Weekly Ocean News

WEEK EIGHT: 26-30 October 2015

For Your Information

• Above average spring tide -- The moon will reach the full moon phase Tuesday morning at 1205Z (8:05 AM EDT, 7:05 AM CDT, etc. on 27 October). 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."
• Education packet for "Global and Great Lakes Climate Change" --The CLEAN (Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network) Review Process has reviewed an activity and teachers guide produced by the Ohio Sea Grant Program that has middle and high school students work with data to analyze local and global temperature anomaly data to look for warming trends. This activity focuses on the Great Lakes area. [NOAA Climate.gov Teaching Climate Series]
• Marine and tropical weather statements -- This week's Supplemental Information...In Greater Depth provides identifies those National Weather Service Forecast Centers that monitor the weather, prepare weather forecasts, and issue event-specific warnings or advisories for marine and coastal interests. The terminology used to identify the particular warnings, watches and advisories for marine interests and for tropical weather events is also discussed.

• Eye on the Tropics -- During the last week tropical cyclone activity continued in the Northern Hemisphere's Pacific basin:
• In the eastern North Pacific basin, Hurricane Olaf strengthened at the start of last week, becoming a major category 4 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) as it crossed into the central North Pacific basin when it passed the 140-degree West median marking the boundary between the two basins. During the week, Olaf continued to travel toward the west then west-northwest before curving toward the northwest and then north by late last week, passing well to the east of the main Hawaiian Islands. Over the course of the week, Olaf weakened slowly from a category 4 to a category 2 by Saturday. As of Sunday morning (Hawaiian time), Hurricane Olaf was located approximately 950 miles east of Honolulu, HI. This category 2 hurricane was to forecast to continue travel toward the northeast and weaken as it would travel away from Hawaii. The NASA Hurricane Page has additional information and satellite images for Hurricane Olaf.
  Tropical Storm Patricia, the sixteenth named tropical cyclone of the 2015 eastern Pacific hurricane season developed from a tropical depression approximately 250 miles off the southwestern coast of Mexico by late Tuesday evening. Over the course of the next 48 hours, Patricia intensified very rapidly from a tropical storm to become a major category 5 hurricane as it traveled toward the northwest paralleling the western coast of Mexico. By early Friday morning, Pat had strengthened to become the strongest hurricane on record for the eastern North Pacific basin as well as the Western Hemisphere when maximum sustained surface winds reached 200 mph and the minimum central pressure fell to 880 mb (or 25.99 inches of mercury). Turning toward the north-northeast, Hurricane Patricia made landfall. Moving inland, Patricia remained a hurricane into early Saturday morning before weakening to a tropical storm and then a remnant low over northern Mexico approximately 45 miles southwest of Monterrey, Mexico on late Saturday afternoon. [CNN News] Rain accompanying this remnant low was spreading into Texas and adjacent states on Sunday. Additional information and satellite images on Hurricane Patricia can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
• In the western North Pacific basin, Super-typhoon Koppu traveled northward along the western coast of the Philippine island of Luzon early this week before weakening to the north of the island. Additional information and satellite imagery on Super-typhoon Koppu is available from the NASA Hurricane Page.
  Super-typhoon Champi curved toward toward the northeast and then to the east-northeast, as it traveled well to the southeast of Japan during this past week. This former category 4 typhoon (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) slowly weakened to a tropical storm at the beginning of this past weekend. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite imagery and additional information on Super-typhoon Champi.
• Health and abundance of Alaska's juvenile pollock population tracked -- A team onboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson conducted a survey in the Gulf of Alaska to determine the number and health of juvenile Alaska pollack or walleye pollock that represents one of the 49th State's most important commercial fisheries. This survey will provide an assessment tool for fisheries managers on the health this year's juvenile pollock should be when they reach commercial harvest sizes at age three. Posted October 19, 2015 [NOAA News]
• Watershed education in Chesapeake Bay region receives financial support -- The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office recently awarded more than $2 million in environmental education grants to educational institutions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that are in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New York State and Washington, DC. These projects are intended to help students and teachers across the Chesapeake Bay watershed benefit from meaningful firsthand educational experiences on and along the water. [NOAA News]
• Drone monitors health of endangered Southern Resident killer whales -- A team from NOAA Fisheries Southwest Science Center and the Vancouver (British Columbia) have been conducting a photogrammetry project using a remotely operated hexacopter or drone flying over the waters surrounding the San Juan Islands in western Washington to collect high-resolution images of all 81 members of the Southern Resident killer whales. The images showed that the endangered whales appeared to be in robust condition. [NOAA Fisheries Newsroom] Additional video on the killer whales made by the drone are available. [NOAA Fisheries Podcasts]
• Adaptation planning efforts made for sea level rise along nation's Atlantic Coast -- A team of researchers recently produced a paper supported by the US Climate Program Office that represents a synthesis of science needs concerning sea level adaptation planning requested from coastal communities in Florida, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. The paper, "Science Needs for Sea-Level Adaptation Planning: Comparisons among Three U.S. Atlantic Coastal Regions," was based upon a series of workshops held in the summer of 2012 in these three states attended by attendees from federal, state and local governments, universities, businesses and nongovernmental organizations to work on ways to improve their coastal communities' resilience to coastal inundation and sea level rise. five themes were determined to be priority topics: analytic tools, communications, land use, ecosystem management and economics. [NOAA Climate Program Office News]
• September 2015 weather and climate for the nation and globe reviewed -- Scientists at the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) recently reported on their analysis of preliminary weather data collected from around the world during the month of September 2015. They found that this recently concluded month was the warmest September since sufficiently detailed global climate records began in 1880 as the combined global land and ocean surface temperature for September 2015 was 1.30 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century (1901-2000) September average of 59.0 degrees Fahrenheit. This new September global temperature record was 0.19 Fahrenheit degrees above the previous record, set only one year ago (September 2014). When considered separately, last month's temperature over the oceans and over land were each the highest for any September since 1880. Sea-surface temperatures across the equatorial and northeastern Pacific Ocean were at record levels in September because a strong El Niño event was currently underway.
  The researchers at the National Snow and Ice Data Center noted the areal extent of the Arctic sea ice for September 2015 was the fourth smallest since satellite surveillance began in 1979. On the other hand, the extent of the Antarctic sea ice was the 16th smallest in the 37-year satellite record. [NOAA/NCEI State of the Climate] A global map of Selected Significant Climate Anomalies and Events for September 2015 is available from NCEI.
• Comparisons made of annual maximum extent of sea ice in Southern Ocean over last three seasons -- Following the occurrence of the annual maximum extent in the sea ice cover on the Southern Ocean around Antarctica for the 2015 winter season (Southern Hemisphere) on 6 October, a graphic was produced that shows the seasonal variations of sea ice cover over the last three winters (2013-2015) along with the long-term (1981-2010) average variations obtained from data collected by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) sensor on Japan's Global Change Observation Mission 1st–Water (GCOM-W1) satellite. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Deep-sea bacteria may help sequester atmospheric greenhouse gases -- Researchers at the University of Florida have discovered a type of bacteria living at the bottom of the ocean that could be employed to sequester large quantities of industrial carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, thereby neutralizing some of the buildup of this greenhouse gas. The bacterium that was discovered is Thiomicrospira crunogena that produces carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme that helps remove carbon dioxide in organisms. [University of Florida News]
• Website provides daily view of Earth from one million miles away -- Early last week NASA launched a new website http://epic.gsfc.nasa.gov/ that provides color images of the full, sunlit side of the Earth every day obtained by NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) on the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) from a vantage point of one million miles from Earth (near the L1 Lagrange point). EPIC's images of Earth can be used to study daily variations over the entire globe in such features as vegetation, ozone, aerosols, and cloud height and reflectivity. DSCOVR is a partnership between NASA, NOAA and the US Air Force. The new website also features an archive of EPIC images searchable by date and continent. [DSCOVR:Deep Space Climate Observatory News] [NASA Earth Observatory]
• 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: Loss of Louisiana's Coast

According to the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force, Louisiana has been losing its coastal wetlands (bayous, marshes, and swamps) to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico at an alarming rate of about 65 to 100 square km (25 to 38 square mi) per year for the past several decades. This loss adversely affects fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and makes the coastal zone more vulnerable to storm surges such as that produced by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Since the early 1930s, the state's coastal wetlands have shrunk by an area equivalent to the state of Delaware. According to USGS estimates, an additional 1800 square km (700 square mi) could be lost by mid-century. The price tag for reversing this trend, restoring some marshes, and protecting the remaining 15,000 square km (5800 square mi) of wetlands could top $14 billion and take decades to complete. Many people argue that the value of Louisiana's coastal wetlands is well worth the expense.

As much as 75% of the fish and other marine life in the northern Gulf of Mexico depend on Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The wetlands are a nursery for commercially important catches of shrimp, crawfish, blue crab, and oysters. It is a food source for larger fish including yellow fin tuna, red snapper, and swordfish. In 2003, about three-quarters of the nation's fish and shellfish catch by weight came from Louisiana's waters. In addition, the wetlands are a stopover for millions of birds migrating between North and Central/South America. Furthermore, wetlands and associated barrier islands protect the ports, buildings, and other coastal zone structures from storm surges. Wetlands are particularly important in buffering the levees surrounding New Orleans, much of which is below sea level.

Many factors contribute to the loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands. Thousands of kilometers of pipelines transporting oil and natural gas through the marshes plus the extensive network of navigation channels allow saltwater to intrude the wetlands. Increased salinity of the originally fresh or brackish waters kill wetland grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation that anchor soil in place. The canals also allow tidal currents to flow farther inland, accelerating erosion of wetland soils. The most important factor, however, is the consequence of flood control structures (levees) constructed along the banks of the Mississippi River. Levees constrict the flow of the river so that waters and suspended sediment discharge rapidly into the Gulf. Deprived of a continuous input of sediments and vegetation-supporting nutrients, existing sediments compact, wetlands subside and Gulf waters invade the wetlands. With the anticipated continued rise in sea level due to global climate change (discussed in Chapter 12 of your textbook), erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetland may accelerate in the future.

Plans to reverse the loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands (the Coast 2005 plan and the Louisiana Coastal Area plan) seek to restore the structure and function of coastal wetlands. One proposal is to breach some levees along the lower Mississippi. This partial diversion of the Mississippi would increase the supply of sediments to the wetlands. Closing or installing locks on some navigation canals would reduce saltwater intrusion. In addition, dredged sediment would be used to re-build wetlands and restore barrier islands.

Concept of the Week: Questions

1. The most important factor contributing to erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetlands is [(saltwater intrusion)(levees along the banks of the Mississippi River)].
2. Global climate change that is accompanied by a rise in sea level is likely to [(accelerate)(have no effect on)] the rate of erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetlands.

Historical Events:

• 27 October 1728...Captain James Cook, the famed British naval officer who was one of the first of the scientific navigators, was born on this date. Captain Cook surveyed the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland before making three expeditions into the Pacific Ocean where he became the first Englishman to explore previously uncharted locations. On his various voyages, he conducted astronomical observations and his ship's botanist studied the flora and fauna that were collected. (Today in Science History)
• 27 October 1922...Navy Day was established by the Navy League of the United States and recognized by President Warren Harding. The day was suggested to recognize the birthdate of former President Theodore Roosevelt who had been an Assistant Secretary of the Navy and supported a strong Navy as well as the idea of Navy Day. The date was the anniversary of a 1775 report issued by a special committee of the Continental Congress favoring the purchase of merchant ships as the foundation of an American Navy. The date was last officially observed in 1949. (US Dept. of Defense) 
• 28 October 1492...The famous Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, landed on Cuba. (Wikipedia)
• 28 October 1991...Typhoon Thelma devastated the Philippines. Reports indicated that 6000 people died by catastrophic events related to the storm including dam failure, landslides, and extensive flash flooding. The greatest number of casualties occurred on Leyte Island where an 8-ft storm surge struck Ormoc, accounting for over 3000 fatalities. (The Weather Doctor)
• 29 October 1999...Tropical Cyclone 5B, with sustained winds of 155 mph, made landfall at Paradwip (Orissa, India). A storm surge of at least 20-ft height swept at least 12 mi inland. More than 10,000 people were killed. With 2 million homes either damaged or destroyed, 35 million people were left homeless. Damage from this tropical cyclone was $1.5 billion. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 30 October-1 November 1991...After absorbing Hurricane Grace on the 29^th, an intense ocean storm took an unusual course and moved westward along 40 degrees north latitude and battered eastern New England with high winds and tides. Winds had already been gusting over 50 mph along the coast 2 days before, so seas and tides were very high. Major coastal flooding and beach erosion occurred all along the New England, New York, and New Jersey coasts. Over 1000 homes were damaged or destroyed with tides 4 to 7 ft above normal. Wind gusts reached 78 mph at Chatham, MA and 74 mph at Gloucester, MA. A ship east of New England reported a 63-ft wave. Total damage from the storm was $200 million. On 1 November this ocean storm underwent a remarkable transformation. Convection developed and rapidly wound around the storm center and an eye became visible on satellite imagery. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft found a small but intense circulation with maximum winds of 75 mph. This evolution from a large extratropical low to a small hurricane is rare but not unprecedented. (Intellicast)
• 31 October 1874...A waterspout (a tornado-like vortex that travels over water) formed over Lake Erie and reached the lakeshore approximately 0.5 mi west of Buffalo, NY. Upon reaching the shore, it dissipated, scattering sand in all directions. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 31 October 1876...A 10 to 50 ft storm surge ahead of the Backergunge cyclone flooded the eastern Ganges Delta in India (now Bangladesh). Over 100,000 people drowned. (The Weather Doctor)
• 1 November 1521...Four ships in the fleet commanded by the explorer Ferdinand Magellan began sailing through the passage immediately south of mainland South America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, now known as the Strait of Magellan. Because this passage began on All Saints Day, Magellan initially called the 373-mile long passage, the Estreito (Canal) de Todos los Santos , or "All Saints' Channel". (Wikipedia)
• 1 November 1755...Lisbon, Portugal was destroyed by a massive earthquake and tsunami, killing between 60,000 and 90,000 people. (Wikipedia)
• 1 November 1859...The current Cape Lookout, NC lighthouse was lit for the first time. Its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for nineteen miles. (Wikipedia)
• 1 November 1861...A hurricane near Cape Hatteras, NC battered a Union fleet of ships attacking Carolina ports, and produced high tides and high winds in New York State and New England. (David Ludlum)
• 1 November 1884...Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) was nearly unanimously adopted at a meeting of 25 nations at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, DC. This time is also called Greenwich Meridian Time because it is measured from the Greenwich Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. At that time, the International Date Line was also drawn and 24 time zones created. (Today in Science History)

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