Gulf Stream is slowing down and may affect higher latitude climates in the Northern Hemisphere, according to a NASA

Accuweather

NASA: North Atlantic 'Cold Blob' May be Culprit Behind Ocean Current Slowdown

By Mark Leberfinger, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

November 17, 2015; 12:34 AM ET

 

A major player in the transportation of heat in the Atlantic Ocean is slowing down and may affect higher latitude climates in the Northern Hemisphere, according to a NASA analysis of satellite data.
The "cold blob" that developed off Greenland may be the drag on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) by producing very chilly to record cold water, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said earlier this year.



Global warming may be responsible for AMOC's slowdown but natural forces may also be at work, NASA said. AMOC is part of the complex circulation of currents that help take the warmer Gulf Stream water and move it through the basin.

Data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites correspond with similar findings that were not satellite-based. The GRACE findings were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

An AMOC slowdown would impact other currents throughout the Atlantic.



Read More Here

Tropical Storm Kate Strengthening As It Moves Away From The Bahamas

Weather Underground

November 9, 2015

 

 

Tropical Storm Kate is strengthening as it moves away from the Bahamas. This trend is expected to continue due to warm sea surface temperatures and low vertical wind shear.
Kate is not a direct threat to the United States.


(MORE: Follow Tropical Storm Kate With Our Interactive Storm Tracker)
Highlights:

• Tropical Storm Kate was centered 175 miles north-northeast of the northwestern Bahamas as of Monday night.
• All tropical storm warnings have been discontinued.
• The threat of heavy rain and gusty winds in the Bahamas are diminishing.
• High surf will continue to impact eastward-facing beaches in the northwestern Bahamas.
• Tropical Storm Kate is not expected to make landfall in the U.S.
• The latest forecast calls for Kate to become a strong tropical storm and possibly a hurricane before eventually being absorbed by a non-tropical low pressure system midweek as it moves out to sea.
• Kate is the eleventh named storm of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season.
• Kate originally formed as Tropical Depression Twelve Sunday night, and was upgraded to tropical storm status Monday morning.

Read More Here

 

 

............................................................................................

Tropical Storm Kate forms in Atlantic

 Doyle Rice, USA TODAY 1:30 p.m. EST November 9, 2015

 

 

(Photo: National Hurricane Center)

1180 CONNECT 154 TWEET 3 LINKEDIN 2 COMMENTEMAILMORE

 

Tropical Storm Kate formed Monday morning in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said. It is unlikely to directly impact the U.S.

As of 1 p.m. ET, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was located 30 miles east-southeast of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. Kate was moving to the northwest at 15 mph.
Rain squalls accompanying Kate will graze the eastern islands of the Bahamas into Monday night, AccuWeather said. Tropical storm warnings have been hoisted for portions of the central and western Bahamas, the hurricane center reported.

Read More Here

Hurricane Joaquin has Wreaked Havoc in the Americas / May Impact Europe with Rain and Gusty Winds

nemesis maturity

Published on Oct 6, 2015

Hurricane Joaquin has Wreaked Havoc in the Americas / May Impact Europe with Rain and Gusty Winds

Major hurricane Joaquin never made landfall, yet it has wreaked havoc in the Americas. It is one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit The Bahamas as late as October.
Winds surpassed 144 knots (165 miles per hour) on October 3,
and the hurricane was nearly stationary off of Long Island
for nearly two days.

To the north and west, much of the eastern United States has been soaked with rainfall for nearly a week, though no state was hit as hard as South Carolina.
Fueled by a relentless flow of tropical moisture from warm Atlantic waters and from the fringes of Joaquin rainfall totals surpassed 600 millimeters (24 inches) in what some local authorities referred to as a “1,000-year event.”

According to Weather Underground, three-day rainfall records were set in Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina.

Hurricane Joaquin, after lashing Bermuda with wind gusts over
60 mph and heavy rainfall Sunday, is heading across the open northern Atlantic Ocean and is expected to transition to
a non-tropical low-pressure system by late Wednesday.
It may impact Europe with rain and gusty winds.

There are differences in the computer forecast models in where it will head with some bringing it towards the United Kingdom, while others take it in the direction of Portugal and Spain.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD...

The Weather Channel
http://www.weather.com/storms/hurrica...

http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Animation of hurricane Joaquin and Southeastern United States Rainfall. Credit: IMERG http://pmm.nasa.gov/extreme-weather/i...

A Team of Scientists is Exploring A Dangerous Underwater Volcano in Caribbean to Determine if it Could Cause a US Tsunami

• 

Could Dangerous Underwater Volcano in Caribbean Cause a US Tsunami?

May 14, 2014

By GIO BENITEZ, MICHAEL CAPPETTA and LAUREN EFFRON

View from "Hercules," a 5,000-pound submersible used by Robert Ballard and his team.

National Geographic

Next Video Rare Video Shows Underwater Volcano

Auto Start: On | Off

A team of scientists is exploring the darkest corners of a huge underwater volcano in the Caribbean in hopes of better understanding the mysteries of earthquakes and tsunamis, ultimately saving lives.
Kick'em Jenny is a dangerous and active volcano sitting roughly 6,000 feet below the surface of the Caribbean Sea, and located off the coast of the island of Grenada, south of St. Lucia.
Robert Ballard, famous for discovering the Titanic 12,000 feet below the surface of the icy North Atlantic in 1985, set his sights on exploring the Kick'em Jenny to study its eruption history and learn more about how underwater volcanoes can pose a threat.
Ballard, the president of The Ocean Exploration Trust and the director of the Center for Ocean Exploration at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, said the Kick'em Jenny volcano has a history of explosive eruptions, which could have the potential to trigger tsunamis, the effects from which could be felt as far away as the northeastern United States.

Read More Here

Related articles

• Scientists say Grenada's Kick'em Jenny underwater volcano poses dangerous tsunami risk to US coast
• US scientists explore Grenada's huge underwater volcano
• Could This Underwater Volcano Cause a US Tsunami?
• In Pursuit of the Caribbean's Hidden Dangers

Britons are being warned they may suffer breathing problems, with parts of the South Coast, West Country, Midlands and South Wales worst affected. As a potentially-lethal cloud of Saharan sand, toxic air and local pollution sat over Britain.

Millions of asthmatics unable to breathe as giant cloud of Saharan sand and toxic air covers Britain in layer of smog

• Air pollution set to hit 10/10 due to dust from Sahara mixing with local pollution and toxic air from Europe
• Parts of the South Coast, West Country, Midlands and South Wales are worst affected by the problem
• Dust has been generated from two source areas - one in central Algeria and another in southern Morocco
• Meteorologists say it's 'particularly bad with weather conditions creating "perfect storm" for air pollution'
• Those in affected areas advised to reduce strenuous outdoor exercise, especially if they get a sore throat
• Adults and children with lung problems, heart problems and pensioners should avoid vigorous activity
• Asthma sufferers may have to use inhalers more frequently for a few days until levels drop on Friday
• But the dust does have positive aspects for fish in the Atlantic Ocean and the Brazilian rainforest

By Mark Duell and Fiona Macrae and Ted Thornhill
Published: 18:13 EST, 1 April 2014 | Updated: 10:56 EST, 2 April 2014

Millions of asthmatics were today having trouble breathing as a potentially-lethal cloud of Saharan sand, toxic air and local pollution sat over Britain.
One sufferer said she felt like she had 'a baby elephant sitting on my chest’, while another said her lungs felt like they had ‘cobwebs’ inside them.
Even those without health difficulties have been told by experts to reduce outdoor exercise, with air pollution set to hit 10 out of 10 in some areas.
Britons are being warned they may suffer breathing problems, with parts of the South Coast, West Country, Midlands and South Wales worst affected.
Those in affected areas are advised to reduce the strenuous outdoor exercise they do, especially if they start to suffer from a cough or sore throat.

Protection: A cyclist uses a pollution mask in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, as a potentially-lethal cloud of Saharan sand, toxic air and local pollution sits over Britain

Not a good day for seeing far: A misty bird's eye view of London from the Shard building near London Bridge

Winding river: Air pollution in London this morning as the Government warns people with breathing problems to stay indoors

Distant: The Millennium Dome is shrouded in smog in London, as seen from a viewing gallery in the Orbit sculpture during a tour organised for the media

Defra, the environment department, reported reported rural areas of south-east England as having 'high' levels of pollution as of 3pm today.

Forecasters say pollution levels could reach much higher levels later today, with Defra predicting continuing high levels tomorrow.

Adults and children with lung problems, heart problems and pensioners should avoid vigorous activity today and tomorrow, according to doctors.

And asthmatics are being warned that they could suffer flare-ups, with experts saying they might need to use inhalers more frequently for a few days.

Asthma UK chief executive Kay Boycott issued a warning today many of the 5.4million people who suffer from the breathing condition in Britain.

She said: 'The two thirds of people with asthma who find that air pollution makes their asthma worse will be at an increased risk of an attack.'

Author Emma Cannon, of London, said on Twitter: 'Went for a run yesterday on Embankment - air pollution, sore throat and asthma in bed last night.'

Jenny Henderson added: 'I now know why I feel like I have a baby elephant sitting on my chest this morning… pollution levels... asthma... deep joy - not!'

Protected: Two people wearing anti-pollution masks ride bicycles at Hyde Park Corner in Central London

Tricky visibility: A building crane rises amidst the haze from the effect of high air pollution in London today

Read More and Watch Video Here

Related articles

• England issues health warnings over smog
• Smogageddon! People with breathing problems warned to stay indoors as air pollution reaches maximum levels
• Warning over high pollution levels
• England issues health warnings over smog
• Fog, smog, pea soupers and the Saharan dust storm: What are they and how dangerous can they be?
• Air pollution: Saharan dust brings dangerous smog to UK
• Dorset braced for high pollution smog
• Saharan dust Q&A: why has it fallen in Britain?
• Sahara dust storm 'a serious situation', warn medical experts
• Pollution and Dust in Britain Bring Health Warnings

Biological Hazard - France, Brittany Region, [Finistere area] : Mass Animal Die Off (Birds)

Earth Watch Report  -  Biological Hazards - Mass Animal Deaths

.....

February 26 2014 05:39 PM

Biological Hazard

France

Brittany Region, [Finistere area]

.....

Biological Hazard in France on Wednesday, 26 February, 2014 at 17:39 (05:39 PM) UTC.

Description
Weakened and exhausted by successive storms, more than 21,000 dead seabirds washed up on the beaches of the Atlantic coast since late January, an unprecedented "massacre" for at least a century, announced today the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO). Until February 24, 21,341 dead seabirds are registered in the Basque country in southern Finistère and 2,784 sent in rescue centres. Atlantic puffin and guillemot are the most affected species, and to a lesser extent, razorbill.
Biohazard name:	Mass. Die-off (birds)
Biohazard level:	1/4 Low
Biohazard desc.:	Bacteria and viruses including Bacillus subtilis, canine hepatitis, Escherichia coli, varicella (chicken pox), as well as some cell cultures and non-infectious bacteria. At this level precautions against the biohazardous materials in question are minimal, most likely involving gloves and some sort of facial protection. Usually, contaminated materials are left in open (but separately indicated) waste receptacles. Decontamination procedures for this level are similar in most respects to modern precautions against everyday viruses (i.e.: washing one's hands with anti-bacterial soap, washing all exposed surfaces of the lab with disinfectants, etc). In a lab environment, all materials used for cell and/or bacteria cultures are decontaminated via autoclave.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

.....

 Huffpost Green

21,000 Birds Killed In France By Slew Of Storms

The Huffington Post  | by  Sara Gates

Posted: 02/26/2014 2:28 pm EST Updated: 02/26/2014 2:59 pm EST

Photo taken on February 10, 2014 shows the bodies of puffins washed up on a beach in Sainte-Marie-de-Re, western France, after heavy storms. The Atlantic storms that have buffeted Europe in recent days have killed at least 5,000 sea birds on the French coast, half of them puffins. Most of the birds whose bodies have been washed up on beaches between the Pyrenees and Brittany died of exhaustion or starvation as a result of days of gale-force winds, which made it impossible for them to fish. | XAVIER LEOTY via Getty Images

Thousands of birds have been killed in France. The culprit? Winter storms.
In a statement, the League for the Protection of Birds said that violent storms in January and February were responsible for the deaths of 21,341 birds. The country has apparently not seen a bird "slaughter" that large since 1900, the Agence France-Presse reports.
An initial estimate released earlier this month put the death toll at 5,000. But once the organization enlisted volunteers to help with the count from the start of the month through Feb. 24, the number rose dramatically.
Of the species of sea birds affected, the Atlantic puffin had the highest numbers of deaths, with more than 12,229 deceased found. Large numbers of the common murre (or black guillemot) and razor-billed auk were also killed. The league expects the overall death toll to rise as it continues to track the bodies through the end of the month.

Read More Here

.....

Storms wash up 500 dead seabirds: Bodies of guillemots and razorbills recovered after they died of exhaustion due to the weather

• Storms over the past month have made it hard for birds to hunt and feed

• Majority of dead birds were washed up at Chesil Cove in Dorset

• But numbers pale in comparison to 15,000 puffins found dead in France

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 20:22 EST, 25 February 2014 | UPDATED: 20:22 EST, 25 February 2014

Hundreds of seabirds have been washed up along the south-west coast after dying of exhaustion in the recent storms.
The bodies of almost 500 birds, mostly guillemots and razorbills, have been recovered from the beaches of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset after they perished at sea.
Experts at the Dorset Wildlife Trust said consistent gale-force storms in the English Channel during the past month had made it very hard for the creatures to hunt and feed.

 

Devastated: The bodies of almost 500 birds, mostly guillemots - like the one pictured in this stock image - and razorbills, have been recovered from the beaches of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset after they perished at sea

The malnutrition coupled with flying in ferocious winds meant they became exhausted and died.
Birds fared even worse across the Channel, where 15,000 puffins were found dead on the shores of France.
The French League for the Protection of Birds said the tragedy could have a devastating effect on the coming breeding season.
The majority of the dead birds have washed up at sheltered Chesil Cove in Dorset, having being swept across Lyme Bay by south westerly winds.
Some conservationists have claimed the birds have been killed by a pollutant similar to palm oil but this has been ruled out by the Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT).

Read More Here

.....

Related articles

• Storm fears for iconic seabirds
• Storms wash up 500 dead seabirds: Bodies of guillemots and razorbills recovered after they died of exhaustion due to the weather
• 21,000 Birds Killed In France By Slew Of Storms
• UK: Jersey seabird death toll 'at least 600 and growing'
• Puffins wiped out in storms as thousands wash up dead on coasts of Spain and France
• Number of dead seabirds found on the French coast increases to 15,000
• Seabird death toll 'at least 600'
• Recent storms have killed at least 5,000 sea birds on French coast
• Wildlife casualties of floods grow amid fears over 'polluted' wetlands in UK
• Tide of dead seabirds keeps rolling in on Southern England beach

Biological Hazard USA State of Georgia, [Jekyll Island Coastal region] : Mass Die Off (Bottlenose Dolphin)

Earth Watch Report  -  Biological Hazards

Image Source  :  Wikimedia . Org
Bottlenose Dolphin - Tursiops truncatus A dolphin surfs the wake of a research boat on the Banana River - near the Kennedy Space Center.
Author   NASAs
.....

Biological Hazard

USA

State of Georgia, [Jekyll Island Coastal region]

.....

Biological Hazard in USA on Wednesday, 11 December, 2013 at 04:29 (04:29 AM) UTC.

Description
A disease that has killed hundreds of bottlenose dolphins in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States has been confirmed in Georgia, state wildlife officials said Tuesday. Four dolphins found dead at Wassaw and Jekyll Islands in November have tested positive for dolphin morbillivirus, Department of Natural Resources officials said. The virus is similar to measles and affects the lungs, brain and immune system of marine mammals. Marine wildlife suffering from morbillivirus may develop skin lesions, brain infections and pneumonia, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The virus, which follows the seasonal migration pattern of dolphins from the upper mid-Atlantic, is spread through inhalation of respiratory particles or direct contact between mammals, according to the NOAA. The virus can also spread through the eyes, mouth, stomach, skin wounds and the urogenital tract. Department of Natural Resources officials have said they've found 23 dead dolphins in Georgia since Nov. 15. The state usually sees 21 dolphins stranded on its shores per year, said state Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Clay George. He added that most dolphin deaths seem to be impacting migratory populations and not resident dolphins. Researchers identify dolphin populations by taking photos of their dorsal fins. "Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to stop the disease from spreading," Clay said. "We can only hope that this is part of the natural cycle, and that populations will rebound to healthy levels soon." Outbreaks of morbillivirus killed harbor seals in the northeast in 2006, according to NOAA. Officials say it also killed dolphins in the northeast from 1987-88 and in the Gulf of Mexico in 1992 and 1994. More than 930 bottlenose dolphins have been found dead or dying on shores stretching from New York to Florida between July 1 and Dec. 1, 2013, according to the NOAA. Officials say the average was about 113 for the same time period between 2007 and 2012.
Biohazard name:	Mass. Die-off (bottlenose dolphins)
Biohazard level:	2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.:	Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. "Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures", see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

.....

Marietta Daily Journal

Dolphins killed by measles-like virus

by The Associated Press

December 10, 2013 11:26 PM | 209 views | 0  | 5  |  | 

JEKYLL ISLAND — A disease that has killed hundreds of bottlenose dolphins in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States has been confirmed in Georgia, state wildlife officials said Tuesday.

Four dolphins found dead at Wassaw and Jekyll Islands in November have tested positive for dolphin morbillivirus, Department of Natural Resources officials said. The virus is similar to measles and affects the lungs, brain and immune system of marine mammals.

Marine wildlife suffering from morbillivirus may develop skin lesions, brain infections and pneumonia, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The virus, which follows the seasonal migration pattern of dolphins from the upper mid-Atlantic, is spread through inhalation of respiratory particles or direct contact between mammals, according to the NOAA. The virus can also spread through the eyes, mouth, stomach, skin wounds and the urogenital tract.

Department of Natural Resources officials have said they’ve found 23 dead dolphins in Georgia since Nov. 15. The state usually sees 21 dolphins stranded on its shores per year, said state Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Clay George. He added most dolphin deaths seem to be impacting migratory populations and not resident dolphins. Researchers identify dolphin populations by taking photos of their dorsal fins.

Read More Here
.....

Related articles

• Dolphin disease found in Georgia
• Dead dolphins in Georgia killed by measles-like virus
• Dead dolphins in Ga. killed by measles-like virus
• Pygmy whale beaches on Jekyll, carrried dolphin-killing virus
• Pygmy whale stranded on Jekyll Island euthanized
• Dead dolphins in Georgia killed by measles-like virus