Mariners Weather Log Vol. 42, No. 2 August 1998 Supertyphoon Tip on October 12, 1979, as it set the record for lowest sea-level pressure ever observed (870 mb, 25.69 of mercury). See article on page 4. Photo courtesy of Debi Iacovelli. Mariners Weather Log Mariners Weather Log From the Editorial Supervisor The Mariners Weather Log has been receiving many wonderful articles from different authors, and this issue is no exception. Featured in this issue is an article about Supertyphoon Tip (the most powerful tropical storm ever Editorial Supervisor recorded), a report on the El Niño, and an informative Martin S. Baron article on the Coriolis effect (explaining the effect of the earth’s rotation on winds and ocean currents, and why wind Editor doesn’t blow directly from high to low pressure). We also Mary Ann Burke have a report on “Dial-A-Buoy,” a new National Data Buoy Center program providing phone access to wind and U.S. Department of Commerce William M. Daley, Secretary wave data and marine forecasts. We are very fortunate to have these and many other well-written articles, and I National Oceanic and thank the authors for their outstanding work. Atmospheric Administration Dr. D. James Baker, Administrator There remains some confusion about our printing schedule. As reported in the April 1998 issue, a trimester production National Weather Service schedule has begun, with issues scheduled to appear in John J. Kelly, Jr., April, August, and December of each year. During 1997, Assistant Administrator for Weather Services only one issue (Spring, 1997, Vol. 41, No.1) was produced. National Environmental Satellite, Vol. 41, No.2 and Vol. 41, No. 3 were not produced. Paid Data, and Information Service subscribers will receive their full allotment of issues. Robert S. Winokur, Assistant Administrator The Government Printing Office has informed me that effective December 9, 1998, the subscription price for the United States Navy Mariners Weather Log will be $10.00 domestic and $12.50 Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command foreign. This is a subscription price increase of 50 cents RADM Kenneth E. Barbor USN, Commander domestic and 60 cents foreign. See the inside back cover for the subscription form and ordering information. The Secretary of Commerce has determined that the publication of this I am pleased to announce that Skip Gillham is resuming his periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required by law of this department. Use of funds for printing this periodical has been approved Great Lakes Wrecks column beginning with the December by the director of the Office of Management and Budget through December 1998 issue. He will provide an article on the sinking of the 1998. ARGUS on Lake Huron in 1913 (with 24 lives lost). This The Mariners Weather Log (ISSN: 0025-3367) is published by the National is the first issue going to press in many years without Weather Service, Office of Meteorology, Integrated Hydrometeorological Services Core, Silver Spring, Maryland, (301) 713-1677, Ext. 134. Funding is Whale oil & Wicks. Elinor De Wire, who produced this provided by the National Weather Service, National Environmental Satellite, extraordinary column, has indicated that she can no longer Data, and Information Service, and the United States Navy. Data is provided by provide a regular column. This very special and unique the National Climatic Data Center. column will be missed immensely. Articles, photographs, and letters should be sent to: The National Weather Service now has a new and very Mr. Martin S. Baron, Editorial Supervisor informative Marine Product Dissemination Information web site. Also, the Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) Mariners Weather Log Program now has a web site. For those without access to National Weather Service, NOAA the Web, this is available free of charge at most libraries. 1325 East-West Highway, Room 14108 Silver Spring, MD 20910 http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm http://www.vos.noaa.gov Phone: (301) 713-1677 Ext. 134 Fax: (301) 713-1598 Martin S. Baronh E-mail: [email protected] 2 Mariners Weather Log Mariners Weather Log Table of Contents Supertyphoon Tip ........................................................................................................................... 4 The Difference—An Account of How Important Ship Reports Can Be ........................................ 9 A Look at El Niño’s Relation to Marine Resources ..................................................................... 12 The Coriolis Effect: Motion on a Rotating Planet ....................................................................... 17 Departments: Marine Biology .................................................................................................................................................. 12 Physical Oceanography ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Coastal Forecast Office News ............................................................................................................................ 24 National Data Buoy Center................................................................................................................................ 26 Marine Weather Review North Atlantic, October 1997–March 1998 .........................................................................................27 North Pacific, October 1997–March 1998 ..........................................................................................34 Tropical Atlantic and Tropical East Pacific, January–April 1998 ....................................................... 43 Climate Prediction Center, January–April 1998 ..................................................................................50 VOS Program .................................................................................................................................................... 52 Alaska Region Marine Program ........................................................................................................................ 58 El Niño Update .................................................................................................................................................. 59 AMVER Program .............................................................................................................................................. 60 VOS Cooperative Ship Reports ......................................................................................................................... 61 Buoy Climatological Data Summary ................................................................................................................. 81 Meteorological Services Observations ......................................................................................................................................... 90 Forecasts ............................................................................................................................................... 93 August 1998 3 Supertyphoon Tip Supertyphoon Tip Shattering all records The Atlantic Ocean has never known anything as severe as some of the tropical cyclones that occasionally roam the western Pacific. The worst of these storms was Supertyphoon Tip, which set the record for the lowest sea-level pressure ever observed on Earth. Debi Iacovelli Tropical Weather Specialist Cape Coral, Florida Tim Vasquez Weather Graphics Technologies Norman, Oklahoma Pope John Paul II became the first four-engine turboprop reconnais- the windflow data that you’re pope ever received at the White sance aircraft, known as the WC- receiving. Generally you just go in House, and the Pirates, proclaim- 130 “Hercules,” lifted off the as straight as you can, unless ing the slogan, “We Are Family,” runway. It headed across many you’re able to take advantage of a took the World Series in the fifth miles of vast ocean and penetrated weak spot in the typhoon.” game over the Orioles. “Sad Eyes” the east side of a strong typhoon. by Robert John peaked at the top Bob Korose, who is now the But this storm called for different of the music charts, while in assistant Chief, Aerial Reconnais- tactics. “It’s a solid wall cloud, so Bonn, Germany, 100,000 people sance Coordination, All Hurri- there’s no easy way in. As you marched against nuclear energy. canes (CARCAH), at the National head for the eye, you constantly As world events unfolded during Hurricane Center in Coral Gables, have to make corrections for the the month of October 1979, an Florida, was at the controls. winds. You’re getting blown unprecedented meteorological sideways at 150 mph, or even event was underway in the remote “As you approach a storm, you’re more than that, so you have a lot reaches of the western Pacific always putting the wind on your of correction. In other words, the Ocean. left wing, so that you’re approach- nose of your aircraft isn’t pointing ing perpendicular to the wind to where you are going. You see The early morning rays illumi- flow,” he said. “As you get closer on the radar that the eye is right nated the skies over Guam’s to the center of the storm you can straight ahead of you, but actually Andersen Air Force Base on pick up the eye on the radar. You October 12th as the Lockheed head on in based on the radar and Continued on Page 5 4 Mariners Weather Log Supertyphoon Tip Supertyphoon Tip the equator. The 30 kt (55 km/h) winds had increased to tropical Continued from