Posted by feww on October 6, 2009
ENSO Cycle: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions
The following UPDATE is prepared by
Climate Prediction Center / NCEP – 5 Oct 2009
The latest weekly SST departures are:
- Niño 4 ~ 0.8ºC
- Niño 3.4 ~ 0.7ºC
- Niño 3 ~ 0.6ºC
- Niño 1+2 ~ -0.3ºC
El Niño Map. [SOURCE: NOAA/ Climate Prediction Center / NCEP]
Highlights
SST Departures (ºC) in the Tropical Pacific During the Last 4 Weeks
During the last 4-weeks, equatorial SSTs were at least1.0°C above average across parts of the central and eastern Pacific.
Global SST Departures (ºC)
During the last four weeks, equatorial SSTs were above-average in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Also, above-average SSTs covered large areas of the Northern Hemisphere subtropics and mid-latitudes.
Weekly SST Departures (ºC) for the Last Four Weeks
- During the last four weeks, SST anomalies remained positive across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
- During the last month, SST anomalies decreased over the eastern equatorial SST.
Sub-Surface Temperature Departures (ºC) in the Equatorial Pacific
Atmospheric Circulation over the North Pacific & North America During the Last 60 Days
During early August through September, an anomalous trough was prevalent in the North Pacific Ocean/Gulf of Alaska. During September, an anomalous ridge was present downstream, focused over Canada and the northern United States. The pattern also featured a weak trough over thecentral U.S., which contributed to cooling in the region, while the northern U.S. and Canada remained warmer-than-average.
The most recent ONI value (July –September 2009) is +0.8oC.
Summary
- El Niño is present across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
- Sea surface temperatures (SST) were at least 1.0ºC above-average across much of the central and east-central equatorial Pacific.
- Based on current observations and dynamical model forecasts, El Niño is expected to strengthen and last through Northern Hemisphere winter 2009-10.
Related Links:
El Niño Updates:
Posted in Climate Prediction, El Niño conditions, El Niño weekly report, equatorial Pacific Ocean, Global SST anomalies, Oceanic Kelvin waves | Tagged: El Niño, ENSO, Equatorial Pacific, Indian Ocean, Ocean SST, Pacific Ocean, Positive SST, Sub-Surface Temperature Departures, Tropical Pacific, wind anomaly | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on October 6, 2009
Awesome Power and Complexity of Super Typhoon Melor
Melor’s high thunderstorm cloud temperatures are colder than -53 degrees Celsius—signs of a very strong storm
Super Typhoon Melor in the Western Pacific Ocean captured by the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite in the early morning hours of October 5, 2009. Melor intensified to Super Typhoon strength and became a category 5 typhoon (with maximum sustained winds near 161 mph) on the Saffir Simpson scale. Credit: NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team.
Melor’s Sub-Zero Thunderstorm Cloud
Aqua’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured Melor’s high thunderstorm cloud temperatures (in purple) that were colder than minus 63 Fahrenheit (-53 degrees Celsius). This image from October 4 at 12:29 EDT clearly shows Melor’s eye. Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen
Near Real-Time Animation:
For additional images and animations, visit Satellite Imagery Links Page.
Typhoon Melor and storm Parma’s forecast track issued by JMA at 08:45 UTC, 6 October 2009. Image may be subject to copyright.
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Posted in AIRS image, Melor Forecast, Melor forecast path, Melor forecast track, Melor's track, Path of melor, thunderstorm cloud temperatures, Typhoon Melor | Tagged: deluge in Philippines, Japan landfall, storm Parma, Super Typhoon Melor, Western Pacific Ocean | 5 Comments »
Posted by feww on October 6, 2009
Recommended by EDRO
Plume of Dust Plague Blinds Eastern Washington
Dust Plagues: An Increasingly Significant Threat as a Collapse Mechanism
Dust Storm in Eastern Washington [NASA Earth Observatory]
Visibility dropped to zero in parts of eastern Washington on October 4, 2009, as a large dust storm blew through. This image of the storm was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite shortly after noon (Pacific Daylight Time). According to local news, the storm brought strong winds gusting to 43 miles per hour in places that propelled the dust across the southeast corner of the state. After numerous multi-vehicle accidents, sections of Interstate 90 near the town of Moses Lake and several local roads had to be closed for several hours.
The dust storm persisted for several hours and was still visible when Aqua MODIS flew over the region at 2:00 p.m. local time. The Terra MODIS image shown here is available in multiple resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System.
A thick, rippling plume of dust runs northeast to southwest through the center of the image. Dust stretches as far south as the cities of Pasco and Kennewick, which sit on opposite banks of the Columbia River. In the north, the dust seems to rise primarily from the pale golden squares of fields farmed using dryland agriculture, a common practice in arid eastern Washington. The dryland fields are larger and less colorful than the bright green and gold fields of irrigated agriculture near the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the center of the image.
Dryland farmers rely entirely on rainfall to sustain their crops, and as a result, do many things to preserve moisture in the soil. Some of these practices—leaving a field fallow after harvest to allow water to build in the soil for a year or covering the field with dry soil to prevent underlying moisture from evaporating—make dryland agriculture very prone to dust storms. These fields are likely either fallow or newly planted, probably with winter wheat, a common dryland crop in eastern Washington.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey and Holli Riebeek. [Edited by FEWW]
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Posted in Columbia River, dryland fields, Dust Plague, dust storm, dust to dust, Eastern Washington, Kennewick, Moses Lake, multi-vehicle accidents, Pasco | Tagged: Collapsing Cities, dryland farming, First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities, Iraq Ecocide, Mesopotamian Dust Bowl, Riyadh City, Sandstorm in Saudi Desert, strong winds, The Dust Bowl, topsoil | 2 Comments »
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