DATASTREME OCEAN PREVIEW WEEK: 17-24 January 2011

Items of Interest:

• DataStreme Ocean LIT members make the news --
An article recently appeared on the website maintained by the St. Louis (MO) Post Dispatch that highlights the work of two area teachers Ann Kelly and Kathy Murphy who run a Local Implementation Team for the American Meteorological Society's DataStreme Ocean Course. [St Louis Post Dispatch] [Editor's note: Ann Kelly and Kathy Murphy are valued members of the AMS Education Initiative, having contributed much to the success of the DataStreme Atmosphere and Water in the Earth System programs and. They have been involved also with WeatherFest, a public outreach program held in conjunction with the AMS annual meetings. EJH]

Ocean in the News:

• Eye on the tropics ---
Several tropical cyclones (low-pressure system that forms over a tropical ocean basin) were detected over the tropical western Pacific and South Indian Oceans during the last week:
• In the western South Pacific basin, Tropical Cyclone Vania formed early last week over the waters near the island nation of Vanuatu (east of northern Australia). This system that had tropical storm force winds (39-74 mph sustained winds) traveled to the southwest and dissipated over New Caledonia this past Saturday. For more information and satellite images on Tropical Cyclone Vania see the NASA Hurricane Page.
  Late in the week, another tropical cyclone, identified as Tropical Cyclone Zelia formed over the waters of the Coral Sea to the northeast of Australia. This tropical cyclone traveled to the southeast, intensifying to a category-2 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Intensity Scale as it was beginning to pass to the west of New Caledonia. Additional information on this tropical cyclone (earlier identified as Tropical Cyclone 7) can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
• In the South Indian Ocean basin, Tropical Storm Vince developed over the waters west of Australia during the middle of last week. This tropical cyclone moved toward the east-southeast before reversing course on Saturday. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite imagery and additional information on Tropical Storm Vince.
• International cooperation sought to address illegal fishing activity --
During the last week, NOAA reported to the US Congress that identified Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Panama, Portugal, and Venezuela as being the six nations with fishing vessels that engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing within the last two years. The report also announced that six nations that had been similarly identified in 2009 had addressed the issue of illegal fishing and had undertaken corrective action. [NOAA News]
• Public comment sought on new rule changes for West Coast marine sanctuaries --
- Officials with NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries are seeking public comment on their proposed changes to the rules regulating aircraft flights over the Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuaries. [NOAA News]
• Draft management plan released for Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary --
NOAA recently released for public review a comprehensive draft management plan and environmental assessment for the agency's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary that is located along the coast of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula. [NOAA News]
• Global and national weather and climate for 2010 reviewed --
Scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that based upon their preliminary analysis of worldwide land and ocean surface temperature data, the annual worldwide combined land and ocean surface temperature for 2010 tied 2005 for the highest annual temperature since sufficiently detailed world-wide climate records began in 1880. While the globally averaged land surface temperature for 2010 was above the third highest on record, the month's land surface temperature was tied for second highest. The scientists indicated that the moderate El Niño event (an anomalous atmospheric and oceanic circulation regime favoring warm waters in the equatorial Eastern Pacific Ocean) during the first half of the year changed to a strong La Niña event (with colder than average Pacific waters) during the second half of the year. At maximum extent in March 2010, Arctic sea ice cover was the third smallest since 1979 (the beginning of satellite surveillance).
The scientists also note that the preliminary global precipitation data indicate 2010 was the wettest year on record.
Preliminary data also indicated that the 2010 annual temperature for the 48 coterminous United States was above the 20th-century average, with 22 states reporting above to much above statewide annual temperatures. New Hampshire had its warmest year since reliable records began in 1895.
Precipitation across the nation in 2010 was above the 20th-century average. [NOAA News]
• Determining contribution of mountain glacier melt to future global sea level rise --
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks who modeled future glacier melt through 2100 based upon temperature and precipitation projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claim that melting of mountain glacier and ice cap would contribute 7 to 18 centimeters (3 to 7 inches) to a rise of global sea level. [University of British Columbia]
• An All-Hazards Monitor --
This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, drought, floods, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- 
A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, to include drought, floods and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet
[earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Touring the DataStreme Ocean Website

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 website 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 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 website 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 website 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 website.

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 website.

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 website.

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 website.

Under Atmosphere/Ocean Interaction, click on TRMM 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 website.

Take a few minutes when you have time to browse the other data and information sources available via the DS Ocean website. You should "bookmark" ("favorites") this page on your computer. 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

• 17 January 1773...HMS Resolution, commanded by English explorer Captain James Cook, became the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle (66º 33' S). (Wikipedia)
• 17 January 1779...The English explorer Captain James Cook made his last notation in ship's log Discovery. He was killed less than one month later on Hawaii's Big Island.
• 18 January 1778...The English explorer Captain James Cook sailed past the island of Oahu, thereby becoming the first European to see the Hawaiian Islands, which he called the "Sandwich Islands." (The History Channel)
• 18-22 January 1978...The Atlantic's first-ever January subtropical storm with tropical characteristics since records began in 1871 organized 1500 miles east-northeast of Puerto Rico. The storm finally dissipated on the 22nd approximately 200 miles north of Puerto Rico. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 19 January 1840...LT Charles Wilkes, USN was the first American to sight the eastern Antarctic coast, claiming this portion of the continent for the United States. The group that he led explored a 1500-mile stretch of the coast of eastern Antarctica, which later became known as Wilkes Land. (Naval Historical Center)
• 19 January 1946...Staged jointly by the USCG and USN, the first public demonstration of LORAN was held at Floyd Bennett Field in New York. (USCG Historian's Office)
• 19 January 1996...The tug Scandia and its barge, the North Cape, ran aground on the shore of Rhode Island, spilling 828,000 gallons of oil, the worst spill in that state's history. The Coast Guard rescued the entire crew, pumped off 1.5 million gallons of oil and conducted skimming operations. (USCG Historian's Office)
• 20 January 1606...As many as 2000 people died around the Severn Estuary in England as the result of severe flooding. (The Weather Doctor)
• 20 January 1850...The Investigator, which was the first ship to effect a Northwest Passage, left England.
• 20 January 1914...The International Ice Patrol Convention was signed. (USCG Historian's Office)
• 20 January 1986...The United Kingdom and France announced plans to construct the Channel Tunnel, a railway tunnel underneath the English Channel, also known as the "Chunnel." (Wikipedia)
• 21 January 1881...The light was first shown at Tillamook Lighthouse, located 19 miles south of the Columbia River entrance on the Oregon coast. (USCG Historian's Office)
• 21 January 1941...The first commercial extraction of magnesium from seawater was made at Freeport, TX.
• 21 January 1954...The first nuclear powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched on the Thames River in Groton, CT, representing a landmark in the history of naval engineering and submersible craft. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower christened the vessel, which sailed beneath the Arctic icepack to the North Pole in 1958. (Today in Science History)

Return to DataStreme Ocean Website

Prepared by DS Ocean Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D.,
email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2011, The American Meteorological Society.