Feature Publication Archive
Chapa-Balcorta, C., J.M. Hernandez-Ayon, R. Durazo, E. Beier, S.R. Alin, and A. Lopez-Perez (2015),Influence of post-Tehuano oceanographic processes in the dynamics of the CO2 system in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 120, doi:10.1002/2015JC011249.
Pressure gradients between the Gulf of Mexico and the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean drive intense, intermittent northerly winds through gaps in the mountainous Central American isthmus. These wind jets have long been known to influence oceanographic conditions in the eastern tropical Pacific, from striking remote sensing images that show the effect of these northerly winds on sea surface temperature and wind speeds (http://www... more »
Larson, B.I., S.Q. Lang, M.D. Lilley, E.J. Olson, J.E. Lupton, K. Nakamura, and N.J. Buck (2015): Stealth export of hydrogen and methane from a low temperature serpentinization system. Deep-Sea Res. II, 121, 233–245, doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2015.05.007.
The flow of energy from Earth to Ocean creates life-sustaining habitats in the deep sea that likely hosted some of the earliest life forms on the planet. Finding hydrothermal ecosystems often relies on identifiable plumes from "black smoker" vents that occur in close proximity to biological communities and produce a torrential flow of scalding hot, particle-rich fluid. In contrast, the Lost City hydrothermal system, located 15 km away from the nearest high temperature venting, represents a new paradigm of energy transfer: the slow leak of low temperature, chemically heated, gas-rich fluids... more »
Bernard, E., and V.V. Titov (2015): Evolution of tsunami warning systems and products. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A, 373(2053), 20140371, doi:10.1098/rsta.2014.0371.
Each year, about 60,000 people and $4 billion (US$) in assets are exposed to the global tsunami hazard. Accurate and reliable tsunami warning systems provide a significant defense for this hazard. In this paper, Drs. Eddie Bernard and Vasily Titov (NOAA Center for Tsunami Research/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) explore the evolution of science and technology used in tsunami warning systems and the evolution of their products using warning technologies. They suggest future directions for a new generation of these systems, concluding that coastal communities would be well served by... more »
Stöven, T., T. Tanhua, M. Hoppema, and J.L. Bullister (2015): Perspectives of transient tracer applications and limiting cases. Ocean Sci., 11, 699–718, doi:10.5194/os-11-699-2015.
The concentrations of a number of radioisotopes and gases—including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), sulfur hexafluoride, and carbon dioxide (CO2)—have increased significantly in the atmosphere during the past century. These compounds dissolve in the surface ocean and are subsequently carried into the ocean interior, acting as “tracers” of complex oceanic mixing and circulation processes. Some of these compounds, such as CFCs, are entirely anthropogenic in origin (i.e., they are produced solely as a result of human activity). Studies of the changing distributions of dissolved CFCs in the ocean... more »
McPhaden, M.J. (2015): Playing hide and seek with El Niño. Nature Clim. Change, 5, 791–795, doi:10.1038/nclimate2775.
The scientific community and the popular press were abuzz in early 2014 with the possibility that a “monster” El Niño was incubating in the tropical Pacific. Oceanic and atmospheric conditions then suggested similarities with the onset of the 1997/98 El Niño, which is the strongest on record. Model forecasts from the early months of 2014 were also consistent in predicting development of El Niño conditions as the year progressed.
But then the big El Niño went bust, defying conventional wisdom and the computer model forecasts. Why this happened is a mystery that has left the experts... more »