A storm surge , storm flood , tidal surge , or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami -like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones . It is measured as the rise in water level above the normal tidal level, and does not include waves.
139-879: The main meteorological factor contributing to a storm surge is high-speed wind pushing water towards the coast over a long fetch . Other factors affecting storm surge severity include the shallowness and orientation of the water body in the storm path, the timing of tides , and the atmospheric pressure drop due to the storm. As extreme weather becomes more intense and the sea level rises due to climate change , storm surges are expected to cause more risk to coastal populations. Communities and governments can adapt by building hard infrastructure, like surge barriers , soft infrastructure, like coastal dunes or mangroves , improving coastal construction practices and building social strategies such as early warning, education and evacuation plans. At least five processes can be involved in altering tide levels during storms. Wind stresses cause
278-486: A Category 4 hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas , drove a devastating surge ashore; between 6,000 and 12,000 people died, making it the deadliest natural disaster ever to strike the United States. The highest storm tide noted in historical accounts was produced by the 1899 Cyclone Mahina , estimated at almost 44 feet (13.41 m) at Bathurst Bay , Australia , but research published in 2000 concluded that
417-645: A GPS clock for data logging . Upper air data are of crucial importance for weather forecasting. The most widely used technique is launches of radiosondes . Supplementing the radiosondes a network of aircraft collection is organized by the World Meteorological Organization . Remote sensing , as used in meteorology, is the concept of collecting data from remote weather events and subsequently producing weather information. The common types of remote sensing are Radar , Lidar , and satellites (or photogrammetry ). Each collects data about
556-616: A Problem in Mechanics and Physics that it should be possible to forecast weather from calculations based upon natural laws . It was not until later in the 20th century that advances in the understanding of atmospheric physics led to the foundation of modern numerical weather prediction . In 1922, Lewis Fry Richardson published "Weather Prediction By Numerical Process," after finding notes and derivations he worked on as an ambulance driver in World War I. He described how small terms in
695-498: A Roman geographer, formalized the climatic zone system. In 63–64 AD, Seneca wrote Naturales quaestiones . It was a compilation and synthesis of ancient Greek theories. However, theology was of foremost importance to Seneca, and he believed that phenomena such as lightning were tied to fate. The second book(chapter) of Pliny 's Natural History covers meteorology. He states that more than twenty ancient Greek authors studied meteorology. He did not make any personal contributions, and
834-466: A farmer's potential harvest. In 1450, Leone Battista Alberti developed a swinging-plate anemometer , and was known as the first anemometer . In 1607, Galileo Galilei constructed a thermoscope . In 1611, Johannes Kepler wrote the first scientific treatise on snow crystals: "Strena Seu de Nive Sexangula (A New Year's Gift of Hexagonal Snow)." In 1643, Evangelista Torricelli invented the mercury barometer . In 1662, Sir Christopher Wren invented
973-485: A gale was expected. FitzRoy coined the term "weather forecast" and tried to separate scientific approaches from prophetic ones. Over the next 50 years, many countries established national meteorological services. The India Meteorological Department (1875) was established to follow tropical cyclone and monsoon . The Finnish Meteorological Central Office (1881) was formed from part of Magnetic Observatory of Helsinki University . Japan's Tokyo Meteorological Observatory,
1112-630: A group of meteorologists in Norway led by Vilhelm Bjerknes developed the Norwegian cyclone model that explains the generation, intensification and ultimate decay (the life cycle) of mid-latitude cyclones , and introduced the idea of fronts , that is, sharply defined boundaries between air masses . The group included Carl-Gustaf Rossby (who was the first to explain the large scale atmospheric flow in terms of fluid dynamics ), Tor Bergeron (who first determined how rain forms) and Jacob Bjerknes . In
1251-596: A large area for longer periods of time, depending on the system. In North America, extratropical storm surges may occur on the Pacific and Alaska coasts, and north of 31°N on the Atlantic Coast. Coasts with sea ice may experience an "ice tsunami" causing significant damage inland. Extratropical storm surges may be possible further south for the Gulf coast mostly during the wintertime, when extratropical cyclones affect
1390-525: A layer of grey to black calcium carbonate mud, rich in hydrogen sulfide , formed on the bottom. The mud layer is thicker on islands covered by mangrovess , and in banks connecting the islands. Peat and caliche remnants from the Everglades tree islands remain under the islands and banks. As the rising sea level flooded the area that is now Florida Bay between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago, peat deposits from tree islands, shore levees , and irregularities in
1529-486: A legitimate branch of physics. In the 18th century, the invention of the thermometer and barometer allowed for more accurate measurements of temperature and pressure, leading to a better understanding of atmospheric processes. This century also saw the birth of the first meteorological society, the Societas Meteorologica Palatina in 1780. In the 19th century, advances in technology such as
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#17327723540731668-528: A map of MOMs or Maximum of Maximums. For hurricane evacuation studies, a family of storms with representative tracks for the region, and varying intensity, eye diameter, and speed are modeled to produce worst-case water heights for any tropical cyclone occurrence. The results of these studies are typically generated from several thousand SLOSH runs. These studies have been completed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers , under contract to
1807-496: A period up to a year. His system was based on dividing the year by the setting and the rising of the Pleiad, halves into solstices and equinoxes, and the continuity of the weather for those periods. He also divided months into the new moon, fourth day, eighth day and full moon, in likelihood of a change in the weather occurring. The day was divided into sunrise, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon and sunset, with corresponding divisions of
1946-453: A phenomenon referred to as wind setup , which is the tendency for water levels to increase at the downwind shore and to decrease at the upwind shore. Intuitively, this is caused by the storm blowing the water toward one side of the basin in the direction of its winds. Strong surface winds cause surface currents at a 45° angle to the wind direction, by an effect known as the Ekman spiral . Because
2085-476: A rate of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) vertically and 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) laterally over five years, while the leeward (west) side is growing at a rate of 10 centimetres (3.9 in) vertically and 10 to 20 metres (33 to 66 ft) laterally 0ver the same five years. Mud mounds are made up of facies , thin layers of different types of rock. The lowest facies of Upper Cross Bank, 15 to 25 centimetres (5.9 to 9.8 in) thick,
2224-425: A reduction in the amount of vegetation for a few years indicated a sharp increase in salinity. A second core from Russell Bank, also in the central part of the bay, goes back to about 1876. Until about 1884, salinity at the location was greater than 25 ppt. From 1884 to about 1900 salinity was below 25 ppt, and below 18 ppt at times. From about 1900 to about 1910 salinity rose above 25 ppt. From 1910 to 1940, salinity
2363-606: A result, seasons during which algal blooms flourish cause a temporary loss in wildlife. Spotted seatrout populations in the coasted Everglades are declining. As the second most commonly caught species of fish in the Florida Bay, spotted seatrout comprise a large portion of the fishing industry and are integral to the ecosystem as well as surrounding economy. Water temperature of less than 80 °F (27 °C) and salinity levels below 37.5 parts per thousand (ppt) are ideal for seatrout spawning; however, water management stations in
2502-440: A result. Then, following the 2015 drought, extreme temperatures and heightened salinity reduced the amount of oxygen that could remain dissolved in the water, causing periods of anoxia during nighttime and thereby damaging the health of the turtlegrass in the bay. During the summer and fall of 2015, approximately 40,000 acres of seagrass died. Cyanobacterial harmful algae blooms (also known as blue-green algae) have flourished in
2641-491: A series of ecological changes beginning in the late 1980s that have severely altered the ecosystem. Originally, clean freshwater flowed south through the state into the Florida Bay. To support the state's agricultural water needs, namely for sugar cultivation, the water was rerouted and no longer flows into the Bay. The flow of fresh water is believed to have caused environmental issues and loss of native wildlife. The rerouting of
2780-950: A snapshot of a variety of weather conditions at one single location and are usually at a weather station , a ship or a weather buoy . The measurements taken at a weather station can include any number of atmospheric observables. Usually, temperature, pressure , wind measurements, and humidity are the variables that are measured by a thermometer, barometer, anemometer, and hygrometer, respectively. Professional stations may also include air quality sensors ( carbon monoxide , carbon dioxide , methane , ozone , dust , and smoke ), ceilometer (cloud ceiling), falling precipitation sensor, flood sensor , lightning sensor , microphone ( explosions , sonic booms , thunder ), pyranometer / pyrheliometer / spectroradiometer (IR/Vis/UV photodiodes ), rain gauge / snow gauge , scintillation counter ( background radiation , fallout , radon ), seismometer ( earthquakes and tremors), transmissometer (visibility), and
2919-475: A station provides a translation from the geodetic vertical datum to mean sea level (MSL) at that location, then subtracting the tidal prediction yields a surge height above the normal water height. The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecasts storm surge using the SLOSH model, which is an abbreviation for Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes. The model is accurate to within 20 percent. SLOSH inputs include
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#17327723540733058-459: A storm surge. This was the case on the western Florida coast in 2017, just before Hurricane Irma made landfall, uncovering land usually underwater. This phenomenon is known as a reverse storm surge , or a negative storm surge . The deadliest storm surge on record was the 1970 Bhola cyclone , which killed up to 500,000 people in the area of the Bay of Bengal . The low-lying coast of the Bay of Bengal
3197-417: A storm's wind-powered currents. Powerful wind whips up large, strong waves in the direction of its movement. Although these surface waves are responsible for very little water transport in open water, they may be responsible for significant transport near the shore. When waves are breaking on a line more or less parallel to the beach, they carry considerable water shoreward. As they break, the water moving toward
3336-777: Is a basal packstone , which is also found widely on the bottom of basins in the bay. The packstone resembles stone that commonly forms on limestone at the bottom of lakes. The presence of remnants of the algae Halimeda in the packstone may indicate that it formed when the bay was more open. Mud mounds appear to be migrating over the basal packstone in the basins. The basal packstone in the basins has also been reworked by hurricanes. The bay's many basins that are broken up by banks serve as plentiful fishing grounds for snook ( Centropomus undecimalis ), redfish ( Sciaenops ocellatus ), spotted seatrout ( Cynoscion nebulosus) , tarpon ( Megaflops atlanticus), bonefish ( Albula vulpes) , and permit ( Trichinous falcatus) , among others. The bay
3475-459: Is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting . The study of meteorology dates back millennia , though significant progress in meteorology did not begin until the 18th century. The 19th century saw modest progress in the field after weather observation networks were formed across broad regions. Prior attempts at prediction of weather depended on historical data. It
3614-607: Is also responsible for twilight in Opticae thesaurus ; he estimated that twilight begins when the sun is 19 degrees below the horizon , and also used a geometric determination based on this to estimate the maximum possible height of the Earth's atmosphere as 52,000 passim (about 49 miles, or 79 km). Adelard of Bath was one of the early translators of the classics. He also discussed meteorological topics in his Quaestiones naturales . He thought dense air produced propulsion in
3753-483: Is by the deployment of pressure transducers along the coastline just ahead of an approaching tropical cyclone. This was first tested for Hurricane Rita in 2005. These types of sensors can be placed in locations that will be submerged and can accurately measure the height of water above them. After surge from a cyclone has receded, teams of surveyors map high-water marks (HWM) on land, in a rigorous and detailed process that includes photographs and written descriptions of
3892-416: Is defined as the rise of water beyond what would be expected by the normal movement caused by tides, storm surge is measured using tidal predictions, with the assumption that the tide prediction is well-known and only slowly varying in the region subject to the surge. Since tides are a localized phenomenon, storm surge can only be measured in relationship to a nearby tidal station. Tidal benchmark information at
4031-499: Is home to many species of wading birds. Most notably, Roseate spoonbills ( Platalea ajaja ), Reddish egrets ( Egretta rufescens ), and Great White Herons (A rdea herodias occidentalis ) have unique subpopulations that are largely restricted to Florida Bay. Other bird species include Bald eagles , seagulls , pelicans , sandpipers , cormorants , ospreys , and flamingos . Bay land animals include raccoons , opossums , bobcats , and fox squirrels . Florida Bay has undergone
4170-548: Is no sharp boundary between Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the westernmost edge of Florida Bay can be approximated by a line drawn from Long Key to Cape Sable on the mainland, which is very close to the boundary line of Everglades National Park. The northeastern edge of Florida Bay is at Jewfish Creek in Key Largo . Blackwater Sound, southwest of Jewfish Creek, is generally considered part of Florida Bay; Barnes Sound , on
4309-487: Is not mandatory to be hired by the media. Each science has its own unique sets of laboratory equipment. In the atmosphere, there are many things or qualities of the atmosphere that can be measured. Rain, which can be observed, or seen anywhere and anytime was one of the first atmospheric qualities measured historically. Also, two other accurately measured qualities are wind and humidity. Neither of these can be seen but can be felt. The devices to measure these three sprang up in
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4448-676: Is particularly high, there are specific storm surge warnings. These have been implemented, for instance, in the Netherlands , Spain , the United States, and the United Kingdom . Similarly educating coastal communities and developing local evacuation plans can reduce the relative impact on people. A prophylactic method introduced after the North Sea flood of 1953 is the construction of dams and storm-surge barriers ( flood barriers ). They are open and allow free passage, but close when
4587-567: Is particularly vulnerable to surges caused by tropical cyclones. The deadliest storm surge in the twenty-first century was caused by Cyclone Nargis , which killed more than 138,000 people in Myanmar in May 2008. The next deadliest in this century was caused by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which killed more than 6,000 people in the central Philippines in 2013. and resulted in economic losses estimated at $ 14 billion (USD). The 1900 Galveston hurricane ,
4726-646: Is relatively steep and deep; storm surge is not as great but the waves are larger compared to the west coast of Florida. Conversely, on the Gulf side of Florida, the edge of the Floridian Plateau can lie more than 160 kilometres (99 mi) offshore. Florida Bay , lying between the Florida Keys and the mainland, is very shallow with depths between 0.3 m (0.98 ft) and 2 m (6.6 ft). These shallow areas are subject to higher storm surges with smaller waves. Other shallow areas include much of
4865-454: The 22° and 46° halos . The ancient Greeks were the first to make theories about the weather. Many natural philosophers studied the weather. However, as meteorological instruments did not exist, the inquiry was largely qualitative, and could only be judged by more general theoretical speculations. Herodotus states that Thales predicted the solar eclipse of 585 BC. He studied Babylonian equinox tables. According to Seneca, he gave
5004-601: The Coriolis effect , which bends currents to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. When this bend brings the currents into more perpendicular contact with the shore, it can amplify the surge, and when it bends the current away from the shore it has the effect of lessening the surge. The effect of waves, while directly powered by the wind, is distinct from
5143-413: The Earth's magnetic field lines. In 1494, Christopher Columbus experienced a tropical cyclone, which led to the first written European account of a hurricane. In 1686, Edmund Halley presented a systematic study of the trade winds and monsoons and identified solar heating as the cause of atmospheric motions. In 1735, an ideal explanation of global circulation through study of the trade winds
5282-730: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) , for several states and are available on their Hurricane Evacuation Studies (HES) website. They include coastal county maps, shaded to identify the minimum category of hurricane that will result in flooding, in each area of the county. Storm surge is responsible for significant property damage and loss of life as part of cyclones. Storm surge both destroys built infrastructure, like roads and undermines foundations and building structures. Unexpected flooding in estuaries and coastal areas can catch populations unprepared, causing loss of life. The deadliest storm surge on record
5421-463: The Gulf of Mexico coast, and the Bay of Bengal . The difference is due to how much flow area the storm surge can dissipate to. In deeper water, there is more area and a surge can be dispersed down and away from the hurricane. On a shallow, gently sloping shelf, the surge has less room to disperse and is driven ashore by the wind forces of the hurricane. The topography of the land surface is another important element in storm surge extent. Areas, where
5560-644: The Kitab al-Nabat (Book of Plants), in which he deals with the application of meteorology to agriculture during the Arab Agricultural Revolution . He describes the meteorological character of the sky, the planets and constellations , the sun and moon , the lunar phases indicating seasons and rain, the anwa ( heavenly bodies of rain), and atmospheric phenomena such as winds, thunder, lightning, snow, floods, valleys, rivers, lakes. In 1021, Alhazen showed that atmospheric refraction
5699-565: The Smithsonian Institution began to establish an observation network across the United States under the leadership of Joseph Henry . Similar observation networks were established in Europe at this time. The Reverend William Clement Ley was key in understanding of cirrus clouds and early understandings of Jet Streams . Charles Kenneth Mackinnon Douglas , known as 'CKM' Douglas read Ley's papers after his death and carried on
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5838-578: The atmospheric sciences . Meteorology and hydrology compose the interdisciplinary field of hydrometeorology . The interactions between Earth's atmosphere and its oceans are part of a coupled ocean-atmosphere system. Meteorology has application in many diverse fields such as the military, energy production, transport, agriculture, and construction. The word meteorology is from the Ancient Greek μετέωρος metéōros ( meteor ) and -λογία -logia ( -(o)logy ), meaning "the study of things high in
5977-417: The heat capacity of gases varies inversely with atomic weight . In 1824, Sadi Carnot analyzed the efficiency of steam engines using caloric theory; he developed the notion of a reversible process and, in postulating that no such thing exists in nature, laid the foundation for the second law of thermodynamics . In 1716, Edmund Halley suggested that aurorae are caused by "magnetic effluvia" moving along
6116-424: The neurotoxin beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) that has been implicated as a significant environmental risk in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The cyanobacteria has also been linked to liver cancer, chronic fatigue illness, skin rashes, abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. The 2002 algal bloom in
6255-422: The paleontology of biota in cores from bay muds in Florida Bay have found that historically the salinity of water in Florida Bay has been primarily dependent on rainfall rather than flow from the Everglades. Salinity partially controls the occurrence of biota in the bay. The particular species of foraminifera , molluscs , algae , and seagrasses present in the waters of a locality in Florida Bay depend on
6394-637: The phlogiston theory . In 1777, Antoine Lavoisier discovered oxygen and developed an explanation for combustion. In 1783, in Lavoisier's essay "Reflexions sur le phlogistique," he deprecates the phlogiston theory and proposes a caloric theory . In 1804, John Leslie observed that a matte black surface radiates heat more effectively than a polished surface, suggesting the importance of black-body radiation . In 1808, John Dalton defended caloric theory in A New System of Chemistry and described how it combines with matter, especially gases; he proposed that
6533-528: The Aristotelian method. The work of Theophrastus remained a dominant influence in weather forecasting for nearly 2,000 years. Meteorology continued to be studied and developed over the centuries, but it was not until the Renaissance in the 14th to 17th centuries that significant advancements were made in the field. Scientists such as Galileo and Descartes introduced new methods and ideas, leading to
6672-667: The C-111 South Dade, Modified Water Deliveries, and C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project from the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). These projects seek to distribute more freshwater into the sloughs but do not deliver additional water to the bay. The U.S. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway goes through Florida Bay, generally following the southern boundary of the Everglades National Park. Florida Bay
6811-464: The Chesapeake for a number of days as water was continually built-up inside the estuary from the onshore winds and freshwater rains flowing into the bay. In many locations, water levels were shy of records by only 0.1 feet (3 cm). Surge can be measured directly at coastal tidal stations as the difference between the forecast tide and the observed rise of water. Another method of measuring surge
6950-455: The Ekman spiral effects spread vertically through the water, the effect is proportional to depth. The surge will be driven into bays in the same way as the astronomical tide. The pressure effects of a tropical cyclone will cause the water level in the open ocean to rise in regions of low atmospheric pressure and fall in regions of high atmospheric pressure. The rising water level will counteract
7089-455: The Everglades and Florida Bay reported salinity levels of 64.4 ppt in July 2015 and recorded water temperatures of up to 92 °F (33 °C). These environmental conditions are far from ideal for the seatrout and add additional difficulties for the survival of juveniles as well as important prey such as larval shrimp and small fish. The bay is an economic and environmental asset. As of 2017 ,
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#17327723540737228-618: The Florida Keys, and 35 metres (115 ft) at Key West, and is underlain by the Fort Thompson Formation . The Miami Limestone of Florida Bay formed during the Sangamon interglacial between the most recent glacial period, the Wisconsin , and the preceding Illinoian , centered on about 125,000 years ago. The sea level stood higher then than at present, covering much of what is now southern Florida. A coral reef grew on
7367-727: The Florida mainland. The eastern and southern edge of the bay is defined by the Florida Keys, with only a few natural passages between islands connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. The western edge of the bay is defined by the westernmost mud banks of the bay. Nearly all of Florida Bay is included in Everglades National Park . The southern edge, along the Florida Keys, is in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary . While there
7506-520: The Great was the first to propose that each drop of falling rain had the form of a small sphere, and that this form meant that the rainbow was produced by light interacting with each raindrop. Roger Bacon was the first to calculate the angular size of the rainbow. He stated that a rainbow summit cannot appear higher than 42 degrees above the horizon. In the late 13th century and early 14th century, Kamāl al-Dīn al-Fārisī and Theodoric of Freiberg were
7645-541: The Modification of Clouds , in which he assigns cloud types Latin names. In 1806, Francis Beaufort introduced his system for classifying wind speeds . Near the end of the 19th century the first cloud atlases were published, including the International Cloud Atlas , which has remained in print ever since. The April 1960 launch of the first successful weather satellite , TIROS-1 , marked
7784-476: The advancement in weather forecasting and satellite technology, meteorology has become an integral part of everyday life, and is used for many purposes such as aviation, agriculture, and disaster management. In 1441, King Sejong 's son, Prince Munjong of Korea, invented the first standardized rain gauge . These were sent throughout the Joseon dynasty of Korea as an official tool to assess land taxes based upon
7923-962: The air". Early attempts at predicting weather were often related to prophecy and divining , and were sometimes based on astrological ideas. Ancient religions believed meteorological phenomena to be under the control of the gods. The ability to predict rains and floods based on annual cycles was evidently used by humans at least from the time of agricultural settlement if not earlier. Early approaches to predicting weather were based on astrology and were practiced by priests. The Egyptians had rain-making rituals as early as 3500 BC. Ancient Indian Upanishads contain mentions of clouds and seasons . The Samaveda mentions sacrifices to be performed when certain phenomena were noticed. Varāhamihira 's classical work Brihatsamhita , written about 500 AD, provides evidence of weather observation. Cuneiform inscriptions on Babylonian tablets included associations between thunder and rain. The Chaldeans differentiated
8062-498: The appendix Les Meteores , he applied these principles to meteorology. He discussed terrestrial bodies and vapors which arise from them, proceeding to explain the formation of clouds from drops of water, and winds, clouds then dissolving into rain, hail and snow. He also discussed the effects of light on the rainbow. Descartes hypothesized that all bodies were composed of small particles of different shapes and interwovenness. All of his theories were based on this hypothesis. He explained
8201-412: The atmosphere can be divided into distinct areas that depend on both time and spatial scales. At one extreme of this scale is climatology. In the timescales of hours to days, meteorology separates into micro-, meso-, and synoptic scale meteorology. Respectively, the geospatial size of each of these three scales relates directly with the appropriate timescale. Other subclassifications are used to describe
8340-456: The atmosphere from a remote location and, usually, stores the data where the instrument is located. Radar and Lidar are not passive because both use EM radiation to illuminate a specific portion of the atmosphere. Weather satellites along with more general-purpose Earth-observing satellites circling the earth at various altitudes have become an indispensable tool for studying a wide range of phenomena from forest fires to El Niño . The study of
8479-426: The baffling of water movement and binding of sediment by seagrasses. Mud banks in the central part of the bay tend to run in a northwest to southeast direction, corresponding to the direction of approach of cold fronts across the bay. The mud bank called Upper Cross Bank is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long and 400 to 700 metres (1,300 to 2,300 ft) wide. Upper Cross Bank is eroding on the windward (east) side at
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#17327723540738618-425: The basins in narrow channels and over the mud banks. The bay is open to the Gulf of Mexico to the west, but connection to the Atlantic Ocean to the east is restricted to narrow channels between the Florida Keys. The average tidal range along the western edge of the bay is 1 to 1.5 meters, but the tidal range diminishes quickly eastward in the bay due to the restricted flow of water between basins. Fresh water flow into
8757-476: The bay 30 to 40 times each year between November and April, rarely lowering the temperature in parts of the bay to below 13 °C (55 °F). Tides in Florida Bay are semi-diurnal , with a range of 60 centimetres (24 in) on the Atlantic side of connecting creeks in the Florida Keys and at Cape Sable. Tidal ranges are less than 15 centimetres (5.9 in) behind the first line of mud banks and absent in
8896-496: The bay due to a variety of environmental stressors: Agricultural fertilizer run-off increases nutrients in the delicately balanced environment and the excess increases the bacteria's rate of growth; The newly hyper-saline environment provides an ideal breeding ground for cyanobacteria; Rafts of dead seagrass floating on the surface of the water as well as decaying on the bay bottom leads to anoxia and in turn, algal blooms. Blue-green algae causes numerous severe health consequences for
9035-424: The bay for mud mounds to acquire sediment, and have grown together to form large structures, while mounds in the central past of the bay can grow only by the movement of sediment from the borroms of basins onto the mounds. Mounds in the inner part of the bay are smaller, and grow slowly because of low production rates of carbonate. The growth and development of mud banks is controlled by biological processes, including
9174-399: The bay into basins, each with its own unique physical characteristics. Encompassing roughly one-third of Everglades National Park , Florida Bay is variously stated to be 800 square miles (2,100 km ), or 850 square miles (2,200 km ), or 1,000 square miles (2,600 km ). The bay has been described as an inner continental shelf lagoon. The northern edge of the bay is formed by
9313-499: The bay is restricted to Taylor Slough and Trout Creek in the northeast corner of the bay, and is only 10% of the freshwater supply to the bay (rainfall provides the rest of the fresh water). Due to the poor circulation of water within the bay, salinity increases rapidly away from the margins of the bay, except for the northeast part of the bay where it receives fresh water from rivers. Water temperature ranges from 15 to 40 °C (59 to 104 °F) in interior bays. Cold fronts cross
9452-416: The bedrock surface served as nuclei for mud banks. The mud mounds (islands and banks) of Florida Bay, which divide the bay into many basins or lakes, are subject to various processes that degrade, move, and built the mounds. These processes are dependent on the production of carbonate , which occurs at different rates across the bay. Carbonate is produced at high enough rates in the more open (western) part of
9591-671: The beginning of the age where weather information became available globally. In 1648, Blaise Pascal rediscovered that atmospheric pressure decreases with height, and deduced that there is a vacuum above the atmosphere. In 1738, Daniel Bernoulli published Hydrodynamics , initiating the Kinetic theory of gases and established the basic laws for the theory of gases. In 1761, Joseph Black discovered that ice absorbs heat without changing its temperature when melting. In 1772, Black's student Daniel Rutherford discovered nitrogen , which he called phlogisticated air , and together they developed
9730-460: The best known products of meteorologists for the public, weather presenters on radio and television are not necessarily professional meteorologists. They are most often reporters with little formal meteorological training, using unregulated titles such as weather specialist or weatherman . The American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association issue "Seals of Approval" to weather broadcasters who meet certain requirements but this
9869-401: The calculations led to unrealistic results. Though numerical analysis later found that this was due to numerical instability . Starting in the 1950s, numerical forecasts with computers became feasible. The first weather forecasts derived this way used barotropic (single-vertical-level) models, and could successfully predict the large-scale movement of midlatitude Rossby waves , that is,
10008-604: The central portion of the Florida Bay was associated with high concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen and organic phosphorus, whereas the eastern bay regions bloom was associated with high concentration of inorganic nutrients. By the mid 1930s, the three main species of wading birds in the bay (Roseate spoonbills, Reddish egrets, Great herons) were driven to near extinction by human harvesting for food and feathers. The cyanobacteria create an oxygen-free environment teaming with toxic gases, creating an unsuitable living environment for many marine and terrestrial animal species. As
10147-404: The central pressure of a tropical cyclone, storm size, the cyclone's forward motion, its track, and maximum sustained winds. Local topography, bay and river orientation, depth of the sea bottom, astronomical tides, as well as other physical features, are taken into account in a predefined grid referred to as a SLOSH basin. Overlapping SLOSH basins are defined for the southern and eastern coastline of
10286-496: The chaotic nature of the atmosphere. Mathematical models used to predict the long term weather of the Earth ( climate models ), have been developed that have a resolution today that are as coarse as the older weather prediction models. These climate models are used to investigate long-term climate shifts, such as what effects might be caused by human emission of greenhouse gases . Meteorologists are scientists who study and work in
10425-413: The church and princes. This was supported by scientists like Johannes Muller , Leonard Digges , and Johannes Kepler . However, there were skeptics. In the 14th century, Nicole Oresme believed that weather forecasting was possible, but that the rules for it were unknown at the time. Astrological influence in meteorology persisted until the eighteenth century. Gerolamo Cardano 's De Subilitate (1550)
10564-616: The climate with public health. During the Age of Enlightenment meteorology tried to rationalise traditional weather lore, including astrological meteorology. But there were also attempts to establish a theoretical understanding of weather phenomena. Edmond Halley and George Hadley tried to explain trade winds . They reasoned that the rising mass of heated equator air is replaced by an inflow of cooler air from high latitudes. A flow of warm air at high altitude from equator to poles in turn established an early picture of circulation. Frustration with
10703-422: The clouds and winds extended up to 111 miles, but Posidonius thought that they reached up to five miles, after which the air is clear, liquid and luminous. He closely followed Aristotle's theories. By the end of the second century BC, the center of science shifted from Athens to Alexandria , home to the ancient Library of Alexandria . In the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy 's Almagest dealt with meteorology, because it
10842-620: The coast, such as in the 1993 Storm of the Century . November 9–13, 2009, marked a significant extratropical storm surge event on the United States east coast when the remnants of Hurricane Ida developed into a nor'easter off the southeast U.S. coast. During the event, winds from the east were present along the northern periphery of the low-pressure center for a number of days, forcing water into locations such as Chesapeake Bay . Water levels rose significantly and remained as high as 8 feet (2.4 m) above normal in numerous locations throughout
10981-643: The continental U.S. Some storm simulations use more than one SLOSH basin; for instance, Hurricane Katrina SLOSH model runs used both the Lake Pontchartrain / New Orleans basin, and the Mississippi Sound basin, for the northern Gulf of Mexico landfall. The final output from the model run will display the maximum envelope of water, or MEOW, that occurred at each location. To allow for track or forecast uncertainties, usually several model runs with varying input parameters are generated to create
11120-407: The continued rise of the sea level flooded the gently sloping southernmost part of the Everglades to form Florida Bay. There are tree islands throughout the Everglades, clusters of trees growing on slight elevations. Tree islands accumulate plant litter which becomes peat , which in turn facilitates the creation of caliche , a dense limestone crust on the limestone bedrock. As the bay flooded,
11259-495: The description of what is now known as the hydrologic cycle . His work would remain an authority on meteorology for nearly 2,000 years. The book De Mundo (composed before 250 BC or between 350 and 200 BC) noted: After Aristotle, progress in meteorology stalled for a long time. Theophrastus compiled a book on weather forecasting, called the Book of Signs , as well as On Winds . He gave hundreds of signs for weather phenomena for
11398-651: The early study of weather systems. Nineteenth century researchers in meteorology were drawn from military or medical backgrounds, rather than trained as dedicated scientists. In 1854, the United Kingdom government appointed Robert FitzRoy to the new office of Meteorological Statist to the Board of Trade with the task of gathering weather observations at sea. FitzRoy's office became the United Kingdom Meteorological Office in 1854,
11537-518: The eastern edge of the Florida platform, while the shallow, protected waters west of the reef formed oolites or hosted large fields of bryozoans . Throughout the Wisconsin glaciation the sea level was much lower than today and the area that is now Florida Bay was dry land. As the glaciation ended with the Pleistocene period, sea level rise rapidly, only slowing down about 7,000 years ago as
11676-481: The evaluation, HWMs are divided into four categories based on the confidence in the mark; in the U.S., only HWMs evaluated as "excellent" are used by the National Hurricane Center in the post-storm analysis of the surge. Two different measures are used for storm tide and storm surge measurements. Storm tide is measured using a geodetic vertical datum ( NGVD 29 or NAVD 88 ). Since storm surge
11815-487: The existence of a circulation cell in the mid-latitudes, and the air within deflected by the Coriolis force resulting in the prevailing westerly winds. Late in the 19th century, the motion of air masses along isobars was understood to be the result of the large-scale interaction of the pressure gradient force and the deflecting force. By 1912, this deflecting force was named the Coriolis effect. Just after World War I,
11954-471: The explanation that the cause of the Nile 's annual floods was due to northerly winds hindering its descent by the sea. Anaximander and Anaximenes thought that thunder and lightning was caused by air smashing against the cloud, thus kindling the flame. Early meteorological theories generally considered that there was a fire-like substance in the atmosphere. Anaximander defined wind as a flowing of air, but this
12093-443: The field of meteorology. The American Meteorological Society publishes and continually updates an authoritative electronic Meteorology Glossary . Meteorologists work in government agencies , private consulting and research services, industrial enterprises, utilities, radio and television stations , and in education . In the United States, meteorologists held about 10,000 jobs in 2018. Although weather forecasts and warnings are
12232-664: The first weather observing network, that consisted of meteorological stations in Florence , Cutigliano , Vallombrosa , Bologna , Parma , Milan , Innsbruck , Osnabrück , Paris and Warsaw . The collected data were sent to Florence at regular time intervals. In the 1660s Robert Hooke of the Royal Society of London sponsored networks of weather observers. Hippocrates ' treatise Airs, Waters, and Places had linked weather to disease. Thus early meteorologists attempted to correlate weather patterns with epidemic outbreaks, and
12371-400: The first time, a practical method for quickly gathering surface weather observations from a wide area. This data could be used to produce maps of the state of the atmosphere for a region near the Earth's surface and to study how these states evolved through time. To make frequent weather forecasts based on these data required a reliable network of observations, but it was not until 1849 that
12510-407: The first to give the correct explanations for the primary rainbow phenomenon. Theoderic went further and also explained the secondary rainbow. By the middle of the sixteenth century, meteorology had developed along two lines: theoretical science based on Meteorologica , and astrological weather forecasting. The pseudoscientific prediction by natural signs became popular and enjoyed protection of
12649-633: The first weather forecasts and temperature predictions. In the 20th and 21st centuries, with the advent of computer models and big data, meteorology has become increasingly dependent on numerical methods and computer simulations. This has greatly improved weather forecasting and climate predictions. Additionally, meteorology has expanded to include other areas such as air quality, atmospheric chemistry, and climatology. The advancement in observational, theoretical and computational technologies has enabled ever more accurate weather predictions and understanding of weather pattern and air pollution. In current time, with
12788-418: The flow of freshwater to the Bay coupled with periods of drought have caused massive seagrass die-offs. The first major die-off occurred from 1987 to 1991 as thousands of hectares of turtlegrass beds ( Thalassia testudinum ) were devastated by high levels of toxic dissolved sulfide. 10,000 acres died in the central and western bay, and almost 60,000 additional acres suffered reduced productivity and biomass as
12927-502: The foraminifera and mollusc species present changed, and vegetation almost completely disappeared from the bottom, indicating a rise in salinity to above 25 ppt. Those conditions continued until about 1910, when the pre-1840 conditions returned, with relatively dense vegetation on the bay floor. The bay floor remains covered with vegetation, but variations in the foraminifera and mollusc species present indicate rapid oscillations in salinity levels since 1940. Around 1970, changes in species and
13066-603: The forerunner of the Japan Meteorological Agency , began constructing surface weather maps in 1883. The United States Weather Bureau (1890) was established under the United States Department of Agriculture . The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (1906) was established by a Meteorology Act to unify existing state meteorological services. In 1904, Norwegian scientist Vilhelm Bjerknes first argued in his paper Weather Forecasting as
13205-527: The form of wind. He explained thunder by saying that it was due to ice colliding in clouds, and in Summer it melted. In the thirteenth century, Aristotelian theories reestablished dominance in meteorology. For the next four centuries, meteorological work by and large was mostly commentary . It has been estimated over 156 commentaries on the Meteorologica were written before 1650. Experimental evidence
13344-413: The lack of discipline among weather observers, and the poor quality of the instruments, led the early modern nation states to organise large observation networks. Thus, by the end of the 18th century, meteorologists had access to large quantities of reliable weather data. In 1832, an electromagnetic telegraph was created by Baron Schilling . The arrival of the electrical telegraph in 1837 afforded, for
13483-510: The lakes and the Nile. Hippocrates inquired into the effect of weather on health. Eudoxus claimed that bad weather followed four-year periods, according to Pliny. These early observations would form the basis for Aristotle 's Meteorology , written in 350 BC. Aristotle is considered the founder of meteorology. One of the most impressive achievements described in the Meteorology is
13622-986: The land is under threat of a storm surge. Major storm surge barriers are the Oosterscheldekering and Maeslantkering in the Netherlands, which are part of the Delta Works project; the Thames Barrier protecting London ; and the Saint Petersburg Dam in Russia . Another modern development (in use in the Netherlands) is the creation of housing communities at the edges of wetlands with floating structures, restrained in position by vertical pylons. Such wetlands can then be used to accommodate runoff and surges without causing damage to
13761-630: The land lies less than a few meters above sea level, are at particular risk from storm surge inundation. The size of the storm also affects the surge height; this is due to the storm's area not being proportional to its perimeter. If a storm doubles in diameter, its perimeter also doubles, but its area quadruples. As there is proportionally less perimeter for the surge to dissipate to, the surge height ends up being higher. Similar to tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones cause an offshore rise of water. However, unlike most tropical cyclone storm surges, extratropical cyclones can cause higher water levels across
13900-437: The late 16th century and first half of the 17th century a range of meteorological instruments were invented – the thermometer , barometer , hydrometer , as well as wind and rain gauges. In the 1650s natural philosophers started using these instruments to systematically record weather observations. Scientific academies established weather diaries and organised observational networks. In 1654, Ferdinando II de Medici established
14039-437: The low atmospheric pressure such that the total pressure at some plane beneath the water surface remains constant. This effect is estimated at a 10 mm (0.39 in) increase in sea level for every millibar (hPa) drop in atmospheric pressure. For example, a major storm with a 100 millibar pressure drop would be expected to have a 1.0 m (3.3 ft) water level rise from the pressure effect. The Earth's rotation causes
14178-408: The majority of this likely was wave run-up because of the steep coastal topography. However, much of this storm surge was likely due to Mahina's extreme intensity, as computer modeling required an intensity of 880 millibars (26 inHg) (the same intensity as the lowest recorded pressure from the storm) to produce the recorded storm surge. In the United States, one of the greatest recorded storm surges
14317-565: The marine ecosystem as well surrounding human populations. Blooms result in reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations, alterations in aquatic food webs, algal scum lining the shores, the production of compounds that cause distasteful drinking water and fish flesh, and the production of toxins severe enough to poison aquatic as well as terrestrial organisms. Blooms have been reported throughout the continental United States, and resulting cyanotoxins have been associated with human and animal illness and death in at least 43 states. Most cyanobacteria produce
14456-415: The marks. HWMs denote the location and elevation of floodwaters from a storm event. When HWMs are analyzed, if the various components of the water height can be broken out so that the portion attributable to surge can be identified, then that mark can be classified as storm surge. Otherwise, it is classified as storm tide. HWMs on land are referenced to a vertical datum (a reference coordinate system). During
14595-443: The mechanical, self-emptying, tipping bucket rain gauge. In 1714, Gabriel Fahrenheit created a reliable scale for measuring temperature with a mercury-type thermometer . In 1742, Anders Celsius , a Swedish astronomer, proposed the "centigrade" temperature scale, the predecessor of the current Celsius scale. In 1783, the first hair hygrometer was demonstrated by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure . In 1802–1803, Luke Howard wrote On
14734-448: The mid-15th century and were respectively the rain gauge , the anemometer, and the hygrometer. Many attempts had been made prior to the 15th century to construct adequate equipment to measure the many atmospheric variables. Many were faulty in some way or were simply not reliable. Even Aristotle noted this in some of his work as the difficulty to measure the air. Sets of surface measurements are important data to meteorologists. They give
14873-553: The night, with change being likely at one of these divisions. Applying the divisions and a principle of balance in the yearly weather, he came up with forecasts like that if a lot of rain falls in the winter, the spring is usually dry. Rules based on actions of animals are also present in his work, like that if a dog rolls on the ground, it is a sign of a storm. Shooting stars and the Moon were also considered significant. However, he made no attempt to explain these phenomena, referring only to
15012-419: The northeast corner of the bay, and slopes to 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) below sea level in the southwest. Isolated high spots occur at East Key, Arsnicker Key , and Lignumvitae Key , which are underlain by patches of Pleistocene coral. The Miami Limestone under Florida Bay ranges in thickness from about 3 metres (9.8 ft) at Cape Sable to up to 12 metres (39 ft) along
15151-403: The northeast corner of the bay. Due to the poor circulation of water within the bay, salinity increases rapidly away from the margins of the bay, except for the northeast part of the bay where it receives fresh water from rivers. Salinity is 30% to 40% near the open waters of the continental shelf, while salinity levels range from 4% to 70% in the northeast corner of the bay. Examination of
15290-511: The opposite effect. Rene Descartes 's Discourse on the Method (1637) typifies the beginning of the scientific revolution in meteorology. His scientific method had four principles: to never accept anything unless one clearly knew it to be true; to divide every difficult problem into small problems to tackle; to proceed from the simple to the complex, always seeking relationships; to be as complete and thorough as possible with no prejudice. In
15429-699: The other side of jewfish Creek, is not. Barnes Sound is generally considered part of the Biscayne Bay system. The bay consists of more than 50 shallow (one to three meters deep) basins or lakes separated by mud banks and mangrove islands. Such basins include: Little Blackwater Sound, Blackwater Sound, Tarpon Basin, Buttonwood Sound, Duck Key Basin, Eagle Key Basin, Madeira Bay, Calusa Key Basin, Crane Key Basin, Rankin Lake, Whipray Basin, Twin Key Basin, Rabbit Key Basin, and Johnson Key Basin. Water flows between
15568-526: The pattern of atmospheric lows and highs . In 1959, the UK Meteorological Office received its first computer, a Ferranti Mercury . In the 1960s, the chaotic nature of the atmosphere was first observed and mathematically described by Edward Lorenz , founding the field of chaos theory . These advances have led to the current use of ensemble forecasting in most major forecasting centers, to take into account uncertainty arising from
15707-415: The prognostic fluid dynamics equations that govern atmospheric flow could be neglected, and a numerical calculation scheme that could be devised to allow predictions. Richardson envisioned a large auditorium of thousands of people performing the calculations. However, the sheer number of calculations required was too large to complete without electronic computers, and the size of the grid and time steps used in
15846-526: The rain as caused by clouds becoming too large for the air to hold, and that clouds became snow if the air was not warm enough to melt them, or hail if they met colder wind. Like his predecessors, Descartes's method was deductive, as meteorological instruments were not developed and extensively used yet. He introduced the Cartesian coordinate system to meteorology and stressed the importance of mathematics in natural science. His work established meteorology as
15985-409: The recreational fishing industry in Florida Bay had an estimated value of $ 7.1 billion, and generated $ 73 million in federal, state and local taxes annually, while the bay's commercial fishing industry had an estimated value of $ 400 million, and generated $ 3 million in taxes. Various projects are funded by the government in an attempt to manage the hydrology issues present in the Florida Bay, including
16124-445: The salinity. Analysis of core samples extracted from mud banks have provided a record of past salinity levels in a few parts of the bay, going back about two centuries in one case. At a site called Bob Allen in the central part of the bay, sparse seagrass cover was present from the bottom of the core, and the species present indicated a salinity in 18 to 25 parts-per-thousand (ppt) range, from about 1810, until about i840. Around 1840,
16263-475: The science of meteorology. Meteorological phenomena are described and quantified by the variables of Earth's atmosphere: temperature, air pressure, water vapour , mass flow , and the variations and interactions of these variables, and how they change over time. Different spatial scales are used to describe and predict weather on local, regional, and global levels. Meteorology, climatology , atmospheric physics , and atmospheric chemistry are sub-disciplines of
16402-442: The scientific revolution in meteorology. Speculation on the cause of the flooding of the Nile ended when Eratosthenes , according to Proclus , stated that it was known that man had gone to the sources of the Nile and observed the rains, although interest in its implications continued. During the era of Roman Greece and Europe, scientific interest in meteorology waned. In the 1st century BC, most natural philosophers claimed that
16541-459: The sea level reached about 8 metres (26 ft) below the late 20th century level. Sea level continued to rise thereafter at an average rate of about 11 centimetres (4.3 in) per century. During the last 6,000 to 7,000 years a wet climate allowed sawgrass -dominated wetlands resembling the Evereglades to develop on the land that is now under Florida Bay. Between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago,
16680-440: The seasons. He believed that fire and water opposed each other in the atmosphere, and when fire gained the upper hand, the result was summer, and when water did, it was winter. Democritus also wrote about the flooding of the Nile. He said that during the summer solstice, snow in northern parts of the world melted. This would cause vapors to form clouds, which would cause storms when driven to the Nile by northerly winds, thus filling
16819-597: The second oldest national meteorological service in the world (the Central Institution for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in Austria was founded in 1851 and is the oldest weather service in the world). The first daily weather forecasts made by FitzRoy's Office were published in The Times newspaper in 1860. The following year a system was introduced of hoisting storm warning cones at principal ports when
16958-519: The semi-enclosed basins in north-central Florida Bay. Without the freshwater, the water has become stagnant and salty with excess nitrogen from the fertilizer. This hyper-salinity contributes to the massive seagrass die-offs and algal blooms, and kills submerged aquatic vegetation. Florida Bay is underlain by a flat oolitic limestone bedrock, the Miami Limestone . The top of the bedrock is about 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) below sea level in
17097-470: The shore has considerable momentum and may run up a sloping beach to an elevation above the mean water line, which may exceed twice the wave height before breaking. The rainfall effect is experienced predominantly in estuaries . Hurricanes may dump as much as 12 in (300 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours over large areas and higher rainfall densities in localized areas. As a result, surface runoff can quickly flood streams and rivers. This can increase
17236-457: The shoreline, tends to produce a lower surge but higher and more powerful waves. A wide shelf, with shallower water, tends to produce a higher storm surge with relatively smaller waves. For example, in Palm Beach on the southeast coast of Florida , the water depth reaches 91 metres (299 ft) 3 km (1.9 mi) offshore, and 180 m (590 ft) 7 km (4.3 mi) out. This
17375-520: The structures while also protecting conventional structures at somewhat higher low-lying elevations, provided that dikes prevent major surge intrusion. Other soft adaptation methods can include changing structures so that they are elevated to avoid flooding directly, or increasing natural protections like mangroves or dunes . For mainland areas, storm surge is more of a threat when the storm strikes land from seaward, rather than approaching from landward. Water can also be sucked away from shore prior to
17514-427: The telegraph and photography led to the creation of weather observing networks and the ability to track storms. Additionally, scientists began to use mathematical models to make predictions about the weather. The 20th century saw the development of radar and satellite technology, which greatly improved the ability to observe and track weather systems. In addition, meteorologists and atmospheric scientists started to create
17653-677: The unique, local, or broad effects within those subclasses. Florida Bay Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades ) and the Florida Keys in the United States . It is a large, shallow estuary that while connected to the Gulf of Mexico, has limited exchange of water due to shallow mudbanks dividing the bay into many basins or lakes. The banks separate
17792-590: The value of his work is in preserving earlier speculation, much like Seneca's work. From 400 to 1100, scientific learning in Europe was preserved by the clergy. Isidore of Seville devoted a considerable attention to meteorology in Etymologiae , De ordine creaturum and De natura rerum . Bede the Venerable was the first Englishman to write about the weather in De Natura Rerum in 703. The work
17931-411: The water level near the head of tidal estuaries as storm-driven waters surging in from the ocean meet rainfall flowing downstream into the estuary. In addition to the above processes, storm surge and wave heights on shore are also affected by the flow of water over the underlying topography, i.e. the shape and depth of the ocean floor and coastal area. A narrow shelf , with deep water relatively close to
18070-417: Was a summary of then extant classical sources. However, Aristotle's works were largely lost until the twelfth century, including Meteorologica . Isidore and Bede were scientifically minded, but they adhered to the letter of Scripture . Islamic civilization translated many ancient works into Arabic which were transmitted and translated in western Europe to Latin. In the 9th century, Al-Dinawari wrote
18209-551: Was between 18 and 25 ppt. Salinity rose to above 25 ppt around 1940, and stayed there until about 1960, when it fell to between 15 and 25 ppt until 1980. As at the Bob Allen site, there was a brief event around 1970 that severely disrupted the presence of various species at Russell Bank. Around 1980, salinity again rose above 25 ppt. The 2015 drought period of low precipitation combined with high temperatures and calm winds that produced rapid evaporation caused salinity to increase in
18348-472: Was considered a subset of astronomy. He gave several astrological weather predictions. He constructed a map of the world divided into climatic zones by their illumination, in which the length of the Summer solstice increased by half an hour per zone between the equator and the Arctic. Ptolemy wrote on the atmospheric refraction of light in the context of astronomical observations. In 25 AD, Pomponius Mela ,
18487-717: Was generated by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, which produced a maximum storm surge of more than 28 feet (8.53 m) in southern Mississippi , with a storm surge height of 27.8 feet (8.47 m) in Pass Christian . Another record storm surge occurred in this same area from Hurricane Camille in 1969, with a storm tide of 24.6 feet (7.50 m), also at Pass Christian. A storm surge of 14 feet (4.27 m) occurred in New York City during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Meteorology Meteorology
18626-428: Was less important than appeal to the classics and authority in medieval thought. In the thirteenth century, Roger Bacon advocated experimentation and the mathematical approach. In his Opus majus , he followed Aristotle's theory on the atmosphere being composed of water, air, and fire, supplemented by optics and geometric proofs. He noted that Ptolemy's climatic zones had to be adjusted for topography . St. Albert
18765-406: Was not generally accepted for centuries. A theory to explain summer hail was first proposed by Anaxagoras . He observed that air temperature decreased with increasing height and that clouds contain moisture. He also noted that heat caused objects to rise, and therefore the heat on a summer day would drive clouds to an altitude where the moisture would freeze. Empedocles theorized on the change of
18904-589: Was not until after the elucidation of the laws of physics, and more particularly in the latter half of the 20th century, the development of the computer (allowing for the automated solution of a great many modelling equations) that significant breakthroughs in weather forecasting were achieved. An important branch of weather forecasting is marine weather forecasting as it relates to maritime and coastal safety, in which weather effects also include atmospheric interactions with large bodies of water. Meteorological phenomena are observable weather events that are explained by
19043-399: Was the 1970 Bhola cyclone . Additionally, storm surge can cause or transform human-utilized land through other processes, hurting soil fertility , increasing saltwater intrusion , hurting wildlife habitat, and spreading chemical or other contaminants from human storage. Although meteorological surveys alert about hurricanes or severe storms, in the areas where the risk of coastal flooding
19182-399: Was the first work to challenge fundamental aspects of Aristotelian theory. Cardano maintained that there were only three basic elements- earth, air, and water. He discounted fire because it needed material to spread and produced nothing. Cardano thought there were two kinds of air: free air and enclosed air. The former destroyed inanimate things and preserved animate things, while the latter had
19321-536: Was written by George Hadley . In 1743, when Benjamin Franklin was prevented from seeing a lunar eclipse by a hurricane , he decided that cyclones move in a contrary manner to the winds at their periphery. Understanding the kinematics of how exactly the rotation of the Earth affects airflow was partial at first. Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis published a paper in 1835 on the energy yield of machines with rotating parts, such as waterwheels. In 1856, William Ferrel proposed
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