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Hot TopicsJIMO research pegs ID of Red Tide KillerUnder a NOAA-funded research project as part of JIMO, Drs. Peter J.S. Franks and Farooq Azam, along with graduate student Xavier Mayali, have identified a potential "red tide killer." Red tides and related phenomena in which microscopic algae accumulate rapidly in dense concentrations have been on the rise in recent years, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in worldwide losses to fisheries and beach tourism activities. Despite their wide-ranging impacts, such phenomena, more broadly referred to as "harmful algal blooms," remain unpredictable in not only where they appear, but how long they persist. Full story here >> Global Drifters Reveal Mysterious Striped Currents in the OceansObservations by the Global Drifter Program at JIMO have revealed that the world's oceans are covered in mysterious "stripes." Full story here >>
Fishing Throws Targeted Species Off Balance, New Study ShowsFishing activities can provoke volatile fluctuations in the populations they target, but it's not often clear why. A new study published in the journal Nature by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and colleagues and led by JIMO fellow George Sugihara has identified the general underlying mechanism. Full story here >> Jeremy Jackson Honored by Harvard Museum of Natural HistoryJeremy Jackson, renowned marine ecologist with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and JIMO Fellow, has been selected to receive the 11th annual Roger Tory Peterson Medal presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Full story here >> Black Carbon Pollution Emerges as Major Player in Global WarmingAtmospheric researchers led by JIMO fellow V. Ramanathan have found that soot from biomass burning, diesel exhaust has 60 percent of the effect of carbon dioxide on warming but mitigation offers immediate benefits. Full story here >> JIMO Scientists Peg Wind as the Force Behind Fish Booms and BustsThe mid-20th century crash of the sardine fishery off California for decades has vexed marine ecologists searching for the root causes of large fluctuations in the sardine population. JIMO scientists have now shed light on the puzzle by proposing a plausible mechanism behind the mystery: wind. Full story here >> Human activity blamed for water woes in the Western USHuman activity such as driving and powering air conditioners is responsible for up to 60 percent of changes contributing to dwindling water supplies in the arid and growing West, finds a new study published in the journal Science. Researchers led by climate expert and JIMO Fellow Tim P. Barnett studied climate changes in the West between 1950-1999. They noted that winter precipitation falls increasingly as rain rather than snow, snow melts faster, river flows decrease in summer months, and overall warming is exacerbating dry summer conditions. Full story here >> George Sugihara chosen as first holder of the McQuown Chair in Natural ScienceScripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has chosen Dr. George Sugihara as the inaugural holder of the McQuown Chair in Natural Science, created from a gift given by John "Mac" and Leslie McQuown. Sugihara employs his skills in applied mathematics and theoretical biology to explore natural systems and to more fully understand their nonlinear or "chaotic" patterns. Full story here >> American Meteorological Society honors architect of Argo Dr. Roemmich, Argo leader and JIMO Fellow
Dean Roemmich, project leader responsible for administering the US/Scripps Oceanography portion of the international Argo program is honored by the American Meteorological Society with the 2008 Sverdrup Gold Medal. Full story here >> JIMO brochure published and available for downloadThe JIMO brochure, with an overview of the program and its activities, is now available to download as a pdf. This documents provides a brief, 'at-a-glance' reference for information about JIMO and research projects currently underway. Argo Array to Hit Milestone on October 2, 2007A pioneering effort to take stock of the world's oceans will reach a milestone today when an international team of scientists celebrates the launch of its 3,000th floating laboratory. The 3,000th float is expected to be deployed by the R/V Kaharoa during its voyage from New Zealand to Chile. Full story here>> JIMO Fellow shares prestigious Cozzarelli PrizeA paper co-authored by two UC San Diego researchers, one being JIMO Fellow V. Ramanathan, showing that reductions of air pollution could create agricultural benefits in one of the world's poorest regions was one of six awarded the Cozzarelli Paper of the Year Prize by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Full story here>> JIMO fellow Jeremy Jackson receives International Award in Ecology and ConservationRenowned marine ecologist Jeremy Jackson, a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and JIMO Fellow has been selected as co-recipient of the International Award for Research In Ecology and Conservation Biology by the BBVA Foundation, Madrid, Spain. "This prize recognizes the important work being carried out by both scientists to address the challenges of nature conservation," said Rafael Pardo Avellaneda, BBVA Foundation director. "They have made outstanding contributions to understanding and articulating human impacts on marine ecosystems worldwide." Full story here >> What happens once global warming is at full power?Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego scientist V. Ramanathan has pondered planetary albedo for years but argues that the topic now warrants a serious examination from the greater scientific community. As two consequences of pollution—global warming and global dimming—influence Earth's climate, their trends could jeopardize a condition now optimally set to support life. Full Story Here >> Reducing air pollution could increase rice harvests in India, suggests a new UC studyNew research from the University of California indicates that reductions of human-generated air pollution could create unexpected agricultural benefits in one of the world's poorest regions. These new findings appear Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) The study, led by JIMO fellow and Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) project leader V. "Ram" Ramanathan, along with two other UC researchers, analyzed historical data on Indian rice harvests and examined the combined effects of atmospheric brown clouds and greenhouse gases on growing conditions. Full Story Here >> JIMO Graduate Student Paper Honored with Frieman PrizeA publication conceived by Seo Hyodae, a graduate student in Climate Sciences and co-advised by JIMO Fellows Art Miller and John Roads, was selected by a Scripps Institution of Oceanography committee to receive the Frieman Prize for 2006. Hyodae's paper was awarded this distinction due to the novelty of a regional coupled ocean-atmospheric model he developed for the Atlantic based on current Regional Spectral Model (RSM) and Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) technologies. This distinction was shared with another paper by a Scripps graduate student in geophysics. An award ceremony to honor the co-winners will be held on Aug. 4. Access the publication here>> Warming Climate Plays Large Role in Western U.S. WildfiresA new study led by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, including JIMO Fellow Dan Cayan, implicates rising seasonal temperatures and the earlier arrival of spring conditions in connection with a dramatic increase of large wildfires in the western United States. Fully Story Here>> Scripps/JIMO Scientists discuss issues related to Al Gore's new film "An Inconvenient Truth"A group of Scripps Institution of Oceanography professors and graduate students, many of whom are JIMO Fellows or students, have been chosen by Scripps as experts on the issues raised in "An Inconvenient Truth" relating to climate change and humanity's role. A press release to the public advises anyone interested in learning more about the science behind the movie to contact one of these experts. Full Story Here >> JIMO Scientist Elected to the American Philosophical Society V. Ramanathan at the Maldives MCO Super Observatory, Hanimaadhoo Island, part of Project Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABC)
The American Philosophical Society, which was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, has selected distinguished Scripps Institution of Oceanography professor of climate and atmospheric sciences and JIMO scientist V. Ramanathan for membership "for promoting useful knowledge." Full Story Here >> JIMO Fellow participates in HBO program "Too Hot Not to Handle"Richard Somerville, Scripps Professor and JIMO Fellow, is one of many climate scientists whose research is featured and professional experience sought in the HBO program "Too Hot Not to Handle." For a schedule of repeat broadcasts, see here >> JIMO Project Achieves Milestone in Analyzing Pollutants Dimming the Atmosphere Dr. V. Ramanathan with several autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles NOTE: V. RAMANATHAN WILL APPEAR ON PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE'S (PBS) NOVA PROGRAM "DIMMING THE SUN" ON TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2006, AT 8 P.M. (www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun) A scientific research consortium led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and funded in part as the JIMO "ABC Project", has reached an important milestone in the tracking of pollutants responsible for dimming Earth's atmosphere. Full Story Here >> Nafanua Discovery recognized as 76th Most Interesting Science Story of 2005According to the January 2006 issue of Discover Magazine, the exploration of a new undersea volcanic cone on the Vailulu’u Seamount, named Nafanua, by researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is among the top 100 most interesting discoveries of 2005. The list represents a broad sampling of new scientific stories developed in the past year and covers every major scientific discipline, including Archaeology, Biology, Physics, Medicine and Technology. Anomalous weakening of SST gradients in the N. Indian OceanScripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and Joint Institute for Marine Observations (JIMO) scientists working on the impact of Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) on regional climate in South Asia have discovered that summertime sea surface temperature (SST) gradients in the N. Indian Ocean have weakened significantly since the 1950s. The normal pattern of SST is such that the northern Indian Ocean is warmer than the southern Indian Ocean, and this pattern plays an important role in regulating the monsoon circulation. This gradient has gradually weakened to the extent that the latitudinal gradient had nearly vanished in the recent years. General circulation model (GCM) sensitivity studies suggest that the weakened SST gradient has resulted in a weaker monsoon circulation and helps explain the reduction in the monsoon rainfall. Coupled ocean atmosphere studies reveal that the preferential cooling of the northern hemisphere by the surface dimming effect of aerosols in ABCs can explain the differential cooling of the N. Indian Ocean. Thus while the greenhouse warming warms both hemispheres by about the same amount, the cooling effect of ABCs masks the greenhouse warming in the northern Indian Ocean, which explains the vanishing of the summer time SST gradients. The study reveals that the greenhouse gases’ (GHGs) warming combined with the weakening of SST gradient by ABCs impact rainfall over India and the Sahel region of northern Africa. Updated publication of Living with the Changing California Coast offers essential information to people living near, working on and interacting with the Coastline of CaliforniaGary Griggs, UC Santa Cruz Faculty Director and JIMO Fellow, recently published a revised version of his 1985 guide Living with the Changing California Coast that includes the latest data and on human activity on the coast, on climate change, on rising seas levels, and on coastal erosion and protection. With its dramatic photographs and mile-by-mile maps, Living with the Changing California Coast will be an essential resource for those intending to buy or build along the coast, those who need specific information about various coastal regions, and those who are seeking information about how this remarkable coastline has evolved. Study Shows Climate Warming to Shrink Key Water Supplies WorldwideIn the looming future, global warming will reduce glaciers and storage packs of snow in regions around the world, causing water shortages and other problems that will impact millions of people. That is the conclusion of researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Washington in a review paper published in the November 17 issue of the journal Nature. Read the Full Story Here >>
ARGO Reaches Two MilestonesThe free-floating Argo "robot oceanographers," a successful observation program that began in 2000 and is part of the global observing system to monitor Earth's oceans, reached two milestones: two-thirds completion of the international global array and the collection of nearly 55,000 profiles by the U.S. floats. Read the Full Story Here >>
Global Drifter Program Covers the GlobeThe Global Drifter Program (GDP), largely led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography/JIMO scientists and funded by NOAA's Office of Global Programs (OGP), is poised to meet its lofty goal of blanketing the globe. The ceremonial 1,250th buoy will be dropped in the ocean off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on September 18, 2005, effectively completing the goals of a program spawned over 20 years ago from an ambitious idea. Dr. Peter Niiler is lead coordinator of GDP, as well as the Director of JIMO. Read the Full Story Here >> Accurate Calibration of Coastal Ocean Circulation RadarsTens of millions of dollars are being allocated by federal and state agencies for implementation of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (COOS) throughout the United States and other parts of the world. High frequency (HF) radar systems that provide hourly maps of surface currents on a 1 to 2 km square grid extending roughly 40 km offshore are the backbone of these observing systems. Numerous validation studies of HF radar derived currents, performed over the last 30 years, show that discrepancies with current observations from other devices are between 7 and 27 cm s-1. None of these validation studies make comparisons with currents measured on the same time and space scales as the HF radar measurements. Thus, it is not clear if reported HF radar discrepancies are due to instrument error or high frequency and small spatial scale variations in the coastal flow fields. Scripps Institution of Oceanography/JIMO researchers Carter Ohlmann, Eric Terrill and colleagues at the University of California at Santa Barbara have developed small Global Positioning System located surface drifters and deployed dense arrays of the these within individual HF radar grid cells. Since the drifter motions resolve similar time and space variations that are included in the time-space averaged HF radar retrievals, instrument error can be isolated. Recent comparisons of drifter array average and radar retrieved currents show that the root mean squared (RMS) error values of the HF radar derived velocities can approach 3 to 4 cm s-1, the limit of radar accuracy of Doppler resolution. However, at times, RMS error values exceed 10 cm s-1. Large differences occur when HF radar data are processed with inaccurate beam patterns. This research points to an operational procedure for setting up and maintaining coastal ocean observing systems, and indicates the necessity of initial and continued calibrations of radar beam patterns for retrieving accurate surface current fields from HF radar. Researchers Discover Underwater VolcanoA team of scientists, led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has discovered an active underwater volcano near the Samoan Island chain in the South Pacific. |
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