Archive for January, 2010

First study to show that seismic imaging detects ocean’s internal tides

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Internal tides, waves below the ocean's surface that propagate at tidal frequencies, play an important role in ocean mixing but can be difficult to detect and study. Researchers find they can detect these waves with seismic imaging....

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NOAA Responds to Oil Spill in Sabine-Neches Waterway near Port Arthur, Texas [What’s New]

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Staff from the Office of Response and Restoration are on-scene near Port Arthur, Texas, where a major oil spill occurred on Saturday, January 23....

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Searching for cadmium in the ocean: Marine scientists investigate micro-nutrients in the Atlantic

This item was filled under Climate
They are invisible and very difficult to measure but no life in the oceans would be possible without them. They are trace metals, such as cadmium, copper or iron, dissolved in seawater. Their precise origin and distribution in the world’s ocean, in particular in the deep sea, are not well known. Now, an international research program aims to close this gap of knowledge....

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Forensic analysis of Hurricane Katrina’s impact: Methods and findings

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A recent special edition of the Elsevier journal Ocean Engineering provides an analysis of the impact of Hurricane Katrina and an overview of the lessons learned in the aftermath of the disaster....

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Maximum height of extreme waves up dramatically in Pacific Northwest

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A major increase in maximum ocean wave heights off the Pacific Northwest in recent decades has forced scientists to re-evaluate how high a "100-year event" might be, and the new findings raise special concerns for flooding, coastal erosion and structural damage....

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Ice is ‘rotten’ in the Beaufort Sea

This item was filled under Climate
Recent observations show that Beaufort Sea ice was not as it appeared in the summer of 2009. Sea ice cover serves as an indication of climate and has implications for marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In early September 2009, satellite measurements implied that most of the ice in the Beaufort Sea either was thick ice that had been there for multiple years or was thick, first-year ice. However, in situ observations made in September 2009 show that much of the ice was in fact "rotten" ice -- ice that is thinner, heavily decayed, and structurally weak due to a uniform temperature throughout....

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Bubble physicist counts bubbles in ocean to answer questions about climate, sound, light

This item was filled under Climate
A bubble scientist is studying how to detect and count ocean bubbles of different sizes to help scientists in other disciplines create more accurate models. Ocean bubbles play a role in cloud formation and climate change, and they are important when studying ocean acoustics....

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MEET: Mark Monaco [People of NOS]

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MEET: Mark Monaco, Acting Director, Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment....

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Is sea level the same all across the ocean?

This item was filled under Facts, Ocean Observations, Ocean Science
Most people are surprised to learn that, just as the surface of the Earth is not flat, the surface of the ocean is not flat, and that the surface of the sea changes at different rates around the globe. For instance, the absolute water level height is higher along the West Coast of the United States than the East Coast....

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Red grouper to be ‘Frank Lloyd Wrights of the sea’

This item was filled under Climate
To the casual observer in the Gulf of Mexico, the seemingly sluggish red grouper is more of a couch potato than a busy beaver. But a new study reveals the fish to be both architect and ecosystem engineer....

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