual precipitation for Barrow is just 4.75 inches. Thunderstorms in Montana produced 4 to 6 inches of rain in Glacier County causing extensive flooding along Divide Creek. Missoula, MT received 1.71 inches of rain in 24 hours, a record for the month of July. (The National Weather Summary) (The Weather Channel) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 22-23 July 1996...A strong storm system centered south of Tahiti in the South Pacific was responsible for eight-foot surf along the south shores of Hawaii's Oahu Island. Water safety personnel rescued 95 people from the high surf. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 23 July 1788...A weather diary kept by George Washington recorded that the center of a hurricane passed directly over his Mount Vernon home. The hurricane crossed eastern North Carolina and Virginia before moving into the Central Appalachians. Norfolk, VA reported houses destroyed, trees uprooted, and crops leveled to the ground. (David Ludlum)
• 23 July 1898...A two-hour thunderstorm deluged Atlanta, GA with 4.32 inches of rain. More than a foot of water flooded Union Depot. Many streetcar motors burned out while trying to run through flooded streets. It grew so dark before the afternoon storm that gaslights were needed. (The Weather Channel)
• 23 July 1923...Sheridan, WY was drenched with 4.41 inches of rain, an all-time 24-hour record for that location. Associated flooding washed out 20 miles of railroad track. (22^nd-23^rd) (The Weather Channel)
• 23 July 1987...Thunderstorms produced a record ten inches of rain in six and a half-hours at Minneapolis, MN, including 5.26 inches in two hours. Flash flooding claimed two lives and caused 21.3 million dollars damage. Streets in Minneapolis became rushing rivers, parking lots became lakes, and storm sewers spouted like geysers. A tornado hit Maple Grove, MN causing five million dollars damage. Baseball size hail was reported at Olivia, MN. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
• 23 July 1997...Thunderstorms over Nevada's Shoshone Mountains produced flash flooding in washes under Nevada Highway 844. Sixteen miles northeast of Ione, a culvert and adjacent roadway that washed out earlier in the day were again washed out as repairs were being made. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)

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Prepared by AMS WES Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
ã Copyright, 2006, The American Meteorological Society.