 |
Is an El Niño developing in the tropical Pacific Ocean? A comparison of the current warming conditions to the pre-conditions of the 1997-98 El Niño (May, 2014)Wednesday, May 14, 2014The normal condition of the tropical Pacific Ocean and atmosphere system is characterized by a warm pool of water in the west and a cold tongue of water in the east (off the coast of Peru), maintained by easterly trade winds that induce upwelling of cold subsurface water in the cold-tongue region and that push the warm-pool wa |
 |
How can ocean currents help with finding a missing plane? (April, 2014)Friday, April 4, 2014After the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight 370 there was an immediate search to try to find the plane. When satellite images showed that debris was found at multiple locations in the Southern Ocean, over a thousand miles from the southwest coast of Australia, many questions arose about how to track such debris. Wh |
 |
AQUARIUS detects effects of an extreme Mississippi river flooding event (November, 2013)Monday, November 11, 2013The Mississippi River is the largest river in North America, draining ~41% of the contiguous United States. More than half of the freshwater input into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) comes from the Mississippi River. |
 |
Could a Hurricane Ever Strike Southern California? (October 17, 2012)Wednesday, October 17, 2012There's an old adage (with several variations) that California has four seasons: earthquake, fire, flood and drought. While Californians happily cede the title of Hurricane Capital of America to U.S. |
 |
SPURS Sets Sail to Elucidate Oceanic Salinity Processes with Linkage to the Water Cycle (September, 2012)Tuesday, September 4, 2012Funded by NASA in collaboration with NSF, NOAA and also involving European participation (e.g. France, Spain), the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) project aims to improve our understanding of salinity processes in the upper ocean. Along with the AQUARIUS/SAC-D mission, a collaboration between NASA and the Argentinian Space Agency CONAE, SPURS will provide new insights... |
 |
Coastal Upwelling and Harmful Algal Blooms in Southern California (September-October 2011)Saturday, September 24, 2011In late September 2011, local reports indicated the presence of intense algal blooms along the Southern California coastline. This was followed in early October by an unusual congregation of blue whales feeding near Los Angeles, including shipping lanes where the whales could be at severe risk. |