FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT I
Monday, March 2, 2015
Delaware Seafood Wholesaler and Company Fined and Owner Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Illegally Trafficking in Oysters
Mark Bryan, 59, of New Market, Maryland, and his Delaware-based seafood wholesale business, Harbor House Seafood, were sentenced on Friday in federal court in Camden, New Jersey, for trafficking in illegally possessed oysters, creating false health and safety records, and conspiracy charges.
Bryan was sentenced to serve 26 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Bryan was also ordered to pay a $62,500 fine and to pay New Jersey $140,000 for the restoration of oyster beds in Delaware Bay. Harbor House was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and was sentenced to five years of probation. Friday’s sentences, in addition to the previous sentencing of Bryan’s co-conspirators and suppliers, brings the total fines and forfeitures in this matter to over $625,000, along with $194,000 of restoration costs..
Bryan and Harbor House were convicted in 2012 of multiple felony crimes related to dealings in illegal oysters from 2004 to 2007. The evidence showed that for more than four years, Bryan conspired with New Jersey oystermen Thomas Reeves and Todd Reeves to cover up the Reeves’ overharvest of oysters from the Delaware Bay. Bryan, through his company, Harbor House Seafood, purchased the illegal oysters from the Reeves, then assisted in covering up the Reeves’ overharvest by maintaining double-books, providing federal agents with false records, and by falsifying his FDA-mandated health and safety logs. The jury saw numerous instances of late-night faxes between Bryan and the Reeves which were used to coordinate their conspiracy and hide their wrong-doing from investigators. Bryan was also shown to have purchased illegal oysters from oyster harvester Kenneth Bailey of New Jersey. During the course of his crimes, Bryan moved, purchased and sold over $1.2 million worth of illegal oysters.
The Reeves and Bailey were previously sentenced on Feb. 11, 2015, to 26 months, 16 months, and 12 months in prison, respectively, for their roles.
“The defendants’ actions provided a market for dishonest oystermen who were willing to place natural resources at risk in the name of profit,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentences send the message that those who knowingly deal in illegal natural resources will be held accountable.”
“Today's sentence underscores the value that state partnerships add to NOAA Office of Law Enforcement’s ability to complete its mission,” said Assistant Director Logan Gregory for NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement. “In this case, our partnership with New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife was crucial in protecting the oyster resource in New Jersey and leveling the playing field across multiple industry sectors throughout the mid-Atlantic Region.”
The Lacey Act prohibits creating or submitting false records for fish or wildlife moving in interstate commerce and also prohibits trafficking in fish or wildlife known to be illegally taken or possessed. The FDA and state health agencies require that oyster purchasers and sellers maintain accurate records of the amounts and locations of oyster harvest for all oysters they buy and sell in order to protect public health and minimize the impact of any oyster-borne outbreak of disease.
The case was investigated by the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Chief Wayne D. Hettenbach and Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Showing posts with label NOAA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NOAA. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
13 FISHERMEN CHARGED WITH THE ILLEGAL HARVEST AND SALE OF ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Thirteen Commercial Fishermen Charged in North Carolina with Illegally Harvesting and Selling Atlantic Striped Bass
Thirteen commercial fishermen in North Carolina and Georgia have been charged in federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, for their role in the illegal harvest and sale and false reporting of approximately 90,000 pounds of Atlantic striped bass from federal waters off the coast of North Carolina during 2009 and 2010, the Justice Department announced today. The average retail value of the illegally harvested striped bass is approximately $1.1 million.
This investigation began as a result of the U.S. Coast Guard boarding of the fishing vessel Lady Samaira in February 2010, based on a complaint that multiple vessels were fishing Striped Bass illegally. The individuals have been charged with violating the Lacey Act, which is a federal law that prohibits individuals from transporting, selling or buying fish and wildlife harvested illegally. Additionally, 11 of these fishermen also have been charged with filing false reports in connection with the illegally harvested fish. One of the fishermen is also charged with obstruction of a proceeding before a federal agency. Specifically, the indictments allege that the commercial fishermen transported and sold Atlantic striped bass, knowing that they were unlawfully harvested from federal waters off the coast of North Carolina. In an effort to hide their illegal fishing activities, these fishermen falsely reported harvesting these fish from state waters, where it would have been legal.
“The illegal poaching of striped bass by commercial fishermen can have a huge collective impact on the fish resource and has the potential to devastate the future livelihoods of law abiding commercial fishermen,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The vast majority of fishermen do respect the law and carefully monitor their harvest to ensure they stay within the well-researched limits. Those who deliberately break the law will be prosecuted.”
“The Atlantic Striped Bass fishery is extremely important to the economy of the State of North Carolina as well as our sister States along the Atlantic seaboard, and it represents a success in species recovery thanks to conservation, management, and law-abiding fishermen,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Thomas G. Walker. “Illegal harvesting of this protected species and submitting false reports to federal agencies undermine those efforts and adversely impact our entire coastal communities.”
All of the defendants are licensed by the state of North Carolina and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fish in state waters only for striped bass.
In early spring each year, wild coastal striped bass, Morone saxatilis, known regionally as “rockfish,” “striper” or “rock,” enter the estuary or river where they were born to spawn and then return to ocean waters to live, migrating along the coastline. They may live up to 30 years and reach 50 pounds or more. The population of coastal Atlantic striped bass depends heavily upon the capability of older, larger, female striped bass to successfully reproduce.
Under federal law, Atlantic striped bass may not be harvested from or possessed in federal waters. This ban on fishing for Atlantic striped bass in federal waters has been in place since 1990 due to drastic declines of the stock that occurred in the 1970’s. North Carolina allows fishermen to harvest fish from state waters, but often limits fishermen to no more than 100 fish per fishing trip. Commercial fishermen are required to report on a fishing vessel trip report the fish harvested from state waters; that report is then submitted to NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). NOAA uses the information on this report to assess the fishery and its sustainability throughout the eastern seaboard.
According to the Atlantic Marine Fisheries Commission, “striped bass have formed the basis of one of the most important fisheries on the Atlantic coast for centuries. Early records recount their abundance as being so great at one time they were used to fertilize fields. However, overfishing and poor environmental conditions lead to the collapse of the fishery in the 1980s.”
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, along with other states, has reduced, twenty-five percent, the catch limits for the 2015 striped bass commercial fishing season in the Atlantic Ocean and Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River areas, citing a decline in stocks. The division cited 2013 surveys revealing that the female spawning stock has been steadily declining. The reduction applies to all commercial and recreational striped bass fishing for all the eastern coastal states.
A criminal indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Lacey Act makes it unlawful for a person to transport or sell fish that were taken in violation of any law or regulation of the United States and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, plus the potential forfeiture of the vessels and vehicles used in committing the offense.
The charges are a result of the investigation by the Law Enforcement Offices of NOAA, with assistance of the Investigative Service from the U.S. Coast Guard, the North Carolina Marine Patrol, and the Virginia Marine Police. These cases are being prosecuted primarily by Trial Attorney Shennie Patel of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and U.S. Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan.
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Thirteen Commercial Fishermen Charged in North Carolina with Illegally Harvesting and Selling Atlantic Striped Bass
Thirteen commercial fishermen in North Carolina and Georgia have been charged in federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, for their role in the illegal harvest and sale and false reporting of approximately 90,000 pounds of Atlantic striped bass from federal waters off the coast of North Carolina during 2009 and 2010, the Justice Department announced today. The average retail value of the illegally harvested striped bass is approximately $1.1 million.
This investigation began as a result of the U.S. Coast Guard boarding of the fishing vessel Lady Samaira in February 2010, based on a complaint that multiple vessels were fishing Striped Bass illegally. The individuals have been charged with violating the Lacey Act, which is a federal law that prohibits individuals from transporting, selling or buying fish and wildlife harvested illegally. Additionally, 11 of these fishermen also have been charged with filing false reports in connection with the illegally harvested fish. One of the fishermen is also charged with obstruction of a proceeding before a federal agency. Specifically, the indictments allege that the commercial fishermen transported and sold Atlantic striped bass, knowing that they were unlawfully harvested from federal waters off the coast of North Carolina. In an effort to hide their illegal fishing activities, these fishermen falsely reported harvesting these fish from state waters, where it would have been legal.
“The illegal poaching of striped bass by commercial fishermen can have a huge collective impact on the fish resource and has the potential to devastate the future livelihoods of law abiding commercial fishermen,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The vast majority of fishermen do respect the law and carefully monitor their harvest to ensure they stay within the well-researched limits. Those who deliberately break the law will be prosecuted.”
“The Atlantic Striped Bass fishery is extremely important to the economy of the State of North Carolina as well as our sister States along the Atlantic seaboard, and it represents a success in species recovery thanks to conservation, management, and law-abiding fishermen,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Thomas G. Walker. “Illegal harvesting of this protected species and submitting false reports to federal agencies undermine those efforts and adversely impact our entire coastal communities.”
All of the defendants are licensed by the state of North Carolina and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fish in state waters only for striped bass.
In early spring each year, wild coastal striped bass, Morone saxatilis, known regionally as “rockfish,” “striper” or “rock,” enter the estuary or river where they were born to spawn and then return to ocean waters to live, migrating along the coastline. They may live up to 30 years and reach 50 pounds or more. The population of coastal Atlantic striped bass depends heavily upon the capability of older, larger, female striped bass to successfully reproduce.
Under federal law, Atlantic striped bass may not be harvested from or possessed in federal waters. This ban on fishing for Atlantic striped bass in federal waters has been in place since 1990 due to drastic declines of the stock that occurred in the 1970’s. North Carolina allows fishermen to harvest fish from state waters, but often limits fishermen to no more than 100 fish per fishing trip. Commercial fishermen are required to report on a fishing vessel trip report the fish harvested from state waters; that report is then submitted to NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). NOAA uses the information on this report to assess the fishery and its sustainability throughout the eastern seaboard.
According to the Atlantic Marine Fisheries Commission, “striped bass have formed the basis of one of the most important fisheries on the Atlantic coast for centuries. Early records recount their abundance as being so great at one time they were used to fertilize fields. However, overfishing and poor environmental conditions lead to the collapse of the fishery in the 1980s.”
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, along with other states, has reduced, twenty-five percent, the catch limits for the 2015 striped bass commercial fishing season in the Atlantic Ocean and Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River areas, citing a decline in stocks. The division cited 2013 surveys revealing that the female spawning stock has been steadily declining. The reduction applies to all commercial and recreational striped bass fishing for all the eastern coastal states.
A criminal indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Lacey Act makes it unlawful for a person to transport or sell fish that were taken in violation of any law or regulation of the United States and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, plus the potential forfeiture of the vessels and vehicles used in committing the offense.
The charges are a result of the investigation by the Law Enforcement Offices of NOAA, with assistance of the Investigative Service from the U.S. Coast Guard, the North Carolina Marine Patrol, and the Virginia Marine Police. These cases are being prosecuted primarily by Trial Attorney Shennie Patel of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and U.S. Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan.
Friday, January 16, 2015
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON NOAA STUDY SHOWING 2014 HOTTEST YEAR
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
NOAA Climate Study 2014 Reveals Hottest Year on Record
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 16, 2015
What’s surprising is that anyone is surprised that 2014 was the hottest year on record. The science has been screaming at us for a long, long time. We’ve seen thirteen of the warmest years on record since 2000. Greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are at an all-time high, which we know leads to a warming planet. We’re seeing higher than ever occurrences of extreme weather events like catastrophic droughts, storm surges and torrential rain. These events are having devastating economic, security and health impacts across the planet.
This report is just another sound in a steady drumbeat that is growing increasingly more urgent. So the question isn't the science. The question isn't the warning signs. The question is when and how the world will respond. Ambitious, concrete action is the only path forward that leads anywhere worth going.
NOAA Climate Study 2014 Reveals Hottest Year on Record
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 16, 2015
What’s surprising is that anyone is surprised that 2014 was the hottest year on record. The science has been screaming at us for a long, long time. We’ve seen thirteen of the warmest years on record since 2000. Greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are at an all-time high, which we know leads to a warming planet. We’re seeing higher than ever occurrences of extreme weather events like catastrophic droughts, storm surges and torrential rain. These events are having devastating economic, security and health impacts across the planet.
This report is just another sound in a steady drumbeat that is growing increasingly more urgent. So the question isn't the science. The question isn't the warning signs. The question is when and how the world will respond. Ambitious, concrete action is the only path forward that leads anywhere worth going.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
MAN SENTENCED FOR ROLE IN ILLEGAL IMPORTATION AND TRAFFICKING IN NARWHAL TUSKS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, January 12, 2015
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Illegally-Imported Narwhal Tusks and Money Laundering
Andrew J. Zarauskas, a New Jersey resident, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for illegally importing and trafficking in narwhal tusks and associated money laundering crimes, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. Zarauskas was also ordered to forfeit $85,089, six narwhal tusks and one narwhal skull. In addition, Zarauskas was ordered to pay a fine of $7,500. His prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
On Feb. 14, 2014, a federal jury in Bangor, Maine, convicted Zarauskas on six counts, including conspiracy, smuggling violations for buying and illegally importing narwhal tusks into the United States and money laundering violations associated with the illegal importations. The market value of the teeth and tusks illegally imported by Zarauskas was determined to be between $120,000 and $200,000.
Narwhals are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and are covered by the international Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is illegal to import parts of the narwhal into the United States without a permit and without declaring the parts at the time of importation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The Justice Department is committed to the fight to save the world’s protected wildlife species, many of which are under sustained attack by poachers and wildlife traffickers,” said Assistant Attorney General Cruden. “We are particularly grateful to our federal and Canadian law enforcement partners for unraveling this scheme to traffic in narwhal tusks and for bringing Zarauskas and his co-conspirators to justice.”
“The significant penalties imposed today for Mr. Zarauskas send a powerful message to any individual that decides to engage in the trade of illegal wildlife,” said Deputy Assistant Director for Law Enforcement Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We will continue to work closely with our international, federal and state partners to root out those individuals who exploit protected wildlife species for their own financial gain.”
“This is yet another case where dedicated investigators helped stop an international smuggling ring attempting to profit from the illegal exploitation and trade of vulnerable and threatened marine species,” said Assistant Administrator Eileen Sobeck for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. “NOAA will continue to work in collaboration with our international, federal and state law enforcement partners to make sure marine resources are protected now and into the future.”
According to the evidence presented a trial, Zarauskas purchased approximately 33 narwhal tusks over nearly six years from two Canadian co-defendants. The Canadian co-defendants purchased the narwhal tusks in Canada and subsequently brought them into the United States illegally by concealing the narwhal tusks either under their truck or under a utility trailer and not declaring the wildlife to border officials as required. Once in the United States, a Canadian co-defendant shipped the narwhal tusks to Zarauskas from Bangor, Maine. Zarauskas knew that the co-defendants lived in Canada and had illegally imported the narwhal tusks into the United States.
The case was investigated by agents from the Law Enforcement Offices of NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Environment Canada. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Todd S. Mikolop and James B. Nelson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section.
Monday, January 12, 2015
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Illegally-Imported Narwhal Tusks and Money Laundering
Andrew J. Zarauskas, a New Jersey resident, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for illegally importing and trafficking in narwhal tusks and associated money laundering crimes, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. Zarauskas was also ordered to forfeit $85,089, six narwhal tusks and one narwhal skull. In addition, Zarauskas was ordered to pay a fine of $7,500. His prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
On Feb. 14, 2014, a federal jury in Bangor, Maine, convicted Zarauskas on six counts, including conspiracy, smuggling violations for buying and illegally importing narwhal tusks into the United States and money laundering violations associated with the illegal importations. The market value of the teeth and tusks illegally imported by Zarauskas was determined to be between $120,000 and $200,000.
Narwhals are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and are covered by the international Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is illegal to import parts of the narwhal into the United States without a permit and without declaring the parts at the time of importation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The Justice Department is committed to the fight to save the world’s protected wildlife species, many of which are under sustained attack by poachers and wildlife traffickers,” said Assistant Attorney General Cruden. “We are particularly grateful to our federal and Canadian law enforcement partners for unraveling this scheme to traffic in narwhal tusks and for bringing Zarauskas and his co-conspirators to justice.”
“The significant penalties imposed today for Mr. Zarauskas send a powerful message to any individual that decides to engage in the trade of illegal wildlife,” said Deputy Assistant Director for Law Enforcement Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We will continue to work closely with our international, federal and state partners to root out those individuals who exploit protected wildlife species for their own financial gain.”
“This is yet another case where dedicated investigators helped stop an international smuggling ring attempting to profit from the illegal exploitation and trade of vulnerable and threatened marine species,” said Assistant Administrator Eileen Sobeck for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. “NOAA will continue to work in collaboration with our international, federal and state law enforcement partners to make sure marine resources are protected now and into the future.”
According to the evidence presented a trial, Zarauskas purchased approximately 33 narwhal tusks over nearly six years from two Canadian co-defendants. The Canadian co-defendants purchased the narwhal tusks in Canada and subsequently brought them into the United States illegally by concealing the narwhal tusks either under their truck or under a utility trailer and not declaring the wildlife to border officials as required. Once in the United States, a Canadian co-defendant shipped the narwhal tusks to Zarauskas from Bangor, Maine. Zarauskas knew that the co-defendants lived in Canada and had illegally imported the narwhal tusks into the United States.
The case was investigated by agents from the Law Enforcement Offices of NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Environment Canada. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Todd S. Mikolop and James B. Nelson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section.
Friday, December 5, 2014
TYPHOON HAGUPIT'S RAINS AND WINDS TO HIT PHILIPPINES ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 6. 2014
FROM: NASA
NASA Analyzes Super Typhoon Hagupit's Rains and Wind on Philippine Approach
Super Typhoon Hagupit is forecast to make landfall in the eastern Philippines bringing heavy rainfall, damaging winds and storm surge. NASA/JAXA's TRMM satellite and the RapidScat instrument provided rainfall and wind data, while NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of the storm. In the Philippines, Hagupit is known locally as "Typhoon Ruby."
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite caught a good view of Super Typhoon Hagupit on December 4, 2014 at 1721 UTC (12:21 p.m. EST) when its sustained winds were estimated at over 145 knots (166.8 mph). TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) showed that the heaviest rainfall was just southwest of a well-defined eye.
About three hours later the International Space Station-RapidScat instrument captured data on Hagupit's winds. The RapidScat image showed sustained winds of at least 30 meters per second (67 mph/108 kph) around the eye of the storm.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite flew over Super Typhoon Hagupit on Dec. 5 at 4:22 UTC (Dec. 4 at 11:22 p.m. EDT) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS instrument aboard captured a visible image of the storm. The VIIRS image showed a symmetric ring of intense thunderstorms surrounding the 12-nautical-mile-wide eye.
VIIRS is a scanning radiometer that collects visible and infrared imagery and "radiometric" measurements. Basically it means that VIIRS data is used to measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion and temperature, fires, and Earth's albedo (reflected light).
At 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST) on Dec. 5, Super Typhoon Hagupit's maximum sustained winds were near 130 knots (149.6 mph/241 kph), down from 150 knots (172 mph/277.8 kph). Typhoon-force winds extend out 40 nautical miles (46 miles/74 km) from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds extend out to 120 miles (138 miles/222 km).
Hagupit was centered near 12.1 north longitude and 128.2 east latitude, about 465 nautical miles (535 miles/861 km) southeast of Manila, Philippines. Hagupit continued moving in a west-northwesterly direction. The storm is generating very rough and dangerous seas with wave heights to 45 feet (13.7 meter).
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast, Super Typhoon Hagupit will "maintain intensity until it starts interacting with land near 24 hours (1500 UTC/10 a.m. EST on Dec. 6) then the system will begin rapidly weakening."
Many warnings are in effect throughout the Philippines. Public storm warning signal #2 is in effect in the following provinces: Visayas: Northern and eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, southern Leyte, northern Cebu and Cebu City, Bantayan Island and Camotes Island. In Luzon, signal #2 is in effect for: Albay, Sorsogon, Ticao Island and Masbate.
Public storm warning signal #1 is in effect in the Province of Visayas including: Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, Aklan, Negros Oriental & Occidental, rest of Cebu, Siquijor and Bohol. Signal #1 is also in effect in the Mindanao Province for Surigao del Sur, & Norte, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur & Norte, Dinagat Island and Camiguin Island; and in the Province of Luzon, including: Catanduanes, Camarines Norte & Sur, Burias Island and Romblon.
On Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) the latest update from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration known as PAGASA called for expected landfall on Saturday evening (Dec. 6) or Sunday morning (Dec. 7) over the Eastern Samar – Northern Samar area and it will be associated with strong winds, storm surge (up to 4 meters) and heavy-intense rainfall.
PAGASA noted:
• "Estimated rainfall amount is from 7.5 – 20 mm per hour (heavy – intense) within the 600 km diameter of the typhoon.
• Ruby (Hagupit) and the Northeast Monsoon will bring rough to very rough sea conditions over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon, seaboards of Visayas and over northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao. Fishermen and those using small seacraft are advised not to venture out over the said seaboards."
For more information and updates visit: www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph or http://meteopilipinas.gov.ph/map.php.
Hagupit is tracking generally westward along the southwestern edge of a subtropical ridge (elongated area) of high pressure which is located south of Japan. Over the next three days, Hagupit is forecast to track west to west-northwest under the influence of that area of high pressure.
Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA Analyzes Super Typhoon Hagupit's Rains and Wind on Philippine Approach
Super Typhoon Hagupit is forecast to make landfall in the eastern Philippines bringing heavy rainfall, damaging winds and storm surge. NASA/JAXA's TRMM satellite and the RapidScat instrument provided rainfall and wind data, while NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of the storm. In the Philippines, Hagupit is known locally as "Typhoon Ruby."
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite caught a good view of Super Typhoon Hagupit on December 4, 2014 at 1721 UTC (12:21 p.m. EST) when its sustained winds were estimated at over 145 knots (166.8 mph). TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) showed that the heaviest rainfall was just southwest of a well-defined eye.
About three hours later the International Space Station-RapidScat instrument captured data on Hagupit's winds. The RapidScat image showed sustained winds of at least 30 meters per second (67 mph/108 kph) around the eye of the storm.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite flew over Super Typhoon Hagupit on Dec. 5 at 4:22 UTC (Dec. 4 at 11:22 p.m. EDT) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS instrument aboard captured a visible image of the storm. The VIIRS image showed a symmetric ring of intense thunderstorms surrounding the 12-nautical-mile-wide eye.
VIIRS is a scanning radiometer that collects visible and infrared imagery and "radiometric" measurements. Basically it means that VIIRS data is used to measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion and temperature, fires, and Earth's albedo (reflected light).
At 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST) on Dec. 5, Super Typhoon Hagupit's maximum sustained winds were near 130 knots (149.6 mph/241 kph), down from 150 knots (172 mph/277.8 kph). Typhoon-force winds extend out 40 nautical miles (46 miles/74 km) from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds extend out to 120 miles (138 miles/222 km).
Hagupit was centered near 12.1 north longitude and 128.2 east latitude, about 465 nautical miles (535 miles/861 km) southeast of Manila, Philippines. Hagupit continued moving in a west-northwesterly direction. The storm is generating very rough and dangerous seas with wave heights to 45 feet (13.7 meter).
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast, Super Typhoon Hagupit will "maintain intensity until it starts interacting with land near 24 hours (1500 UTC/10 a.m. EST on Dec. 6) then the system will begin rapidly weakening."
Many warnings are in effect throughout the Philippines. Public storm warning signal #2 is in effect in the following provinces: Visayas: Northern and eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, southern Leyte, northern Cebu and Cebu City, Bantayan Island and Camotes Island. In Luzon, signal #2 is in effect for: Albay, Sorsogon, Ticao Island and Masbate.
Public storm warning signal #1 is in effect in the Province of Visayas including: Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, Aklan, Negros Oriental & Occidental, rest of Cebu, Siquijor and Bohol. Signal #1 is also in effect in the Mindanao Province for Surigao del Sur, & Norte, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur & Norte, Dinagat Island and Camiguin Island; and in the Province of Luzon, including: Catanduanes, Camarines Norte & Sur, Burias Island and Romblon.
On Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) the latest update from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration known as PAGASA called for expected landfall on Saturday evening (Dec. 6) or Sunday morning (Dec. 7) over the Eastern Samar – Northern Samar area and it will be associated with strong winds, storm surge (up to 4 meters) and heavy-intense rainfall.
PAGASA noted:
• "Estimated rainfall amount is from 7.5 – 20 mm per hour (heavy – intense) within the 600 km diameter of the typhoon.
• Ruby (Hagupit) and the Northeast Monsoon will bring rough to very rough sea conditions over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon, seaboards of Visayas and over northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao. Fishermen and those using small seacraft are advised not to venture out over the said seaboards."
For more information and updates visit: www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph or http://meteopilipinas.gov.ph/map.php.
Hagupit is tracking generally westward along the southwestern edge of a subtropical ridge (elongated area) of high pressure which is located south of Japan. Over the next three days, Hagupit is forecast to track west to west-northwest under the influence of that area of high pressure.
Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Saturday, November 8, 2014
TROPICAL CYCLONE 05B EXPECTED TO HEAD TO EAST-CENTRAL INDIA
Right: NASA's Terra satellite flew over Tropical Cyclone 5B in the Bay of Bengal on Nov. 6, 2014. Image Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team.
NASA-NOAA's
Suomi NPP Satellite Sees Tropical Cyclone 05B Headed to India
Tropical Cyclone 05B was meandering in the Bay of Bengal on Nov. 8, but forecasters expect it to move west and head toward east-central India for landfall. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of the tropical storm off India's coast.
When Suomi NPP flew over Tropical Cyclone 05B (TC05B) on Nov. 7 at 08:09 UTC (3:09 a.m. EST), the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS instrument aboard captured a visible image of the storm. The VIIRS image showed a band of thunderstorms wrapping into the center from the northern quadrant, and fragmented bands of thunderstorms around the rest of the storm.
VIIRS is a scanning radiometer that collects visible and infrared imagery and "radiometric" measurements. Basically it means that VIIRS data is used to measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion and temperature, fires, and Earth's albedo (reflected light).
At 1400 UTC (9 a.m. EST) Tropical Cyclone 05B's (TC05B) maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots (40.2 mph/64.8 kph). It was located near 14.3 north latitude and 87.4 east longitude, about 333 nautical miles (383.2 miles/616.7 km) southeast of Visakhapatnam, India. TC05B was moving to the north at 2 knots (2.3 mph/3.7 kph), and is expected to turn to the west.
The India Meteorological Department's Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) forecast noted that light to moderate rainfall would occur at a few places on Nov. 8 and on Nov. 9 would spread over a larger area over Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north coastal Tamil Nadu as TC05B nears. RSMC calls for sustained winds between 30 and 40 kph with higher gusts along and off the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and north Tamilnadu. Sea conditions are expected to be rough along those coasts both days and fishermen were advised not to venture out to sea.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
SCIENTIST SAYS DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL LOCATED
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Where did the Deepwater Horizon oil go? To Davy Jones' Locker at the bottom of the sea
Where's the remaining oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico?
The location of 2 million barrels of oil thought to be trapped in the deep ocean has remained a mystery. Until now.
Scientist David Valentine of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and colleagues from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of California, Irvine, have discovered the path the oil followed to its resting place on the Gulf of Mexico sea floor.
The findings appear today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"This analysis provides us with, for the first time, some closure on the question, 'Where did the oil go and how did it get there?'" said Don Rice, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research along with NSF's Division of Earth Sciences.
"It also alerts us that this knowledge remains largely provisional until we can fully account for the remaining 70 percent."
For the study, the scientists used data from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The U.S. government estimates the Macondo Well's total discharge--from April until the well was capped in July--at 5 million barrels.
By analyzing data from more than 3,000 samples collected at 534 locations over 12 expeditions, the researchers identified a 1,250-square-mile patch of the sea floor on which four to 31 percent of the oil trapped in the deep ocean was deposited. That's the equivalent of 2 to 16 percent of the total oil discharged during the accident.
The fallout of oil created thin deposits that are most extensive to the southwest of the Macondo Well. The oil is concentrated in the top half-inch of the sea floor and is patchily distributed.
The investigation focused primarily on hopane, a nonreactive hydrocarbon that served as a proxy for the discharged oil.
The researchers analyzed the distribution of hopane in the northern Gulf of Mexico and found that it was concentrated in a thin layer at the sea floor within 25 miles of the ruptured well, clearly implicating Deepwater Horizon as the source.
"Based on the evidence, our findings suggest that these deposits are from Macondo oil that was first suspended in the deep ocean, then settled to the sea floor without ever reaching the ocean surface," said Valentine, a biogeochemist at UCSB.
"The pattern is like a shadow of the tiny oil droplets that were initially trapped at ocean depths around 3,500 feet and pushed around by the deep currents.
"Some combination of chemistry, biology and physics ultimately caused those droplets to rain down another 1,000 feet to rest on the sea floor."
Valentine and colleagues were able to identify hotspots of oil fallout in close proximity to damaged deep-sea corals.
According to the researchers, the data support the previously disputed finding that these corals were damaged by the Deepwater Horizon spill.
"The evidence is becoming clear that oily particles were raining down around these deep sea corals, which provides a compelling explanation for the injury they suffered," said Valentine.
"The pattern of contamination we observe is fully consistent with the Deepwater Horizon event but not with natural seeps--the suggested alternative."
While the study examined a specified area, the scientists argue that that the observed oil represents a minimum value. They believe that oil deposition likely occurred outside the study area but so far has largely evaded detection because of its patchiness.
"These findings," said Valentine, "should be useful for assessing the damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon spill, as well as planning future studies to further define the extent and nature of the contamination.
"Our work can also help assess the fate of reactive hydrocarbons, test models of oil's behavior in the ocean, and plan for future spills."
Co-authors of the paper are G. Burch Fisher and Sarah C. Bagby of UCSB; Robert K. Nelson, Christopher M. Reddy and Sean P. Sylva of WHOI and Mary A. Woo of University of California, Irvine.
-NSF-
Thursday, April 24, 2014
ECOLOGISTS LOOK AT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YELLOWSTONE'S WILLOWS AND STREAMS
 |
| Photo: Yellowstone Stream. From: Wikimedia. |
Earth Week: Whither Yellowstone's willows and the streams they shade?
Yellowstone's water table dropping below riverbank willow trees
Willows and streams. In Yellowstone, where there's one, the other isn't far behind.
On Earth Week, scientists are asking: How far do such connections reach?
New research on water-dependent willows shows that streams and willows may be conducting the music on Yellowstone's ecological dance floor.
Ecologists Tom Hobbs, Kristin Marshall and David Cooper published the results in a recent issue of the Journal of Ecology. Hobbs and Cooper are with Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Marshall is at NOAA.
After wolves were extirpated from Yellowstone almost 100 years ago, elk multiplied, says Hobbs. The herbivores roamed across the landscape, nibbling willows to nubbins.
But the story doesn't end there.
With fewer willows to gnaw on, beavers began to decline. Crucially for willows, without the dams beavers build, which slow the flow of water, streams ran faster. Brooks soon became deeply carved into their banks from the force of rapidly-moving water.
Before long, the water table fell below the reach of streamside willows' roots.
Wolves and elk, beavers and willows: carefully choreographed parts
"All the possible interactions among plants and animals in nature are impossible to separately identify and measure," says Henry Gholz, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology, which funds the Yellowstone willow research through its Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) Program.
"Yet scientists know these links are critical to the maintenance of functional ecosystems."
Over a 30-year-period, Hobbs and colleagues studied riparian willow (Salix spp.) establishment and stem growth. In Yellowstone's northern range, the scientists reconstructed willows' history from tree rings. The three-decade time-frame covered the reintroduction of wolves in 1995.
"What happens to willows is shaped more by how high the water table is," says Hobbs, "than by any other factor."
The finding shows how complicated ecosystem links can be, says Gholz. "The effects of elk browsing on streamside willows in Yellowstone over the past 30 years are related more to variations in year-to-year climate, age of the willow trees, and changes in streams due to declining numbers of beavers."
The scientists used climate variables such as annual precipitation, stream flow and growing season length; the abundance of herbivores (elk); and landscape elevation and an index of "topographic wetness" (how soggy the ground is) to predict willow growth before and after the reintroduction of wolves.
"Explaining variability in [willow] establishment required models with stream flow, annual precipitation and elk abundance," write the ecologists in their paper.
"The results show that changes in the growth of willows after the reintroduction of wolves," says Marshall, "can't be understood without considering all the variables."
Life as a willow: water required
Picture a willow as it leans over a river or stream. Willows, sallows and osiers form the genus Salix, made up of some 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs. All are found on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Most are known as willows, but some narrow-leaved shrub species are called osiers, and broader-leaved species are referred to as sallows, from an Old English word derived from the Latin term salix.
Willows are the dominant riparian, or riverside, woody vegetation in Yellowstone and across the Rocky Mountains, according to Hobbs.
In Yellowstone, willows are found along rivers and streams, as well as near springs, seeps and anywhere water is available.
"As long as willows' roots can reach groundwater," says Hobbs, "the trees can survive--and withstand very high levels of browsing by elk. It all comes down to water."
On Earth Week and every week, the dance of life needs all the partners
Restoring an ecologically complete ecosystem in Yellowstone requires the return of willows--and with them, beavers, says Hobbs.
Once willows have returned, beavers will gnaw down a certain number of the trees to build dams. The dams will slow stream flow, allowing yet more willows to grow.
Willows, streams and beavers; wolves and elk. Willows and streams may have the first dance. But without them all, Yellowstone's ecological music will eventually fade away.
-- Cheryl Dybas
Investigators
Fred Watson
David Cooper
Jennifer Hoeting
Matthew Kauffman
N. Thompson Hobbs
Related Institutions/Organizations
Colorado State University
Sunday, April 13, 2014
EPA PROPOSES LARGEST TOXIC CLEANUP IN EPA HISTORY
FROM: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
2014 News Releases
EPA Proposes Plan to Remove Toxic Sediment from the Passaic River; Largest Cleanup in EPA History Will Protect People’s Health and Create Jobs
Release Date: 04/11/2014
Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez, (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov
(New York, N.Y.) In an historic action that will protect people’s health and the environment, and benefit riverfront communities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed a plan to remove 4.3 million cubic yards of highly contaminated sediment from the lower eight miles of the Passaic River in New Jersey. The sediment in the Passaic River is severely contaminated with dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals, pesticides and other contaminants from more than a century of industrial activity. The lower eight miles of the Passaic is the most heavily contaminated section of the river. Ninety percent of the volume of contaminated sediments in the lower Passaic are in the lower eight miles of the river.
The EPA is proposing bank-to-bank dredging – one of the largest volumes ever to be dredged under the EPA’s Superfund program – followed by capping of the river bottom.
The proposed plan is based on an extensive seven-year study of the lower eight miles of the river, known as a focused feasibility study, and was developed in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and with outreach to representatives of the many communities along the lower Passaic River. The study examined the contamination and analyzed options for reducing the risks that the contaminants in this segment of the river pose to people’s health and the environment. The EPA will accept public comments on its proposed plan from April 21 to June 20.
The EPA will hold three public meetings to explain the proposal.
* May 7, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Portuguese Sports Club
55 Prospect Street
Newark, New Jersey, 07105
* May 2014 in Kearny, New Jersey
Specific date and location To Be Determined
* June 2014 in Belleville, New Jersey
Specific date and location To Be Determined
“High concentrations of dioxin, PCBs and other contaminants in the lower eight miles of the Passaic River are a serious threat to the people who eat fish and crabs from this river,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “The EPA’s proposed cleanup plan will result in a cleaner river that protects people’s health and increases the productive use of one of New Jersey’s most important natural resources and creates jobs during the cleanup. Doing less is not good enough for this river or the people who live along it.”
A major source of dioxin in the river was pollution from the Diamond Alkali facility in Newark, New Jersey, where the production of Agent Orange and pesticides during the 1960s generated dioxin that contaminated the land and the river. In addition, approximately 100 companies are potentially responsible for generating and releasing dioxin, PCBs, heavy metals, pesticides and other contaminants into the river. Fish and shellfish in the lower Passaic, its tributaries and Newark Bay are highly contaminated with mercury, PCBs and dioxin. Fisheries along the river have long been closed due to the contamination. Catching crabs is prohibited and there are “Do Not Eat” advisories for all fish. Local plans for riverfront development have also been hindered because of sediment contamination. The site was added to the federal Superfund List in 1984.
The lower 17 miles of the Passaic River, which stretches from its mouth at Newark Bay to the Dundee Dam, are part of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site. From 1983 to 2001 extensive cleanup work was conducted on land at the Diamond Alkali facility and in the streets and homes near it. The proposed cleanup plan announced today addresses the lower eight miles of the river portion of the site.
Because of the nature and complexity of the Passaic River contamination, the EPA divided the investigation and consideration of cleanup options into two studies – one of the entire 17-mile stretch of the Lower Passaic from its mouth to the Dundee Dam and the other focused on just the lower eight miles. The study of the lower eight miles was conducted by the EPA. A long-term study of contaminated sediment in the 17-mile stretch is ongoing. It is being conducted by a group of approximately 70 parties potentially responsible for the pollution, with the EPA oversight. Information gained from the 17-mile study was integrated into EPA’s proposal for the cleanup of the lower eight miles. A portion of Newark Bay is also being studied by one of the parties potentially responsible for the contamination.
In the lower Passaic River, there is an approximately 10-to-15-foot deep reservoir of contaminated fine-grained sediment in the lower eight miles of the river. Under this plan, about 4.3 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment will be dredged and removed from the Passaic River. Once the top layer of contaminated sediment is removed from the river, a protective cap will be placed over the area that was dredged. The cap will consist of two feet of sand except along the shore where it will be one foot of sand and one foot of materials to support habitat for fish and plants. The cap will be monitored and maintained to ensure that the cleanup remains protective.
The proposed plan includes several options for managing the contaminated sediment after dredging. Air and water quality will be monitored during the work.
After receiving and considering comments from the public, the EPA will finalize a cleanup plan by early next year. Once a plan is finalized, engineering and design work necessary to carry out the plan will be done in the following years.
The proposed plan builds on dredging that has already occurred in two smaller areas with high concentrations of contaminants. In 2012, the EPA oversaw dredging in the Passaic near the Diamond Alkali facility in Newark. About 40,000 cubic yards of the most highly dioxin contaminated sediment were removed, treated and then transported by rail to licensed disposal facilities. In 2013, the EPA oversaw dredging of approximately 16,000 cubic yards of highly contaminated sediment from a half-mile stretch of the Passaic River that runs by Riverside County Park North in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. This area is located about 11 miles north of the river mouth and outside of the lower eight miles addressed in today’s proposed plan. The work, which is ongoing, was necessary because the EPA identified particularly high levels of contamination in the sediment in this portion of the river.
The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to taxpayers. The EPA searches for parties legally responsible for the contamination at sites that are placed on the Superfund list and seeks to hold those parties accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups. Most of the work to-date to clean up the Passaic has been performed by parties responsible for the contamination. The EPA will similarly pursue agreements to ensure that the cleanup work proposed today be carried out and paid for by those responsible for the contamination at the site.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
BIG CHILL BRINGS BIG ICE OVER THE GREAT LAKES
On Feb. 19, 2014 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite flew over the Great Lakes and captured this striking false-colored image of the heavily frozen Great Lakes – one of the hardest freeze-ups in four decades. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), ice cover on North America’s Great Lakes peaked at 88.42% on Feb. 12-13 – a percentage not recorded since 1994. The ice extent has surpassed 80% just five times in four decades. The average maximum ice extent since 1973 is just over 50%. Unusually cold temperatures in the first two months of the year, especially in January, are responsible for the high ice coverage. Very cold air blowing over the surface of the water removes heat from the water at the surface. When the surface temperature drops to freezing, a thin layer of surface ice begins to form. Once ice formation begins, persistently cold temperatures, with or without wind, is the major factor in thickening ice. This false-color image uses a combination of shortwave infrared, near infrared and red (MODIS bands 7,2,1) to help distinguish ice from snow, water and clouds. Open, unfrozen water appears inky blue-black. Ice is pale blue, with thicker ice appearing brighter and thin, melting ice appearing a darker true-blue. Snow appears blue-green. Clouds are white to blue-green, with the colder or icy clouds appearing blue-green to blue. Image Credit: NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
2 MEN PLEAD GUILTY FOR ROLES IN NARWHAL TUSKS TRAFFICKING SCHEME
FROM: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Tennessee Men Plead Guilty to Illegally Trafficking Narwhal Tusks
Jay G. Conrad, of Lakeland, Tenn., pleaded guilty today in the District of Maine to conspiring to illegally import and traffic narwhal tusks, conspiring to launder money, and illegally trafficking narwhal tusks, announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division . A plea agreement was also unsealed today in which Eddie T. Dunn, of Eads, Tenn., pleaded guilty in the District of Alaska to conspiring to illegally traffic, and trafficking, narwhal tusks.
According to the plea agreements, beginning in approximately 2003, Dunn and Conrad partnered to buy more than 100 narwhal tusks from a Canadian resident who each knew had illegally imported the tusks from Canada into Maine. After receiving the tusks in Tennessee, Dunn and Conrad marketed and sold the tusks using a combination of internet sales via the “Ebay” auction website and direct sales to known buyers and collectors of ivory. Buyers were located throughout the United States, including in Alaska and Washington. Throughout the conspiracy, Dunn and Conrad made payments to the Canadian supplier for the narwhal tusks by sending the payment to a mailing address in Bangor, Maine, or directly to the supplier in Canada. The payments allowed the Canadian supplier to purchase and re-supply Dunn and Conrad with more narwhal tusks that they could then re-sell. Dunn sold approximately $1.1 million worth of narwhal tusks and Conrad sold between $400,000 and $1 million worth of narwhal tusks as members of the conspiracy.
“In this conspiracy, Dunn and Conrad flouted U.S. law and international agreements that protect marine mammals like the narwhal from commercial exploitation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Dreher. “If left unchecked, this illegal trade has the potential to irreparably harm the species. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute wildlife traffickers in order to protect these species for future generations to enjoy.”
“The cooperation between Service and NOAA investigators and between the United States and Canada that led to these prosecutions reflects the type of partnerships needed to protect narwhals and other species worldwide from wildlife trafficking,” said William C. Woody, Assistant Director for Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“NOAA OLE takes the unlawful importation of protected marine mammals very seriously,” said NOAA-Office of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Logan Gregory. “NOAA OLE will continue to investigate those who unlawfully import marine mammal products and profit from marine protected species such as the narwhal.”
“This investigation uncovered and dismantled a wildlife trafficking network that spanned from New Brunswick to Tennessee and reached as far as Alaska,” said Karen Loeffler, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. “The results reached demonstrate the close cooperation between the United States and Canada and their law enforcement officers whose duty it is to investigate, stop and deter those who illegally target diminishing wildlife resources and do so for commercial gain.”
A narwhal is a medium-sized whale with an extremely long tusk that projects from its upper left jaw. Narwhals are marine mammals protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is illegal to import parts of marine mammals into the United States without the requisite permits/certifications, and without declaring the merchandise at the time of importation to U.S. Customs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Narwhal tusks are commonly collected for display purposes and can fetch large sums of money.
Dunn is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline in the District of Alaska on March 20, 2014. The maximum penalty Dunn faces for conspiring to illegally traffic, and trafficking, narwhal tusks is five years of incarceration and a fine of $250,000. The maximum penalty Conrad faces for conspiring to illegally import and illegally traffic narwhal tusks, conspiring to commit money laundering crimes and illegally trafficking narwhal tusks is twenty years of incarceration and a fine of $250,000. The trial of Co-defendant Andrew J. Zarauskas is set to begin in Bangor, Maine, on February 4, 2014. Co-defendant Gregory R. Logan is pending extradition from Canada to the District of Maine.
These cases are part of Operation Nanook, a multi-agency effort to detect, deter and prosecute those engaged in the unlawful trafficking of narwhal tusks. The cases were investigated by agents from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement, with extensive support and collaboration from Environment Canada, Wildlife Enforcement. The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Todd S. Mikolop of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven E. Skrocki of the District of Alaska.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Tennessee Men Plead Guilty to Illegally Trafficking Narwhal Tusks
Jay G. Conrad, of Lakeland, Tenn., pleaded guilty today in the District of Maine to conspiring to illegally import and traffic narwhal tusks, conspiring to launder money, and illegally trafficking narwhal tusks, announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division . A plea agreement was also unsealed today in which Eddie T. Dunn, of Eads, Tenn., pleaded guilty in the District of Alaska to conspiring to illegally traffic, and trafficking, narwhal tusks.
According to the plea agreements, beginning in approximately 2003, Dunn and Conrad partnered to buy more than 100 narwhal tusks from a Canadian resident who each knew had illegally imported the tusks from Canada into Maine. After receiving the tusks in Tennessee, Dunn and Conrad marketed and sold the tusks using a combination of internet sales via the “Ebay” auction website and direct sales to known buyers and collectors of ivory. Buyers were located throughout the United States, including in Alaska and Washington. Throughout the conspiracy, Dunn and Conrad made payments to the Canadian supplier for the narwhal tusks by sending the payment to a mailing address in Bangor, Maine, or directly to the supplier in Canada. The payments allowed the Canadian supplier to purchase and re-supply Dunn and Conrad with more narwhal tusks that they could then re-sell. Dunn sold approximately $1.1 million worth of narwhal tusks and Conrad sold between $400,000 and $1 million worth of narwhal tusks as members of the conspiracy.
“In this conspiracy, Dunn and Conrad flouted U.S. law and international agreements that protect marine mammals like the narwhal from commercial exploitation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Dreher. “If left unchecked, this illegal trade has the potential to irreparably harm the species. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute wildlife traffickers in order to protect these species for future generations to enjoy.”
“The cooperation between Service and NOAA investigators and between the United States and Canada that led to these prosecutions reflects the type of partnerships needed to protect narwhals and other species worldwide from wildlife trafficking,” said William C. Woody, Assistant Director for Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“NOAA OLE takes the unlawful importation of protected marine mammals very seriously,” said NOAA-Office of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Logan Gregory. “NOAA OLE will continue to investigate those who unlawfully import marine mammal products and profit from marine protected species such as the narwhal.”
“This investigation uncovered and dismantled a wildlife trafficking network that spanned from New Brunswick to Tennessee and reached as far as Alaska,” said Karen Loeffler, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. “The results reached demonstrate the close cooperation between the United States and Canada and their law enforcement officers whose duty it is to investigate, stop and deter those who illegally target diminishing wildlife resources and do so for commercial gain.”
A narwhal is a medium-sized whale with an extremely long tusk that projects from its upper left jaw. Narwhals are marine mammals protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is illegal to import parts of marine mammals into the United States without the requisite permits/certifications, and without declaring the merchandise at the time of importation to U.S. Customs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Narwhal tusks are commonly collected for display purposes and can fetch large sums of money.
Dunn is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline in the District of Alaska on March 20, 2014. The maximum penalty Dunn faces for conspiring to illegally traffic, and trafficking, narwhal tusks is five years of incarceration and a fine of $250,000. The maximum penalty Conrad faces for conspiring to illegally import and illegally traffic narwhal tusks, conspiring to commit money laundering crimes and illegally trafficking narwhal tusks is twenty years of incarceration and a fine of $250,000. The trial of Co-defendant Andrew J. Zarauskas is set to begin in Bangor, Maine, on February 4, 2014. Co-defendant Gregory R. Logan is pending extradition from Canada to the District of Maine.
These cases are part of Operation Nanook, a multi-agency effort to detect, deter and prosecute those engaged in the unlawful trafficking of narwhal tusks. The cases were investigated by agents from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement, with extensive support and collaboration from Environment Canada, Wildlife Enforcement. The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Todd S. Mikolop of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven E. Skrocki of the District of Alaska.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH TRAFFICKING OF NARWHAL TUSKS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Canadian Citizen Arrested for Money Laundering in Connection with Illegal Importation and Trafficking of Narwhal Tusks
A Canadian man was arrested today in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, on an extradition warrant requested by the United States for money laundering crimes related to the illegal importation and illegal trafficking of narwhal tusks, announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division .
On Nov. 14, 2012, a federal grand jury sitting in Bangor, Maine, returned an indictment that was partially unsealed today upon the arrest of Gregory R. Logan of Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada. The indictment also names Jay G. Conrad of Lakeland, Tenn., and Andrew L. Zarauskas of Union, N.J. Logan was arrested on charges in the indictment for money laundering conspiracy and substantive money laundering violations. The indictment also charges Conrad and Zarauskas with conspiracy to smuggle narwhal tusks, money laundering conspiracy, smuggling narwhal tusks and money laundering violations. According to the indictment, Logan illegally laundered the money earned from his illegal imports and sales of narwhal tusks in the United States. It further charges that Conrad and Zarauskas bought the narwhal tusks from Logan, knowing the tusks had been illegally imported into the United States, and sold or attempted to sell the tusks after their illegal importation.
The arrest of Logan on an extradition warrant in Canada begins the extradition process to the U.S. The extradition process is governed by a 1971 extradition treaty between the U.S. and Canada.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted of these charges, the defendants each face up to twenty years in prison on each of the most serious charges, as well as fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Todd S. Mikolop of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Canadian Citizen Arrested for Money Laundering in Connection with Illegal Importation and Trafficking of Narwhal Tusks
A Canadian man was arrested today in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, on an extradition warrant requested by the United States for money laundering crimes related to the illegal importation and illegal trafficking of narwhal tusks, announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division .
On Nov. 14, 2012, a federal grand jury sitting in Bangor, Maine, returned an indictment that was partially unsealed today upon the arrest of Gregory R. Logan of Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada. The indictment also names Jay G. Conrad of Lakeland, Tenn., and Andrew L. Zarauskas of Union, N.J. Logan was arrested on charges in the indictment for money laundering conspiracy and substantive money laundering violations. The indictment also charges Conrad and Zarauskas with conspiracy to smuggle narwhal tusks, money laundering conspiracy, smuggling narwhal tusks and money laundering violations. According to the indictment, Logan illegally laundered the money earned from his illegal imports and sales of narwhal tusks in the United States. It further charges that Conrad and Zarauskas bought the narwhal tusks from Logan, knowing the tusks had been illegally imported into the United States, and sold or attempted to sell the tusks after their illegal importation.
The arrest of Logan on an extradition warrant in Canada begins the extradition process to the U.S. The extradition process is governed by a 1971 extradition treaty between the U.S. and Canada.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted of these charges, the defendants each face up to twenty years in prison on each of the most serious charges, as well as fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Todd S. Mikolop of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs.
Monday, August 12, 2013
THE CHANGES IN SEASONAL CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Seasonal carbon dioxide range expanding as more is added to Earth's atmosphere
Northern Hemisphere land-based ecosystems "taking deeper breaths," scientists find
Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rise and fall each year as plants, through photosynthesis and respiration, take up the gas in spring and summer, and release it in fall and winter.
Now the range of that cycle is expanding as more carbon dioxide is emitted from burning fossil fuels and other human activities, according to a study led by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO).
The findings come from a multi-year airborne survey of atmospheric chemistry called HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations, or HIPPO.
Results of the study are reported in a paper published online this week by the journal Science.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), along with the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of Naval Research funded the study.
"This research provides dramatic evidence of the significant influence the land-based biosphere can have on the amplitude [amount of change] in seasonal trends of carbon dioxide exchange," says Sylvia Edgerton, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, which funded the research.
Observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide made by aircraft at altitudes between 3 and 6 kilometers (10,000-20,000 feet) show that seasonal carbon dioxide variations have substantially changed during the last 50 years.
The amplitude increased by roughly 50 percent across high latitude regions north of 45° N, compared with previous aircraft observations from the late 1950s and early 1960s.
This means that more carbon is accumulating in forests and other vegetation and soils in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer, and more carbon is being released in the fall and winter, says study lead scientist Heather Graven of SIO.
It's not yet understood, she says, why the increase in seasonal amplitude of carbon dioxide concentration is so large, but it's a clear signal of widespread changes in northern ecosystems.
"The atmospheric carbon dioxide observations are important because they show the combined effect of ecological changes over large regions," says Graven.
"This reinforces ground-based studies that show that substantial changes are occurring as a result of rising carbon dioxide concentrations, warming temperatures and changing land management, including the expansion of forests in some regions and the poleward migration of ecosystems."
Adds Peter Milne, a program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, "We can easily measure the greenhouse gas budget from a single smokestack, but somewhat less well for a stand of trees. Knowing that for the entire planet is much more challenging.
"Taking advantage of the long-duration and high-altitude-profiling capabilities of the NSF Gulfstream V aircraft [also known as HIAPER], the HIPPO project was designed to take a 'snapshot' of the global troposphere [Earth's lowest atmospheric layer] to see whether we can explain and model greenhouse gas distribution."
In the study, the scientists compared the recent aircraft data with aircraft data gathered from 1958 to 1961 using U.S. Air Force weather reconnaissance flights.
The older data were analyzed by SIO geochemist Charles David Keeling, the father of Ralph Keeling, also an SIO scientist and a member of the research team.
These aircraft measurements were done at the time Charles Keeling was beginning continuous carbon dioxide measurements at Mauna Loa, Hawaii.
While the Mauna Loa measurements are now widely recognized as the "Keeling Curve," the early aircraft data were all-but-forgotten.
Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have varied between 170 and 280 parts per million during the last 800,000 years.
When Charles Keeling began collecting data at Mauna Loa in 1958, the concentration had risen to about 315 parts per million.
In May, 2013, daily carbon dioxide measurements at Mauna Loa exceeded 400 parts per million--for the first time in human history.
Recent observations aboard the Gulfstream V were made during regular flights conducted during the HIPPO campaign, from 2009 to 2011.
The aircraft repeatedly ascended and descended from a few hundred meters to roughly 12 kilometers (40,000 feet) in the skies between the North Pole and Antarctica. The goal was constructing a unique snapshot of the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
Additional recent data comes from regular flights conducted by NOAA at a network of locations.
Increasing carbon dioxide amplitude since 1960 had already been observed at two ground-based stations: Mauna Loa and Barrow, Alaska.
Other stations operated by Scripps and NOAA only began measuring carbon dioxide in the 1970s to 1990s.
The aircraft-based observations uniquely show the large area in northern high latitudes where carbon dioxide amplitude increased strongly since 1960.
The exact reasons for the wider seasonal swings in carbon dioxide concentration remain to be determined, say the researchers.
Although plant activity can increase with warmer temperatures and higher carbon dioxide concentrations, the change in carbon dioxide amplitude over the last 50 years is larger than expected from these effects.
Carbon dioxide concentration has increased by 23 percent, and average temperature north of 30°N has increased by one degree C, since 1960.
Other factors may be changes in the amount of carbon in leaves, wood or roots; changes in the extent or species composition of ecosystems; or changes in the timing of plant photosynthesis and respiration.
Simulating complex processes in land-based ecosystems with models is a challenge, scientists have found.
The observed change in carbon dioxide amplitude is larger than that simulated by models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
While this underestimate does not call into question the response of climate to carbon dioxide concentration in the IPCC models, the researchers say, it does suggest that a better understanding of what happened during the last 50 years could improve projections of future ecosystem changes.
The bottom line, according to Graven, Ralph Keeling and colleagues, is that Northern ecosystems appear to be behaving differently than they did 50 years ago.
In addition to Graven and Ralph Keeling, Science paper co-authors include Stephen Piper, Lisa Welp and Jonathan Bent of SIO; Prabir Patra of the Research Institute for Global Change in Yokohama, Japan; Britton Stephens of NCAR; Steven Wofsy, Bruce Daube and Gregory Santoni of Harvard University; Colm Sweeney of NOAA and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Pieter Tans of NOAA; John Kelley of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and Eric Kort of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
Seasonal carbon dioxide range expanding as more is added to Earth's atmosphere
Northern Hemisphere land-based ecosystems "taking deeper breaths," scientists find
Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rise and fall each year as plants, through photosynthesis and respiration, take up the gas in spring and summer, and release it in fall and winter.
Now the range of that cycle is expanding as more carbon dioxide is emitted from burning fossil fuels and other human activities, according to a study led by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO).
The findings come from a multi-year airborne survey of atmospheric chemistry called HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations, or HIPPO.
Results of the study are reported in a paper published online this week by the journal Science.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), along with the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of Naval Research funded the study.
"This research provides dramatic evidence of the significant influence the land-based biosphere can have on the amplitude [amount of change] in seasonal trends of carbon dioxide exchange," says Sylvia Edgerton, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, which funded the research.
Observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide made by aircraft at altitudes between 3 and 6 kilometers (10,000-20,000 feet) show that seasonal carbon dioxide variations have substantially changed during the last 50 years.
The amplitude increased by roughly 50 percent across high latitude regions north of 45° N, compared with previous aircraft observations from the late 1950s and early 1960s.
This means that more carbon is accumulating in forests and other vegetation and soils in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer, and more carbon is being released in the fall and winter, says study lead scientist Heather Graven of SIO.
It's not yet understood, she says, why the increase in seasonal amplitude of carbon dioxide concentration is so large, but it's a clear signal of widespread changes in northern ecosystems.
"The atmospheric carbon dioxide observations are important because they show the combined effect of ecological changes over large regions," says Graven.
"This reinforces ground-based studies that show that substantial changes are occurring as a result of rising carbon dioxide concentrations, warming temperatures and changing land management, including the expansion of forests in some regions and the poleward migration of ecosystems."
Adds Peter Milne, a program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, "We can easily measure the greenhouse gas budget from a single smokestack, but somewhat less well for a stand of trees. Knowing that for the entire planet is much more challenging.
"Taking advantage of the long-duration and high-altitude-profiling capabilities of the NSF Gulfstream V aircraft [also known as HIAPER], the HIPPO project was designed to take a 'snapshot' of the global troposphere [Earth's lowest atmospheric layer] to see whether we can explain and model greenhouse gas distribution."
In the study, the scientists compared the recent aircraft data with aircraft data gathered from 1958 to 1961 using U.S. Air Force weather reconnaissance flights.
The older data were analyzed by SIO geochemist Charles David Keeling, the father of Ralph Keeling, also an SIO scientist and a member of the research team.
These aircraft measurements were done at the time Charles Keeling was beginning continuous carbon dioxide measurements at Mauna Loa, Hawaii.
While the Mauna Loa measurements are now widely recognized as the "Keeling Curve," the early aircraft data were all-but-forgotten.
Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have varied between 170 and 280 parts per million during the last 800,000 years.
When Charles Keeling began collecting data at Mauna Loa in 1958, the concentration had risen to about 315 parts per million.
In May, 2013, daily carbon dioxide measurements at Mauna Loa exceeded 400 parts per million--for the first time in human history.
Recent observations aboard the Gulfstream V were made during regular flights conducted during the HIPPO campaign, from 2009 to 2011.
The aircraft repeatedly ascended and descended from a few hundred meters to roughly 12 kilometers (40,000 feet) in the skies between the North Pole and Antarctica. The goal was constructing a unique snapshot of the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
Additional recent data comes from regular flights conducted by NOAA at a network of locations.
Increasing carbon dioxide amplitude since 1960 had already been observed at two ground-based stations: Mauna Loa and Barrow, Alaska.
Other stations operated by Scripps and NOAA only began measuring carbon dioxide in the 1970s to 1990s.
The aircraft-based observations uniquely show the large area in northern high latitudes where carbon dioxide amplitude increased strongly since 1960.
The exact reasons for the wider seasonal swings in carbon dioxide concentration remain to be determined, say the researchers.
Although plant activity can increase with warmer temperatures and higher carbon dioxide concentrations, the change in carbon dioxide amplitude over the last 50 years is larger than expected from these effects.
Carbon dioxide concentration has increased by 23 percent, and average temperature north of 30°N has increased by one degree C, since 1960.
Other factors may be changes in the amount of carbon in leaves, wood or roots; changes in the extent or species composition of ecosystems; or changes in the timing of plant photosynthesis and respiration.
Simulating complex processes in land-based ecosystems with models is a challenge, scientists have found.
The observed change in carbon dioxide amplitude is larger than that simulated by models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
While this underestimate does not call into question the response of climate to carbon dioxide concentration in the IPCC models, the researchers say, it does suggest that a better understanding of what happened during the last 50 years could improve projections of future ecosystem changes.
The bottom line, according to Graven, Ralph Keeling and colleagues, is that Northern ecosystems appear to be behaving differently than they did 50 years ago.
In addition to Graven and Ralph Keeling, Science paper co-authors include Stephen Piper, Lisa Welp and Jonathan Bent of SIO; Prabir Patra of the Research Institute for Global Change in Yokohama, Japan; Britton Stephens of NCAR; Steven Wofsy, Bruce Daube and Gregory Santoni of Harvard University; Colm Sweeney of NOAA and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Pieter Tans of NOAA; John Kelley of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and Eric Kort of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
Friday, April 5, 2013
LOW, THIN CLOUDS AND THE RECORD BREAKING MELTING OF THE GREENLAND ICE SHEET
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| Photo: Greenland Ice Sheet. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. |
Thin, Low Arctic Clouds Played an Important Role in Widespread 2012 Greenland Ice Sheet Melt
Clouds over the central Greenland Ice Sheet last July were "just right" for driving surface temperatures there above the melting point, according to a new study by scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The study, published in the April 4 edition of the journal Nature, found that thin, low-lying clouds allowed the sun's energy to pass through and warm the surface of the ice, while at the same time trapping heat near the surface of the ice cap. This combination played a significant role in last summer's record-breaking melt.
"It's kind of like the story of Goldilocks," said Von P. Walden, a co-author of the paper and principal investigator for the NSF-funded Integrated Characterization of Energy, Clouds, atmospheric State, and Precipitation at Summit (ICECAPS) project.
"If the sky had no clouds on July 11th, it would have been too clear and cold to melt the surface. But if the clouds were too thick, it also would have been too cloudy and cold. The thin, liquid-water clouds were just right for melting the surface snow," he said.
ICECAPS is part of NSF's developing Arctic Observing Network (AON), which encompasses physical, biological and human observations--including indigenous knowledge--of the land, ocean and atmosphere. Data from the AON will enable the interagency, U.S. government initiative--the Study of Environmental Arctic Change--to get a handle on a wide-ranging series of significant and rapid changes occurring in the Arctic.
"Clouds are still one of the greatest uncertainties in climate models. Even though the current climate models are generally correct, we need better measurements to improve them," said Walden, a professor in the geography department at the University of Idaho. "We're doing this to avoid future surprises, and we need to expand our knowledge of the details of how the climate operates."
The new findings, Walden added, not only have important implications for the study of the climate in the Arctic, but also provided a measure of "ground-truthing" for evidence found in ice cores--cylinders of ice drilled out of the ice sheet--that similar melting events have occurred in the past. According to ice-core records, the last time the surface at Summit experienced any degree of melting was in 1889, but it is not known whether this extended across the entire ice sheet.
Matthew Shupe, an ICECAPS investigator and a research meteorologist with NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado and the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory added, "to understand the region's future, you'll need to understand its clouds. Our finding has implications for the fate of ice throughout the Arctic."
Scientists around the world are trying to understand how quickly Greenland is warming because ice melt there contributes to sea level rise globally. The Greenland Ice Sheet is second only to Antarctica in ice volume. In July, more than 97 percent of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface experienced some degree of melting, including at NSF‘s Summit Station, high atop the ice sheet, where the ICECAPS experiment is located.
To investigate whether clouds contributed to, or counteracted, the surface warming that melted the ice, the authors modeled the near-surface conditions. The model was based on observations from a suite of sophisticated atmospheric sensors operated as part of the ICECAPS experiment.
"The July 2012 ice melt was triggered by an influx of unusually warm air sweeping in from North America, but that was only one factor," said David Turner, research meteorologist with the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory and one of the lead investigators. "In our paper, we show that low-lying clouds containing a low amount of condensed water were instrumental in pushing surface air temperatures up above freezing and causing the surface ice to melt."
Clouds can cool the surface by reflecting solar energy back into space, and can warm it by radiating heat energy back down to the surface. The balance of those two processes depends on many factors, including wind speed, turbulence, humidity and cloud "thickness," or liquid water content.
In certain conditions, these clouds can be thin enough to allow some solar radiation to pass through, while still "trapping" infrared radiation at ground level. That is exactly what happened last July: the clouds were just right for maximum surface warming. Thicker clouds would have reflected away more solar radiation; thinner ones couldn't have trapped as much heat, and in either of those cases, there would have been less surface warming.
The researchers also found these thin, low-lying liquid clouds occur 30 to 50 percent of the time in summer, both over Greenland and across the Arctic. Current climate models tend to underestimate their occurrence in the Arctic, which limits those models' ability to predict how clouds and their warming or cooling effects may respond to climate change.
"The cloud properties and atmospheric processes observed with the Summit Station instrument array provide a unique dataset to answer the large range of scientific questions we want to address," said Turner. "Clouds play a big role in the surface mass and energy budgets over the Greenland Ice Sheet. Melting of the world's major ice sheets can significantly impact human and environmental conditions via its contribution to sea-level rise."
Better understanding of clouds also improves climate models.
"Our results may help to explain some of the difficulties that current global climate models have in simulating the Arctic surface energy budget, including the contributions of clouds," said Ralf Bennartz, lead author for the study and an ICECAPS investigator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"Above all, this study highlights the importance of continuous and detailed ground-based observations over the Greenland Ice Sheet and elsewhere. Only such detailed observations will lead to a better understanding of the processes that drive Arctic climate."
-NSF-
Sunday, February 10, 2013
2013 WINTER STORM IN NEW ENGLAND
FROM: NASA
Two Systems Become One Historic Blizzard
Two low pressure systems merged over New England around midnight (EST) on Feb. 9, 2013. This animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9 shows the two systems coming together and creating a blizzard of historic proportions in New England. On Feb. 9 at 4 a.m. hundreds of thousands of people were without power in Massachusetts alone. Credit: NASA GOES Project
Saturday, February 9, 2013
THE NOR'EASTER APPROACHES AS SEEN FROM SPACE
FROM: NASA
Powerful Nor'easter Coming Together
A massive winter storm is coming together as two low pressure systems are merging over the U.S. East Coast. A satellite image from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite on Feb. 8 shows a western frontal system approaching the coastal low pressure area.
The satellite image, captured at 9:01 a.m. EST, shows clouds associated with the western frontal system stretching from Canada through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, into the Gulf of Mexico. The comma-shaped low pressure system located over the Atlantic, east of Virginia, is forecast to merge with the front and create a powerful nor'easter. The National Weather Service expects the merged storm to move northeast and drop between two to three feet of snow in parts of New England.
Credit: NASA
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
AUSTRAILIA BURNING AND GLOWING
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| NASA Earth Observatory images by Robert Simmon |
Two weeks ago, we
published a new map of the Earth at night, built by Earth Observatory designers together with colleagues at the National Geophysical Data Center. That map—made possible by a new NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite—showed the footprint of human civilization on the planet, as revealed by the lights we use to brighten the darkness.
But it turns out the map showed something more. Astute readers noticed lights in areas that were thought to be uninhabited. Many of those readers pointed to Western Australia and asked: How can there be so much light there?
The top image above shows the night lights of Australia as observed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012. The composite image includes manmade light sources and the light of wildfires. The data were acquired over nine days in April 2012 and thirteen days in October 2012, and it took the satellite 312 orbits and 2.5 terabytes of data to get a clear shot of every parcel of Earth’s land surface.
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| NASA Earth Observatory images by Robert Simmon |
The second map is a mosaic showing the burned areas of the landscape (red) from October 11–24, 2012, combined with urban areas (black). The data were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Terra and HYPERLINK "http://aqua.nasa.gov/"Aqua satellites. In effect, the map shows where fires burned that month. Though many rural areas of interior Australia are dry and relatively barren by some standards, there is still enough vegetation to burn, as you can see by clicking on this view from the International Space Station and others from the MODIS instruments.
The extent of the lighting in the Outback and bush country is a function of composite imaging. Fires and other lights that were detected on one day were integrated into the composite, multi-day picture despite being temporary phenomena. Because different lands burned at different times that the satellite passed over, the cumulative result is the appearance of a massive blaze. But while the cities are fixed, the fires were temporary, moveable features. The night lights data set is a scientific work in progress, and the maps will be refined and improved over time.
Not every light in the night view matches up with a fire—partly because the fire map does not include fires from April and partly because not every fire leaves a scar that is detectable from space. Even simple cloud cover could prevent burn scars from being observed.
Aside from the fires, some of the night lights appearing in uninhabited areas can be attributed to natural gas flares, lightning, oil drilling or mining operations, and fishing boats—all of which can show up as points of light. One example is natural gas drilling in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota; another is the fishing boats plying the seas of Asia.
And ultimately, the new images of Earth at night are ripe for new discoveries. It’s easy to say that lands are uninhabited or barren—that there’s nothing out there to make light. But the satellite says there is light, so we should probably go take a look at what we have been overlooking or simply could not see before.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Robert Simmon, using Suomi NPP VIIRS data provided by Chris Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center); MODIS Active Fire & Burned Area Products; and urban data from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. Suomi NPP is the result of a partnership between NASA, NOAA, and the Department of Defense. Caption by Michael Carlowicz.
Friday, December 28, 2012
NIGHT LIFE IN SPACE
FROM: NASA
Earth at Night
This view of Earth at night is a cloud-free view from space as acquired by the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Satellite. A joint program by NASA and NOAA, Suomi NPP captured this nighttime image by the day-night band of the satellite's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite VIIRS. It combines the Earth at night view created by NASA's Earth Observatory with data processed by NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center with the EO Blue Marble: Next Generation.
Credit-NASA Goddard-NASA's Earth Observatory-NOAA-DOD
Earth at Night
This view of Earth at night is a cloud-free view from space as acquired by the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Satellite. A joint program by NASA and NOAA, Suomi NPP captured this nighttime image by the day-night band of the satellite's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite VIIRS. It combines the Earth at night view created by NASA's Earth Observatory with data processed by NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center with the EO Blue Marble: Next Generation.
Credit-NASA Goddard-NASA's Earth Observatory-NOAA-DOD
Monday, December 3, 2012
THE UNSINKING OF THE USS MONITOR: U.S. NAVY HISTORICAL PHOTOS
FROM: U.S. NAVY, USS MONITOR
010627-N-5329L-002 Atlantic Ocean (June 27, 2001) – U.S. Navy diver, Gunner's Mate 1st Class James C. Burger from Henne Pin, IL, pulls on a chain fall rigged to the civil war era "iron-clad" ship USS Monitor. Divers are working from the Derrick Barge "Wotan", which is acting as the main support vessel during the Monitor 2001 Expedition, the sixth joint U.S. Navy and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expedition to preserve the historic vessel. The ship went down off the coast of Cape Hatteras, NC, in 1862 during a severe storm. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Petty Officer Eric Lippmann. (RELEASED)
010703-N-5329L-005 Atlantic Ocean (July 3, 2001) – U.S. Navy diver, Senior Chief Engineman Bill Staples from Somersworth, N.H., uses a hammer and chisel to free deck plating from the historic wreck of USS Monitor. Staples and other U.S. Navy saturation divers are working around the clock with archaeologists from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to salvage the main engine and other artifacts from the wreck to be preserved and later displayed at The Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA. Divers are working from the Derrick Barge "Wotan", which is acting as the main support vessel during the Monitor 2001 Expedition, the sixth joint U.S. Navy and NOAA expedition to preserve the historic vessel. The ship went down off the coast of Cape Hatteras, NC, in 1862 during a severe storm. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Petty Officer Eric Lippmann. (RELEASED)
Sunday, October 28, 2012
ANTARTIC OZONE HOLE 2ND SMALLEST IN LAST 20 YEARS
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| Antarctic Native Dancer. Credit: NASA |
2012 Antarctic Ozone Hole Second Smallest in 20 Years
WASHINGTON -- The average area covered by the Antarctic ozone hole this year was the second smallest in the last 20 years, according to data from NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites. Scientists attribute the change to warmer temperatures in the Antarctic lower stratosphere.
The ozone hole reached its maximum size Sept. 22, covering 8.2 million square miles (21.2 million square kilometers), or the area of the United States, Canada and Mexico combined. The average size of the 2012 ozone hole was 6.9 million square miles (17.9 million square kilometers). The Sept. 6, 2000 ozone hole was the largest on record at 11.5 million square miles (29.9 million square kilometers).
"The ozone hole mainly is caused by chlorine from human-produced chemicals, and these chlorine levels are still sizable in the Antarctic stratosphere," said NASA atmospheric scientist Paul Newman of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Natural fluctuations in weather patterns resulted in warmer stratospheric temperatures this year. These temperatures led to a smaller ozone hole."
The ozone layer acts as Earth's natural shield against ultraviolet radiation, which can cause skin cancer. The ozone hole phenomenon began making a yearly appearance in the early 1980s. The Antarctic ozone layer likely will not return to its early 1980s state until about 2065, Newman said. The lengthy recovery is because of the long lifetimes of ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere. Overall atmospheric ozone no longer is declining as concentrations of ozone-depleting substances decrease. The decrease is the result of an international agreement regulating the production of certain chemicals.
This year also showed a change in the concentration of ozone over the Antarctic. The minimum value of total ozone in the ozone hole was the second highest level in two decades. Total ozone, measured in Dobson units (DU), reached 124 DU on Oct. 1. NOAA ground-based measurements at the South Pole recorded 136 DU on Oct. 5. When the ozone hole is not present, total ozone typically ranges from 240-500 DU.
This is the first year growth of the ozone hole has been observed by an ozone-monitoring instrument on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite. The instrument, called the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS), is based on previous instruments, such as the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet instrument (SBUV/2), which have flown on multiple satellites. OMPS continues a satellite record dating back to the early 1970s.
In addition to observing the annual formation and extent of the ozone hole, scientists hope OMPS will help them better understand ozone destruction in the middle and upper stratosphere with its Nadir Profiler. Ozone variations in the lower stratosphere will be measured with its Limb Profiler.
"OMPS Limb looks sideways, and it can measure ozone as a function of height," said Pawan K. Bhartia, a NASA atmospheric physicist and OMPS Limb instrument lead. "This OMPS instrument allows us to more closely see the vertical development of Antarctic ozone depletion in the lower stratosphere where the ozone hole occurs."
NASA and NOAA have been monitoring the ozone layer on the ground and with a variety of instruments on satellites and balloons since the 1970s. Long-term ozone monitoring instruments have included TOMS, SBUV/2, Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment series of instruments, the Microwave Limb Sounder, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument, and the OMPS instrument on Suomi NPP. Suomi NPP is a bridging mission leading to the next-generation polar-orbiting environmental satellites called the Joint Polar Satellite System, which will extend ozone monitoring into the 2030s.
NASA and NOAA have a mandate under the Clean Air Act to monitor ozone-depleting gases and stratospheric depletion of ozone. NOAA complies with this mandate by monitoring ozone via ground and satellite measurements. The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., performs the ground-based monitoring. The Climate Prediction Center performs the satellite monitoring.
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