Volume 55, Number 2 August 2011 From the Editor John Wasserman M W L ISSN 0025-3367 Greetings shipmates and friends! U.S. Department of Commerce Jane Lubchenco Ph.D. I have just returned from a quick visit from with my family in Chicago Under Secretary of Commerce for and realized that by the time you read this 2011 will be half over. It’s Oceans and Atmosphere always great to return and look at the observation numbers for the year and see them growing. I want to thank all of our hard working ships that N W S continue to provide observation data to the National Weather Service. Dr. John "Jack" L. Hayes NOAA Assistant Administrator for Your continued support dedication to the VOS program is an immense Weather Services help to the marine forecasters who are providing the US and the world with the best possible forecast products. E S John L. Wasserman I usually take the opportunity in this missive to tell of new personnel and changes in the program, I am happy to report that there are no major L D NDBC Techincal Publications O ce changes since last issue, I am hoping that this is a good sign! Leigh Ellis You may have noticed in this and the April issue of the Mariners Weather Log the lack of ship awards. This is not an indication of A, P, L poor performance by the VOS ships. On the contrary as mentioned : previously, the observation counts have never been better. There was Mr. John L Wasserman, Editorial Supervisor a slight delay in getting the awards, however I am happy to report they Mariners Weather Log will be “on the streets” before the next issue. NDBC (W/OPS 51) Bldg. 3203 One last note before I sign off. I may have mentioned in past issues Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000 that we are currently working on a new version of SEAS (9.0) we are Phone: (228) 688-1818 Fax: (228) 688-3923 still going through some testing on this to ensure we provide you with E-Mail: [email protected] the best possible product. The new version will have a different look and feel but we are confi dent you will be happy with the software we provide. S I W P A: NOAA That’s all for now folks! Please enjoy! http://www.noaa.gov National Weather Service John http://www.weather.gov National Data Buoy Center http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov AMVER Program http://www.amver.com VOS Program http://www.vos.noaa.gov SEAS Program http://seas.amverseas.noaa.gov/ seas/seasmain.html Mariners Weather Log http://www.vos.noaa.gov/mwl.shtml Marine Dissemination http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm O : U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center June Storm, lightning strike http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/ over coal & limestone storage August 2011 ~ Log 2011 Weather August Mariners at Reiss Coal Company’s c2 S W . Duluth Dock. Photo Courtesy of Barb Fuller Dangerous Rip Currents on Beaches . 2 Shipwreck: Fury. 5 Departments: Marine Weather Review Mean Circulation Highlights and Climate Anomalies – January through April 2011. .6 Marine Weather Review – North Atlantic Area Sept. through December 2010 . .8 Marine Weather Review – Page 3 North Pacifi c Area Sept. through December 2010 . 21 Tropical Atlantic and Tropical East Pacifi c Areas January through April 2011 . 38 VOS Program VOS Program New Recruits: March 1 through June 30, 2011 . 45 VOS Cooperative Ship Report: January through June 2011 . 46 Points of Contact . 55 August 2011 ~ Mariners Weather Log Log Weather ~ Mariners 2011 August Page 5 1 Dangerous Rip Currents On Beaches By: Dr. C.-S. Wu, Coastal Wave Specialist, National Weather Service, [email protected] B. Chris Brewster, President, United States Lifesaving Association, [email protected] Rip currents are a significant hazard at the entire U.S. coasts. While it is 1. Seawater in brownish color or surf beaches. They run away from shore not comprehensive in nature, the top covered by white foam moving and can easily pull swimmers from two states having higher rip current offshore; shallow water away from shore. The fatalities in the U.S. are Florida and 2. isolated patches of water moving Dangerous Rip Currents On Beaches On Currents Rip Dangerous United States Lifesaving Association California States. offshore or alongshore; (USLA) reports that rip currents are the 3. a break in the line of breaking waves primary source of distress in over 80% Rip currents can turn a pleasant beach where the waves are calm. of swimmer rescues beaches where tour into a perilous trip. For example, surf is present (e.g. ocean beaches and in Panama City Beach, Florida on the Rip currents take on many forms and the Great Lakes). Rip currents are 25th of July, 2008, a father attempted to are subject to many different influences, particularly powerful in larger surf save his son caught in a rip current, but but always involve water moving away conditions created by swells produced both died. On June 5, 2005, two high from shore in a concentrated manner. A by distant storms, when there is little school teens were missing separately on schematic diagram is shown, but no two wind in the local beach environment. New Jersey and Long Island Beaches, rip currents are identical. More pictures United States Lifesaving Association just after their high school graduation of rip currents are on the NOAA web estimates that over 100 deaths can be examination. Two boys lost their lives page http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov attributed to rip currents in the United in a swimming class at Indiana Dunes States in a typical year. State Park Beach on Lake Michigan on August 4, 2008. And on June 29, 2009 Originally called riptides, rip currents a single mother tried to rescue her two were first reported in the US media daughters at Montara Beach (south of in the early 20th century. On May 5, San Francisco), but the mother died and 1918, at Ocean Beach, in San Diego, only one daughter survived. Tragedies rip currents pulled many bathers of this sort are reported around the USA off their feet and 13 men, including every year. soldiers on leave, were swept offshore to their deaths. As a response, the Lifeguards at surf beaches are skilled City of San Diego appointed three in identifying the subtle clues that municipal lifeguards. Notably, the indicated the rip currents, since they ocean conditions and hazards in 1918 are the primary cause of distress and and today are essentially the same, but rescues to which lifeguards respond. beach attendance is greatly increased Predicting the likelihood that rip Figure 1: Rip currents on a sandy (estimated at+18 million annually in San currents will occur on the day has beach Diego beaches). Clearly, the number proven more challenging. Scientific Early surf zone research was conducted of drowning deaths could therefore be studies of rip currents and operational much greater without the presence of tools are needed to reliably forecast rip by Bascom and Isaacs of the University lifeguards. Similar circumstances exist current severity so that the public can of California from 1945 to 1950. They elsewhere in the US. be informed and rip current drowning conducted the “Waves” project using can be minimized. an amphibious truck, in the waters off Rip current deaths were been reported Carmel, CA. They noted that when by local offices of National Weather Spotting a rip current higher-than averaged waves would Service as early as the 1960s, but break in fast succession, they would Lushine (1991) first demonstrated that – A first step raise the water level inside a bar, and annual rip current drowning deaths a patch of water would rush back in a are greater than from any other natural There are some common signs to look narrow channel. hazards in Florida. Gensini and Ashley out for to identify rip currents: (2009) examined records of rip fatalities August 2011 ~ Log Weather Mariners 2011 August from the National Storm Center for 2 Rip classification Beaches On Currents Rip Dangerous and Operation Scientists and ocean engineers classified rips into various categories. The United States Lifesaving Association Manual (Brewster, 1995) defines four types of rip currents classified by lifeguards observing the sea surface on beaches: Fixed Rip Currents –on sandy beaches as in Figure 1. A fixed rip may lie in a given spot for hours, days or months. It is characterized as “wave piling up” between the shore and offshore sandbars. Permanent Rip Currents – these rips are present year round at a coastline with headland or jetty or a rock as illustrated in Figure 2. Figure 2: Rip currents taken by Huntington Marine Safety Division, California. Flash Rip Currents – or transient rips, observations of lifeguards and back- Tools for Prediction often present during the low tides. testing the prediction to the outcome. of Rip Currents and Traveling Rip Currents – these rips The greatest number of rescues from Data needed migrate along the beach and usually rip currents by lifeguards in the USA occur by long periods of strong swells. (+40,000/yr) is reported in Southern They can pull a large number of California. This may be due to a Rip currents can occur under various swimmers to half mile offshore. combination of consistently strong marine weather conditions. A product Pacific Ocean swells, causing strong of the National Weather Service is to A review of rip currents fundamental rip currents, combined with high issue Surf Zone Forecasts, in an effort to is summarized as training material year-round beach attendance.