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Atlantic Ocean Current Events


The Atlantis Massif
April 5, 2012 | National Science Foundation

“The Atlantis Massif, an undersea mountain, or seamount, formed in a very different way than the majority of the seafloor in the oceans. Unlike volcanic seamounts, which are made of the basalt that’s typical of most of the seafloor, Atlantis Massif includes rock types that are usually only found much deeper in the ocean crust, such as gabbro and peridotite.” Quoted from the National Science Foundation press release.

Ocean Surface Currents Video
April 3, 2012 | NASA

“This visualization shows ocean surface currents around the world during the period from June 2005 through December 2007. The visualization does not include a narration or annotations; the goal was to use ocean flow data to create a simple, visceral experience.” Quoted from the NASA visualization release.

Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions off Namibia
March 6, 2012 | NASA Earth Observatory

Pale green patterns tinted the water along the Namibian coast in late February 2012. But unlike other bright hues that occasionally show up in the ocean, these colors didn’t result from a phytoplankton bloom. [...] The sediments in the local seafloor are also rich with organic matter. When organic matter decays in an oxygen-poor environment, hydrogen sulfide emissions can result.

$2 Billion in Marine Treasure?
March 5, 2012 | The Sydney Morning Herald

Marine treasure hunters claim to have located the SS Port Nicholson, a Britsh ship that was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1942. It was carrying over $2 billion in precious metals and industrial diamonds.

El Hierro Submarine Volcano Eruption Continues
February 16, 2012 | Earth Observatory

“Four months after it began, the underwater volcanic eruption off El Hierro Island persists [...] measurements of the sea floor by the Instituto Oceanográfico Español showed that the volcano’s summit is now only 120 meters beneath the ocean surface—10 meters higher than it was in mid January.

Coastal Topography Data
January 31, 2012 | USGS

USGS has released a large number of coastal topography data sets for the eastern coast and Gulf of Mexico acquired using lidar technology.

ESA: Arctic Fresh Water Dome Could Spill into the Atlantic
January 23, 2012 | European Space Agency

“ESA satellites show that a large dome of fresh water has been building up in the Arctic Ocean over the last 15 years. A change in wind direction could cause the water to spill into the north Atlantic, cooling Europe.” Quote from the ESA website.

Continuing Subsea Volcanic Activity Off the Canary Islands
December 6, 2011 | BBC

Volcanic activity continues south of El Hierro Island in the Canary Island chain. The cone is growing and is now about 60 meters below the surface. Will it produce a new island?

Interesting Photos from the Canary Islands Eruption
December 5, 2011 | Eruptions

The Eruptions blog has interesting photos and commentary on the continuing subsea volcanic activity near the Canary Islands in a post titled: “Mixing Magmas at the Ongoing El Hierro Eruption“.

El Hierro Eruption Approaches the Ocean’s Surface
November 13, 2011 | ABC News

The summit of the volcano off the coast of the Canary Island named El Hierro is still about 70 meters below the surface but evidence of the eruption is obvious.

Eruption Off of the Canary Islands
November 10, 2011 | MSNBC

A subsurface volcanic eruption continues off of the Canary Islands. This video shows a large pocket of gas erupting from the water.

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Submarine Volcanic Eruption at El Hierro, Canary Islands
October 27, 2011 | Earth Observatory

A volcanic eruption under the sea south of El Hierro Island produces a milky green plume in the marine waters. The plume is most likely caused by volcanic gases, pulverized pumice and sea floor sediments.

Undersea Volcanic Eruptions off the Canary Islands
October 16, 2011 | EuroNews on YouTube

Volcanic eruptions are occurring on the seafloor off of the Canary Islands. Discolored water, strong odors and floating volcanic debris are some of the evidence.

Recovering 20 Tons of Silver Under One Mile of Water
October 13, 2011 | New York Times

British Marine Exploration has identified the British Ship, Mantola, that was torpedoed in 1917 and went down in over one mile of water with 20 tons of silver on board.

Mapping Undersea Gas Seeps
October 11, 2011 | University of New Hampshire

“A technology commonly used to map the bottom of the deep ocean can also detect gas seeps in the water column.” Quoted from the University of New Hampshire news release.

Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards of the Caribbean
October 7, 2011 | USGS

“Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are located at an active plate boundary between the North American plate and the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate. Plate movements there have caused large magnitude earthquakes and devastating tsunamis, but scientists have so far failed to explain the deformation of this complex region in a coherent and predictable picture, and this has hampered their ability to assess the seismic and tsunami hazards.” Quoted from the USGS website.

Ancient Tsunamis from Meteorite Impacts
September 27, 2011 | Lite Geology

The new issue of Lite Geology by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources has an interesting article titled: “Ancient Tsunamis from Meteorite Impacts”.

What Are These?
September 22, 2011 | USEPA Flickr

Can you recognize these tiny objects, collected about four miles off the coast of Massachusetts?

Deep Oceans Mask Global Warming
September 20, 2011 | National Science Foundation

“Earth’s deep oceans may absorb enough heat at times to flatten the rate of global warming for periods of as long as a decade–even in the midst of longer-term warming.” Quoted from the National Science Foundation press release.

Tube Worms in the Atlantic
September 13, 2011 | NOAA

“Explorers on NOAA expedition discover chemosynthetic shrimp, tubeworms together for first time at hydrothermal vent, also first live vent tubeworms seen in Atlantic waters.” Quoted from the NOAA news release.

Scuba Diving in the Mid-Atlantic Fissure
September 13, 2011 | CNN

CNN has a photo gallery that includes two photos from the Silfra Fissure in Iceland’s Thingvellier National Park. The Silfra fissure is the pull-apart boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates.

Drilling in ANWR and OCS to Cut Deficit
September 12, 2011 | FuelFix.com

Some members of Congress recommend opening portions of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the outer continental shelf for oil and natural gas drilling as a way to create jobs and cut the deficit.

Mining in Antarctica?
September 12, 2011 | Mining Australia

Russia and China are very interested in the mineral resources of Antarctica and hope that the current ban on mining will be lifted in 2048. They currently have seafloor exploration projects on ocean ridges that approach the continent.

How Ocean Currents Work
September 9, 2011 | NASA

This NASA video explains how surface ocean currents are driven by wind while deeper currents are driven by density. “Aquarius salinity data, combined with data from other sensors that measure sea level, ocean color, temperature, winds, and rainfall, will give us a much clearer picture of how the ocean works.” Quoted from the NASA video release.

Hurricane Katia Expected to Track into the Atlantic
September 8, 2011 | National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Katia is a Category One storm off the east coast of the United States. During the next few days it is expected to track east out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricane Katia – Category 3
September 6, 2011 | National Hurricane Center

“LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY KATIA WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MOST OF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES…BERMUDA…THE GREATER ANTILLES…AND EAST-FACING BEACHES OF THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS. PLEASE CONSULT PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.” Quoted from the National Hurricane Center.

Argo Floats Monitor Ocean pH and Carbon Dioxide
September 6, 2011 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Scientists can now remotely monitor the ocean’s changing chemistry with help from some of the five-foot-tall Argo floats that drift with deep ocean currents and transmit data via satellite back to land.

Petermann Glacier Before-After-Photos 2010-2011
September 2, 2011 | Byrd Polar Research Center

The Byrd Polar Research Center has a collection of low altitude aerial photos of the Petermann Glacier before-and-after the 2010 ice calving.

Hurricane Katia
September 1, 2011 | National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Katia has formed in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to pass north of Puerto Rico early next week.

“KATIA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS…AND KATIA COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE THIS WEEKEND.” Quote from the National Hurricane Center.

Florida’s Coral Reefs Cannot Handle a Cold Snap
August 29, 2011 | University of Miami

“Remember frozen iguanas falling from trees during Florida’s 2010 record-breaking cold snap? Well, a new study led by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science shows that Florida’s corals also dropped in numbers due to the cold conditions.” Quoted from the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science news release.

New York State of Emergency as Hurricane Irene Approaches
August 25, 2011 | LA Times

Governors in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland and North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. These advance declarations are partially financial maneuvers to make funds ready for emergency use, but they are also signs of respect for the dangers of a hurricane.

Atlantic Ocean Heat Source for Hurricane Irene
August 25, 2011 | Earth Observatory

“As Hurricane Irene rumbles through the Atlantic Ocean, it needs fuel to sustain itself. Warm water is the main fuel, and there is plenty of it right now, as there usually is this time of year.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.

The “Cone of Uncertainty” for a Hurricane
August 25, 2011 | CNN

A “cone of uncertainty” on a hurricane map shows the forecast track of the storm. It shows where forecasters think that the storm is going to go. The cone grows in width along the path of the storm because it is more difficult to predict a storms path with increasing time into the future.

The white area on the map at right is the cone of uncertainty for Hurricane Irene from the morning of Thursday, August 25, 2011.

Hurricane Irene Could Be Category Four by Thursday
August 24, 2011 | National Hurricane Center

According to The National Hurricane Center…

“THE CORE OF IRENE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH TONIGHT AND OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY. DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 120 MPH, WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRENE IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO AND IRENE COULD BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE BY THURSDAY.”

Hurricane Irene Hits the Bahamas
August 24, 2011 | National Hurricane Center

From the National Hurricane Center…

“THE CORE OF IRENE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TODAY AND OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY. [...] IRENE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST…AND IRENE WILL LIKELY BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER TODAY. [...] AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 7 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS…AND BY AS MUCH AS 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. NEAR THE COAST…THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES.”

Climate Picture Could Change with New Ocean Current Discovery
August 24, 2011 | National Science Foundation

“Scientists have confirmed the presence of the North Icelandic Jet, a deep-ocean circulation system off Iceland. It could significantly influence the ocean’s response to climate change.” Quoted from the National Science Foundation press release.

Hurricane Irene – Category Two and Strengthening
August 22, 2011 | National Weather Service

Hurricane Irene is moving along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. The National Weather Service reports:

“IRENE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS…AND IRENE COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE ON TUESDAY.”

Drilling 50 Miles Off the Virginia Coast?
August 16, 2011 | Reuters

This fall the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will consider legislation that will allow the leasing of 3 million acres for offshore exploration off the coast of Virginia.

Big Mountains and Faults at Slow-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridges
August 15, 2011 | NOAA Ocean Explorer

“Mid-ocean ridges are the topographic manifestation of where the Earth’s tectonic plates separate and spread apart and new oceanic crust is created. The Mid-Cayman Rise is an example of one of these ridges and forms part of the boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates.” Quoted from the Ocean Explorer website.


Profiles of Mt Dent on west of the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center (red) and Mt Everest (yellow) shown at the same scale. Mt Dent is clearly a big (undersea) mountain.

New Hydrothermal Vent Field Discovered on Mid-Atlantic Ridge
August 9, 2011 | Marine Institute

“The Irish-led VENTuRE scientific expedition aboard the national research vessel RV Celtic Explorer has discovered a previously uncharted field of hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – the first to be explored north of the Azores.” Quoted from the Marine Institute press release.

Longshore Transport at Ocean City Maryland
August 7, 2011 | Earth Observatory

“This process of longshore transport is responsible for moving sediment up and down coastlines. It can sometimes lead to the development of barrier islands and spits—thin strips of beach that generally form parallel to the mainland.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.

Arctic
Northern Sea Route Connects Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
August 5, 2011 | Reuters

Russia’s climate agency said that ice cover in the Arctic Ocean has melted over 50% more than average allowing commercial shipping through the Northern Sea Route that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific along the Siberian coastline. Sovcomflot is transporting cargoes of natural gas concentrate on the route.

Today’s Tides are Quite Different than Ancient Tides
August 4, 2011 | Oregon State University

“The ebb and flow of the ocean tides, generally thought to be one of the most predictable forces on Earth, are actually quite variable over long time periods, in ways that have not been adequately accounted for in most evaluations of prehistoric sea level changes.” Quoted from the Oregon State University news release.

Canary Islands: Earthquakes Under El Hierro Volcano
August 4, 2011 | Eruptions Blog

Over 1000 microearthquakes have been detected under El Hierro Volcano in the Canary Islands. The Eruptions blog has some background on volcanism in the Canary Islands.

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Petermann Ice Island
July 24, 2011 | NASA Earth Observatory

In August 2010 a large “ice island” about four times the size of Manhattan broke from the Petermann Glacier on the northwestern coast of Greenland. Now the “Petermann Ice Island” is about the size of Manhattan and drifting off the coast of Labrador.

Climate Change is Reducing Carbon Dioxide Uptake by Oceans
July 12, 2011 | University of Wisconsin-Madison

“As one of the planet’s largest single carbon absorbers, the ocean takes up roughly one-third of all human carbon emissions, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and its associated global changes.” Quoted from the University of Wisconsin-Madison news release.

Peak Solar Activity Expected in 2013
June 28, 2011 | NOAA

“Power grid managers and systems operators are keeping a close eye on SWPC forecasts, especially as the Sun enters an active phase of activity that peaks about every 11 years. The next solar maximum is expected in 2013.” Quoted from the NOAA press release.

What is a Rip Current?
June 27, 2011 | NOAA

“This potentially deadly force is the #1 safety threat at beaches – it’s called a rip current. Rip currents are fast, powerful channels of water flowing away from the beach and out past the breaking waves. And before you realize it, you can get dragged out far from the shore.” Quoted from the NOAA video transcript.

Google Releases High Resolution Seafloor Maps
June 13, 2011 | MSNBC

Google Earth now has high resolution maps of the seafloor that show submarine canyons, underwater volcanoes, faults, oceanic ridges and many other features.

The Boundary Between Water and Air
June 9, 2011 | University of Southern California

“Air and water meet over most of the earth’s surface, but exactly where one ends and the other begins turns out to be a surprisingly subtle question.” Quoted from the University of Southern California news release.

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