Ocean Briefs Archives
NASA Sees Repeating La Niña Hitting its Peak
La Niña, "the diva of drought," is peaking, increasing the odds that the Pacific Northwest will have more stormy weather this winter and spring, while the southwestern and southern United States will be dry.
Sea surface height data from NASA's Jason-1 and -2 satellites show that the milder repeat of last year's strong La Niña has recently intensified, as seen in this latest Jason-2 image of the Pacific Ocean.
The image is based on the average of 10 days of data centered on Jan. 8, 2012. It depictsplaces where the Pacific sea surface height is higher than normal (due to warm water) as yellow and red, while places where the sea surface is lower than normal (due to cool water) are shown in blues and purples. Green indicates near-normal conditions. The height of the sea surface over a given area is an indicator of ocean temperature and other factors that influence climate.
This is the second consecutive year that the Jason altimetric satellites have measured lower-than-normal sea surface heights in the equatorial Pacific and unusually high sea surface heights in the western Pacific.
"Conditions are ripe for a stormy, wet winter in the Pacific Northwest and a dry, relatively rainless winter in Southern California, the Southwest and the southern tier of the United States," says climatologist Bill Patzert of JPL. "After more than a decade of mostly dry years on the Colorado River watershed and in the American Southwest, and only two normal rain years in the past six years in Southern California, low water supplies are lurking. This La Niña could deepen the drought in the already parched Southwest and could also worsen conditions that have fueled recent deadly wildfires."
NASA will continue to monitor this latest La Niña to see whether it has reached its expected winter peak or continues to strengthen.
A repeat of La Niña ocean conditions from one year to the next is not uncommon: repeating La Niñas occurred most recently in 1973-74-75, 1998-99-2000 and in 2007-08-09. Repeating La Niñas most often follow an El Niño episode and are essentially the opposite of El Niño conditions. During a La Niña episode, trade winds are stronger than normal, and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific.
La Niña episodes change global weather patterns and are associated with less moisture in the air over cooler ocean waters. This results in less rain along the coasts of North and South America and along the equator, and more rain in the far Western Pacific.
The comings and goings of El Niño and La Niña are part of a long-term, evolving state of global climate, for which measurements of sea surface height are a key indicator. Jason-1 is a joint effort between NASA and the French Space Agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Jason-2 is a joint effort between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, CNES and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). JPL manages the U.S. portion of both missions for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C.
For more on how La Niña and other climate phenomena are affecting weather in the United States this year, see: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/17jan_missingsnow/.
For more information on NASA's ocean surface topography missions, visit: http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov.
National Media Turn To University of New Orleans Naval Architect In Wake Of Cruise Ship Disaster
Chris McKesson, a University of New Orleans adjunct professor of naval architecture and marine engineering, provided analysis to multiple news organizations, including CNN and USA Today, in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster off the Italian coast. Last Friday, the massive cruise ship, carrying 4,200 passengers and crew, had its hull ripped open when it hit rocks and capsized. 11 people died and nearly two dozen more are missing.
On Saturday, McKesson was interviewed live on CNN by anchor Don Lemon. During the five-minute discussion, McKesson provided his perspective on the mechanics of the disaster and described similarities to the sinking of the Titanic. On Sunday, McKesson was interviewed live on a separate CNN program by anchor Fredricka Whitfield.
In the USA Today article, McKesson said, in spite of the fatalities, the accident could have been much worse, and that the ship performed the way it was supposed to. McKesson also offered his expertise during a live appearance on WJR radio in Detroit, Mich., on Monday.
McKesson has 30 years of experience as a naval architect, ranging from managing a small design bureau to representing the United States as a technical expert to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
UNO is one of only a few universities in the world to offer degrees in naval architecture and marine engineering. The School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering was established at UNO in 1980 to meet the demands of the local shipbuilding and offshore industry. UNO offers the Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, the Master of Science in Engineering and the PhD in Engineering and Applied Science.
Maersk Training Aberdeen Has Launched The First iPhone Application For Offshore Survival Training
The app, available for all iPhone and iPad users via iTunes, has been designed to assist individuals in the management of their survival training records and other certifications which are necessary for work offshore, keeping them valid and assuring consistent and up-to-date training is held.
The company, part of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, opened its offshore survival training facility at Portlethen a year ago and immediately set out to offer a better learning experience at a price that will not be beaten.
Another key aim was to make the booking of training as convenient as possible.
This was the first offshore training provider in the country to offer a live online booking system to both corporate clients and self-sponsored individuals (available on the www.OffshoreSurvivalAberdeen.com website), and now it has taken that initiative one step further.
Although also applicable to the business-to-business market, this latest technology is particularly useful for the self-sponsor market – contractors working offshore or people looking for work on a rig who may need to book their own courses without prompting or assistance from human resources.
The Maersk Training Offshore Survival Aberdeen app allows the user to track certificates in the my profile section.
This holds all certificates (whether gained through Maersk Training or otherwise) and renewal dates, ensuring each individual has instant digital access to information required for offshore work.
It means it is possible to plan ahead for course renewal, even enabling the user to automatically set reminders in a personal calendar as well as signing up for text alerts.
Built-in functionality then enables users to access online course booking which is fast and simple.
Maersk Training wanted to adopt a technology which would lend itself to future development within different locations, for example, the ability to allow it to overcome safety standard differences throughout the world.
As a next evolutionary step, the company is looking to be able to develop GPS tracking to automatically flag-up which certification is required for the country in which individuals intend to work from.
This would then enable the individual to check, review and book the appropriate training course for a specific country, ensuring mandatory certification was achieved for that particular location.
Maersk Training UK managing director Duncan Bonner said: “We enjoy challenging the established ways of doing things if they have been stale for decades.
“We were the first and only offshore survival training provider to bring the maximum class size down to 12 people, as opposed to the industry norm of 16.
“We wanted to give more time to each delegate with our team of experienced instructors.
“And now we are leading the way once again by creating the first-ever iPhone app in our industry.
“Watch this space, because we have more new ideas coming up that will benefit the hundreds of companies and individuals who have chosen us as their preferred training provider.”
Dr. Robert Detrick Named New Assistant Administrator Of NOAA Research Office
Robert Detrick, Ph.D, a marine geophysicist, 
was named the new
head of NOAA’s research office today. Detrick will start as the assistant administrator of the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) on Feb. 13.
“The person who heads this office guides the innovative and integral research that is the foundation of all we do at NOAA,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “I am especially pleased that we have someone with Dr. Detrick’s experience heading our research efforts.”
In addition to heading OAR, Detrick will also will become the acting chair of the NOAA Research Council, and lead NOAA’s climate goal.
Detrick has been director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Earth Sciences since November 2008, while on leave from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), where he was a senior scientist for more than 20 years and vice president for Marine Facilities and Operations.
Detrick’s research focused on aspects of marine geology. He lists more than 100 scientific publications on the seismic structure of mid-ocean ridges and oceanic crust, the size, depth, and properties of ridge crest magma chambers; and the nature of mantle flow beneath mid-ocean ridges and relationship to ridge segmentation and axial topography.
A Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, Detrick received the A.G. Huntsman Medal in 1996 which honors “marine scientists who have had and continue to have a significant influence on the course of marine scientific thought.” He participated in more than 30 major oceanographic cruises, 18 as chief scientist or co-chief scientist. He was co-principal investigator for WHOI's ocean bottom seismic instrumentation laboratory which builds and operates ocean bottom seismometers for the U.S. National Ocean Bottom Seismic Instrumentation Pool. He was senior principal investigator on WHOI’s NSF-funded project to build a replacement for WHOI's Deep Sea Research Vessel Alvin.
Detrick has served on and chaired committees and panels for various international and national organizations including the RIDGE Steering Committee (chair from 1992-1995), the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling Executive Committee of the Ocean Drilling Program (chair from 1996-1998) and the NSF Geosciences Advisory Committee (chair 2004-2005). He was a member of the Board of Governors of Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) (1995-2007) and chaired the JOI Board from 2002-2004. He is a past president of AGU's Tectonophysics Section and is chair of the International Continental Drilling Program Assembly of Governors.
Detrick noted he is "very impressed by the caliber of research being conducted by and supported through OAR". He said he sees one of his roles is to be "an effective spokesperson for the importance and value of research to NOAA's mission."
He holds a bachelor's degree in geology and physics from Lehigh University (1971), a master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego in marine geology (1974), and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/WHOI joint program in oceanography (1978).
Since Richard Spinrad, Ph.D. left as assistant administrator in May 2010, Craig McLean, the deputy assistant administrator for OAR, has been acting assistant administrator. OAR has employees across the U.S., at both Polar Regions of the globe, and at the Equator.
“Craig has done a wonderful job in a challenging position,” Lubchenco said. “I’m grateful to him for his willingness to step up to the plate for longer than we expected; his leadership has been stellar and much appreciated.”
MEO Australia Announces Awards Contract To CGGVeritas For Three Marine Seismic Surveys
MEO Australia Limited (ASX: MEO; OTC: MEOAY) advises that it has executed a contract with CGGVeritas Services SA for the acquisition of three marine seismic surveys including 170 line km long-offset 2D seismic in exploration permit AC/P53 and two separate 3D surveys totaling 1,108km2 across exploration permits AC/P50 and AC/P51 (507 km2) and WA-454-P (601 km2) offshore northern Australia.
MEO holds a 100% participating interest in all four exploration permits. The surveys will be acquired using the S/R Veritas Viking II and are scheduled to commence on or about the 16th January with an expected duration of approximately 55 days. The program will commence with the Zeppelin 2D survey in AC/P53 in the Ashmore Cartier region of the Timor Sea(Vulcan sub-basin). This survey includes a tie line to the 507 km2 Zeppelin 3D survey over part ofAC/P50 and AC/P51 which will commence immediately following completion of the 2D survey.
Following acquisition of the Zeppelin surveys, the 601 km2 Floyd 3D survey will be acquired in WA-454-P to cover the Marina gas and liquids discovery together with the Breakwater prospect and two nearby leads. The Floyd 3D survey will allow more accurate mapping and resource estimation of the Marina gas and liquids discovery, enhance the ability to select an optimal drilling location onthe Breakwater prospect and investigate whether the nearby leads can be matured into drillable prospects. This survey represents an acceleration of the Permit Year 3 work commitment intoPermit Year 1 and significantly reduces exploration cycle time.
These three marine seismic surveys closely follow the recently completed 766 km2 Bathurst 3Dsurvey over the Blackwood East area in NT/P68 (MEO 50%) and the 708 km2 Ibu Horst 3D survey over multiple prospects in the Seruway PSC (MEO 100%), offshore North Sumatra.
This significant investment in seismic data is consistent with MEOs business model of adding technical value to each permit ahead of seeking partners to share the risk and capital investment required to test prospects by drilling.More Articles...
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