Hawaii Weather Today » 2010

February 8-9, 2010

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Monday afternoon:

Lihue, Kauai – 78
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 79
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-kona – 81

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level around the state – and on the highest mountains…at 5pm Monday afternoon:

Honolulu, Oahu – 80F
Lihue, Kauai – 75

Haleakala Crater – 48 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 41 (near 14,000 feet on the Big Island)

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Monday afternoon:

0.06 Mount Waialaele, Kauai
0.00 Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.00 Maui
0.03 Glenwood, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing three high pressure systems located north to the northeast, with an associated ridge extending back to the northwest of Kauai. This will keep trade winds blowing into Tuesday, lighter from the southeast Wednesday.

Satellite and Radar Images: To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with this Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around the state during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean. Finally, here’s a L o op ing I R satellite image, making viewable the clouds around the islands 24 hours a day. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon weather conditions.

Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.

Aloha Paragraphs

The beauty of the Hawaiian Islands

A ridge of high pressure is northwest of the Hawaiian Islands Monday night, with the trade winds continuing through the next several days…along with dry weather conditions. As we have high pressure at the surface to our north, and overhead as well, our local weather will be just fine. We’ll find this week generally quite nice, with the trade winds bringing pleasantly warm air temperatures. There will be just a few windward showers, while the leeward sides remain mostly clear and dry.

The trade winds will gradually become lighter, and perhaps turn to the southeast later Wednesday. This swinging around of the winds, and their easing up in strength, will be prompted by the approach of our next cold front. The computer models are showing this front stalling somewhere near Kauai or Oahu Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. Following in the wake of the frontal boundary, will be NE and ENE trade winds. We could see some showers arriving into Thursday, providing the windward sides with some moisture for a day or two.

As we move into Friday and the upcoming weekend, we’ll see another cold front approaching the Aloha state. This cold front is expected to be even weaker than the one we see brushing Kauai at mid-week. It may cause another temporary easing up of the trade winds, but likely not much else. There seems to be a change going on here, with even less influential cold fronts coming our way, and more well established trade winds coming into play…as we move further into this winter month of February.

It’s Monday evening, as I begin writing the last section of today’s narrative. Monday was a lovely day, just like Sunday, and very likely…similar to what we’ll find Tuesday. The day was almost absolutely dry, with lots of generally clear skies. As we can see using this satellite image, there are hardly any clouds around at the moment. It appears that the next week will remain rather benign, in terms of any significant rainfall. Winter isn’t over with us yet though, so that we’ll be having more wet weather, although I don’t see on the weather horizaon at this time. ~~~ Thanks to the trade winds, our air temperatures have come back up to more normal levels. Most of the airport weather stations rose up into the low 80F’s today, with the highest temperature being reported in the big city of Honolulu…with 83 degrees. I expect fairly warm, or what we could consider seasonable air temperatures near sea level overnight, with most coastal areas rising into the lower 80’s again Tuesday afternoon. Just nice weather, and more nice weather is happening now, which most of us appreciate very much. The only draw back to this dry weather is the ongoing drought conditions that plague many areas, especially around Maui County, and the Big Island. ~~~ I hope that you have a great Monday night, wherever you happen to be spending it! I’ll be back early Tuesday morning with your next new weather narrative. Aloha for now…Glenn.

Interesting: The chemical composition of our oceans is not constant but has varied significantly over geological time. In a study published in Science, researchers describe a novel method for reconstructing past ocean chemistry using calcium carbonate veins that precipitate from seawater-derived fluids in rocks beneath the seafloor. The research was led by scientists from the University of Southampton’s School of Ocean and Earth Science (SOES) hosted at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS).

"Records of ancient seawater chemistry allow us to unravel past changes in climate, plate tectonics and evolution of life in the oceans. These processes affect ocean chemistry and have shaped our planet over millions of years," said Dr Rosalind Coggon, formerly of NOCS now at Imperial College London.

"Reconstructing past ocean chemistry remains a major challenge for Earth scientists, but small calcium carbonate veins formed from warm seawater when it reacts with basalts from the oceanic crust provide a unique opportunity to develop such records," added co-author Professor Damon Teagle from SOES.

Calcium carbonate veins record the chemical evolution of seawater as it flows through the ocean crust and reacts with the rock. The composition of past seawater can therefore be determined from suites of calcium carbonate veins that precipitated millions of years ago in ancient ocean crust.

The researchers reconstructed records of the ratios of strontium to calcium (Sr/Ca) and magnesium to calcium (Mg/Ca) over the last 170 million years. To do this, they analyzed calcium carbonate veins from basaltic rocks recovered by several decades of scientific deep-ocean drilling by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) and its predecessors.

"The carbonate veins indicate that both the Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of seawater were significantly lower than at present prior to about 25 million years ago. We attribute the increases in seawater Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca since then to the long-term effects of decreased seafloor volcanism and the consequent reduction in chemical exchange between seawater and the ocean crust," said Professor Teagle.

Interesting2: Republican politicians and conservative activists are launching a ballot campaign to suspend California’s landmark global-warming law, in what they hope will serve as a showcase for a national backlash against climate regulations. Supporters say they have "solid commitments" of nearly $600,000 to pay signature gatherers for a November initiative aimed at delaying curbs on the greenhouse gas emissions of power plants and factories until the state’s unemployment rate drops. GOP gubernatorial candidates and Tea Party organizers paint the 2006 law, considered a model for other state and federal efforts, as a job-killing interference in the economy.

Talk radio is flailing at what John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, drive-time hosts on a Los Angeles radio station, call "the global-warming final solution act" promoted by "fascist, Nazi" officials. "We are on fire," said GOP Assemblyman Dan Logue, a sponsor of the proposed initiative. "People are calling from all over the country. This will be the most intense campaign the state has seen in 50 years."

Interesting3: "Rises and falls in sea level over relatively short periods do not testify to a long-term trend. It is early yet to conclude from the short-term increases in sea level that this is a set course that will not take a change in direction," explains Dr. Sivan.

The rising sea level is one of the phenomena that have most influence on humankind: the rising sea not only floods the littoral regions but also causes underground water salinization, flooded effluents, accelerated coastal destruction, and other damage.

According to Dr. Sivan, the changing sea level can be attributed to three main causes: the global cause — the volume of water in the ocean, which mirrors the mass of ice sheets and is related to global warming or cooling; the regional cause — vertical movement of the earth’s surface, which is usually related to the pressure placed on the surface by the ice; and the local cause — vertical tectonic activity. Seeing as Israel is not close to former ice caps and the tectonic activity along the Mediterranean coast is negligible over these periods, it can be concluded that drastic changes in Israel’s sea levels are mainly related to changes in the volume of water.

Interesting4: Climate change is transforming the Arctic environment faster than expected and accelerating the disappearance of sea ice, scientists said in giving their early findings from the biggest-ever study of Canada’s changing north. The research project involved more than 370 scientists from 27 countries who collectively spent 15 months, starting in June 2007, aboard a research vessel above the Arctic Circle.

It marked the first time a ship has stayed mobile in Canada’s high Arctic for an entire winter. "(Climate change) is happening much faster than our most pessimistic models expected," said David Barber, a professor at the University of Manitoba and the study’s lead investigator, at a news conference in Winnipeg.

Models predicted only a few years ago that the Arctic would be ice-free in summer by the year 2100, but the increasing pace of climate change now suggests it could happen between 2013 and 2030, Barber said. Scientists link higher Arctic temperatures and melting sea ice to the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.

The Arctic is considered a type of early-warning system of climate change for the rest of the world. "We know we’re losing sea ice — the world is all aware of that," Barber said. "What you’re not aware of is that it has impacts on everything else that goes on in this system."

Interesting5: The new record-holder for the most precise timekeeper could tick off the 13.7-billion-year age of the universe to within 4 seconds. The optical clock monitors the oscillation of a trapped atom of aluminium-27. It is more than twice as precise as an earlier version, reported in 2008, and was built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado.

"It’s extremely impressive," says Patrick Gill of the UK’s National Physical Laboratory, who was not involved with the work. The second is currently defined by caesium atomic clocks, but optical clocks promise higher precision because their atoms oscillate at the frequencies of light rather than in the microwave band, so they can slice time into smaller intervals. Such clocks could help spot tiny changes in physical constants over time.

Interesting6: China has an estimated 50 or fewer tigers left living in the wild, but efforts to stabilize one population in the bleak northeast are starting to pay off, a conservationist said on Monday. Tigers once roamed huge swathes of China, right up to the now booming east coast. Their population has collapsed due to habitat destruction on the back of rapid economic development and poaching for tiger products to use in traditional medicine.

About 10 still live in the southwestern province of Yunnan, some 15 in Tibet, and 20 or so in northwestern Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, said Xie Yan, China Country Program Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society. The South China Tiger is probably already extinct, she told the Foreign Correspondents Club of China, ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Tiger, which starts on Sunday.

"The number of wild tigers left in China is very depressing," Xie said. "We have less than 50 individuals in the wild. The populations in Tibet and in the south are still dropping. "The northeast tiger is now stable, and maybe increasing a little, but the number is still very small," she added.

Conservationists say the trade in skin and bones is booming in countries such as China, which has banned the use of tiger parts in medicine but where everything from fur and whiskers to eyeballs and bones are still used. Skins sell as rugs and cloaks on the black market, fetching up to $20,000 for a single pelt.

Interesting7: As the promise of electric cars grows, so too does the potential of electric planes. These aircraft, whose motors are far more efficient, reliable and quiet than internal combustion engines, could help transform how we fly – if a few problems could be solved. Electric motors are three to four times better than internal combustion engines at driving an airplane propeller.

And the reliability of electric motors is "perhaps 10 times or even 20 times that of a piston engine," said Brien Seeley, president of the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation, an independent flight test agency which hosts NASA’s Centennial Challenges for Aeronautics. Because electric motors could be up to 95 percent efficient – compared to the 18 to 23 percent efficiency of regular engines – means they waste much less energy in the form of heat.

As such, "they don’t need anywhere near the same amount of cooling air flowing over them that internal combustion engines do, which is a very big deal with airplanes" and accounts for a significant part of the drag they experience that can slow them down, Seeley said. Their boosted efficiency also means electric planes could be much quieter than regular planes.

As such, the military is pursuing them for stealth applications, Seeley said. "Military contractors are spending significant investment in investigating electric-powered unoccupied air vehicles." Quieter planes also means civilian airports can be located much closer to where people want to go without bothering local residents. Weaning planes off fossil fuels is also good for the environment.

"You have the climate change issue, the air quality issue from smog, and the energy independence issue," Seeley said. The one great Achilles’ heel of electric airplanes, however, is battery life. Airplanes need to be light in order to stay up in the air, but batteries are notorious for being heavy for the amount of energy they carry.

As a result, many engineers and materials scientists are experimenting with radical aircraft and designs and new, lightweight materials. "We’re seeing truly extraordinary sailplane designs with 70-to-1 lift-drag ratios, which can greatly reduce the amount of power needed, and super-lightweight carbon fiber construction techniques, all of which means that even modest battery packs can take you potentially 100 or 200 miles on a flight," Seeley said.

A San Jose-based company called Nanosolar is also experimenting with thin and flexible solar panels that could be applied to the wing surfaces of airplanes to allow for recharging during flights or when on the ground. "There are major breakthroughs coming with the limitations of battery energy density as well," Seeley told TechNewsDaily.

"Nanotechnology may be able to increase their potential maybe 10- or 20-fold." Seeley doesn’t expect all planes to shift to electric. Military fighter aircraft will still rely on jet engines over electric motors in the future, given how they need to remain small, fast and maneuverable. Jet engines will likely also be the way to go when it comes to long flights or ones with many passengers, due to their range and weight constraints.

Still, Seeley sees electric planes offering major advantages when it comes to travel of 250 miles or less. "If we look at statistics for door-to-door travel times, in current aviation, for trips of under 250 miles, the speed is below 55 mph, and that’s much worse for certain metro areas or if traffic jams happen," Seeley explained.

"So you have a 525 mph airliner on a 250-mile trip with a net speed of 55 mph, and that isn’t good. The obvious implication then is, you then drive a car to get there just as fast, but the truth is that due to gridlock, the car door-to-door trip speed is on the order of 30 mph." The solution for these jaunts is to go electric, he suggested.

The unprecedented quietness of electric planes means airports can be built closer to destinations, and they are capable of extremely short takeoffs since they don’t have to gradually accelerate to liftoff speeds. "We’re exploring the concept of pocket airports, maybe lots of them, each just two acre parcels, that you can take, say, at 150 mph to another pocket airport," Seeley said.

"It’s a transformative concept." The crossover with the automotive world, "which is going to transition to electric cars and thus process enormous numbers of battery sets and motors and so forth, could be a game changer for electric planes," he added. Today’s gas engines become less efficient the smaller they are, but electric motors don’t suffer from this limitation.

As a result, electric planes could use several small motors mounted at the edge of wings that blow air directly over them, "potentially leading to much greater efficiency," said NASA aerospace engineer Mark Moore. Internationally, there is growing interest in electric planes, CAFE’s Seely said.

"The company Yuneec just constructed a 260,000 square foot factory in China to build electric-powered aircraft—really, the first large production of such aircraft." NASA’s annual Green Flight Challenge, which is managed by CAFE, is also pushing planes to fly faster than 100 mph while exceeding a fuel efficiency of 200 passenger miles per gallon or that equivalent in electricity. "This event now has nine very high-quality teams enrolled, drawing on the latest technology from around the world," Seeley said. "The goal of the challenge also meets the sweet spot of the 250-mile range or so one would want for electric planes."

February 7-8, 2010

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Sunday afternoon:

Lihue, Kauai – 77
Honolulu, Oahu – 83
Kaneohe, Oahu – 79
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 78
Kahului, Maui – 81
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-kona – 80

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level around the state – and on the highest mountains…at 5pm Sunday evening:

Port Allen, Kauai – 81F
Lihue, Kauai – 74

Haleakala Crater – 48 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 36 (near 14,000 feet on the Big Island)

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Sunday afternoon:

0.10 Lihue, Kauai
0.04 Waimanalo, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.13 Oheo Gulch, Maui
0.21 Kapapala Ranch, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1021 millibar high pressure system, currently far to the northeast, with its ridge extending back to the north of Kauai. This will keep trade winds blowing into Tuesday.

Satellite and Radar Images: To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with this Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around the state during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean. Finally, here’s a L o op ing I R satellite image, making viewable the clouds around the islands 24 hours a day. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon weather conditions.

Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.

Aloha Paragraphs

Trade winds prevail…generally fine weather continuing

A ridge of high pressure is north of Kauai Sunday evening, with the trade winds continuing through the next several days…along with pleasant weather conditions. This ridge has bounced back to our north, as a cold front has moved by north of the state during the afternoon. This leaves the islands in great shape, with generally clear skies, and dry weather through the next couple of days. There will be just a few windward showers, while the leeward sides remain mostly clear and dry. Air temperatures will be seasonable, running just about what we would expect this time of year.

The trade winds will gradually become lighter, and perhaps turn to the southeast later Tuesday into Wednesday. This swinging around of the winds, and their easing up in strength, will be prompted by the approach of our next cold front. The computer models are now showing this next cold front stalling somewhere near Kauai or Oahu Wednesday. Following in the wake of the frontal boundary, will be NE and ENE trade winds, which will become quite blustery. These showers may keep the windward sides off and on showery for a day or two.

It’s Sunday evening, as I begin writing the last section of today’s narrative. Today was one of those perfectly gorgeous days here in Hawaii. There was abundant sunshine, and warm trade winds blowing, with hardly a shower anywhere. The volcanic haze, which we saw in our skies locally Saturday, has now all been blown away by the fresh trade winds. I anticipate that Monday and Tuesday will continue this lovely string of days that are gracing our islands during this winter period. ~~~ I didn’t leave home today for a second, and the closest to my car that I got, was to just check the oil briefly this afternoon…which was just where it was suppose to be on the dip stick. I learned a long time ago, that’s its important to keep clean oil in the car, as it preserves the engine effectively. At any rate, I hung out at home and did some domestic chores. I bbq’d some organic chicken thighs, and sauteed a bunch of organic vegetables, which I’ll have as dinners during the upcoming work week. Perhaps the most fun of the day, was hanging out with the neighbors on three sides of my house. We all worked together to get some wiring arranged for internet connectivity issues. It’s always fun and stimulating to hang with these people, as they all happen to be in the top of their various fields of endeavor. ~~~ It’s so nice out, I plan to hang out on the deck after finishing the last little bit of this narrative update. I hope you have a great Sunday night, and perhaps will be able to stop by again on Monday. I’ll have your next new weather narrative ready and waiting early Monday morning. Aloha for now…Glenn.

Interesting: Despite the frightening regularity of humanitarian disasters like the earthquake in Haiti, international responses remain fragmented and must be improved, argue a group of trauma surgeons on the British Medical Journal website. They warn that an uncoordinated push to get people and equipment into the affected zone as soon as possible can worsen the situation and reduce the effectiveness of relief efforts. They also advise anyone thinking about volunteering to join an established group and obtain appropriate training to enable them to function in a disaster zone.

Many health care professionals from developed countries do not know what to do when faced with the horrors of a major humanitarian disaster, so proper preparation is key to providing prompt relief, write Dr Charles Krin and colleagues. In the US, volunteers are required to undertake a National Incident Management System (NIMS) course so that they are aware of the likely systems and where they will fit in to the system.

Other countries run similar programs. Passports and immunizations also need to be kept up to date. Medical volunteers should have a basic understanding of field and trauma medicine, be able to treat wounds and fractures with limited equipment and in non-sterile conditions, and know basic field sanitation and water purification techniques. These measures will help avoid well intentioned but sometimes misguided help from uncoordinated and untrained people that can hamper relief efforts, say the authors.

Surely, we have learnt enough from the natural disasters of the last few decades to allow us to set priorities and offer a reasonably coordinated international relief effort the next time this happens, say the authors. They call for international dialogue to explore ways to improve the response to these events.

"We have a perfect opportunity in Haiti to work towards true international cooperation, they conclude. "The Haitians will benefit from a long-term commitment to rebuilding, and the world medical community will benefit from the lessons learned when next we are called upon to provide disaster relief."

Interesting2: Communicating why biodiversity loss matters for people is essential for reversing it. The failed UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December could hardly have been a less promising prelude to the International Year of Biodiversity, which opened last month (January). As with climate change, the threat of large-scale biodiversity loss — and the need for global political action to stop it — is growing every day.

At a meeting about biodiversity organized by the British government in London in January, Robert Watson, former head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warned that damage to the natural environment was approaching "a point of no return", a familiar phrase in the climate change debate.

Both issues face formidable challenges in persuading political leaders and the public of the urgent need to take action. The reasons are complex. But at root is the conflict between the need to radically change our use of natural resources and the desire to maintain current forms of economic growth in both developed and developing countries.

The solutions are equally complicated. Part of the answer, in each case, lies in enhancing the media’s ability to communicate messages emerging from the underlying science, so that these accurately reflect both the urgency of the situation, and how ordinary people’s lives may be affected.

Interesting3: Extensive commercial fishing endangers dolphin populations in the Mediterranean. This has been shown in a new study carried out at the University of Haifa’s Department of Maritime Civilizations. "Unfortunately, we turn our backs to the sea and do not give much consideration to our marine neighbors," states researcher Dr. Aviad Scheinin.

The study, which was supervised by Prof. Ehud Spanier and Dr. Dan Kerem, examined the competition between the two top predators along the Mediterranean coast of Israel: the Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and bottom trawlers. (Trawling is the principal type of commercial fishing in Israel and involves dragging a large fishing net through the water, close to the sea floor, from the back of a boat.)

These two predators off the coast of Israel trap similar types of fish near the sea floor, so the researchers decided to examine the nature of the competition between the two. Commercial trawling in the Mediterranean off the coast of Israel targets codfish, red mullet and sole, three commercial and sought-after types of fish.

The Department of Fisheries in Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture has data showing that over the years the amount of fish from the sea floor looted by Israel’s commercial trawling is larger than the amount of fish that nature provides, indicating that the sea floor fish population dropped between the years 1949 and 2006.

Would this decline in fish supply necessarily cause direct harm to the dolphins, seeing as their diet might also include other types of fish? In order to verify this, the researcher examined the contents of the stomachs of 26 dolphins that died and landed on the beach, or that had been caught by mistake.

He also examined the behavior of living dolphins by carrying out 232 marine surveys over more than 3,000 km. along the central coast of Israel. The dolphins’ stomachs contained mainly non-commercialized fish, suggesting that they perhaps do not compete directly with the commercial trawlers, and that the commercial fishing does not directly affect the dolphins’ nutrition.

Interesting4: Sure, some delicacies might taste just like chicken, but they usually feel and look much different. Soy meat alternatives, such as the soy burger, have become more popular recently, with increased sales of eight percent from 2007 to 2008. Now, scientists at the University of Missouri have created a soy substitute for chicken that is much like the real thing.

The new soy chicken also has health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and maintaining healthy bones. Fu-Hung Hsieh, an MU professor of biological engineering and food science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the College of Engineering, is leading the project to create a low-cost soy substitute for chicken.

His research, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Illinois-Missouri Biotechnology Alliance, has led to a process that does more than just add color and flavor to soy. Hsieh has developed a process that makes the soy product simulate the fibrous qualities of a chicken breast.

"Early tests provided some of the fibrous texture to the final product, but it tasted more like turkey," Hsieh said. "In order to produce a more realistic product, we had to tweak the process and add extra fiber to give the soy a stringy feeling that tears into irregular, coarse fibers similar to chicken." To create the soy chicken, Hsieh starts with a soy protein extracted from soy flour.

The soy then goes through an extrusion cooking process that uses water, heat and pressure while pushing the mixture through a cylinder with two augers. "This particular soy substitute is different because we are working with a higher moisture content, which is up to 75 percent," Hsieh said. "The high moisture content is what gives the soy a very similar texture to chicken — in addition to the appearance."

Along with pleasing the senses, Hsieh’s soy chicken provides health benefits for consumers. Soy foods contain important nutrition components, some of which help maintain healthy bones and prevent prostate, breast and colorectal cancers. Soy foods also are a good source of essential fatty acids and contain no cholesterol.

The FDA has approved a claim that encourages 25 grams of soy protein in a daily diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to help reduce cholesterol that is at or above moderately high levels.

Interesting5: Southern Brazil should feel relief from the intense heat by Monday, but temperatures will remain hot through the weekend. High temperatures on Thursday reached 100 degrees F in Port Alegre. Pelotas also recorded a high of 102 F during the day on Wednesday. While beach goers have enjoyed the heat, nights of oppressive warmth has been problematic for several Brazilians.

The demand for energy has reached the state record for Rio Grande do Sul after Tuesday’s temperatures. This is likely due to an increased demand in air conditioning and other cooling devices. Neighboring Argentina helped fill Brazil’s electricity demand Wednesday by exporting 500 megawatts of power, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Interesting6: Scant ice over the Arctic Sea this winter could mean a "double whammy" of powerful ice-melt next summer, a top U.S. climate scientist said on Thursday. "It’s not that the ice keeps melting, it’s just not growing very fast," said Mark Serreze, director of the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. In January, Arctic sea ice grew by about 13,000 square miles a day, which is a bit more than one-third the pace of ice growth during the 1980s, and less than the average for the first decade of the 21st century.

Arctic ice cover is important to the rest of the world because the Arctic is the globe’s biggest weather-maker, sometimes dubbed Earth’s air-conditioner for its ability to cool down the planet. More melting Arctic sea ice could affect this weather-making process; it is unlikely to lead to rising sea levels, any more than an ice cube melting in a glass of water would make the glass overflow.

If Arctic ice fails to build up sufficiently during the dark, cold winter months, it is likely to melt faster and earlier when spring comes, Serreze said by telephone from Colorado. "We’ve grown back ice in the winter, but that ice tends to be thin and that’s the problem," he said.

"You set yourself up for a world of hurt in summer. The ice that is there is also thinner than it was before and thinner ice simply takes less energy to melt out the next summer." With less of the Arctic sea covered in ice in winter, and with the existing ice thinner and more fragile than before, "you’ve got a double whammy going on," Serreze said.

February 6-7, 2010

Air Temperatures – The following maximum temperatures were recorded across the state of Hawaii Saturday afternoon:

Lihue, Kauai – 77
Honolulu, Oahu – 79
Kaneohe, Oahu – 80
Kaunakakai, Molokai – 81
Kahului, Maui – 83
Hilo, Hawaii – 81
Kailua-kona – 80

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level around the state – and on the highest mountains…at 3pm Saturday afternoon:

Kahului, Maui – 82F
Kaneohe, Oahu – 77

Haleakala Crater – 52 (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 41 (near 14,000 feet on the Big Island)

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals (inches) during the last 24 hours on each of the major islands, as of Saturday afternoon:

0.24 Anahola, Kauai
0.10 Punaluu Pump, Oahu
0.00 Molokai
0.00 Lanai
0.00 Kahoolawe
0.04 Oheo Gulch, Maui
0.12 Piihonua, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing a 1022 millibar high pressure system, currently to the northeast, moving east-northeast away from the islands, with southeast to south winds…gradually becoming northeast Sunday, then trade winds into Monday.

Satellite and Radar Images: To view the cloud conditions we have here in Hawaii, please use the following satellite links, starting off with this Infrared Satellite Image of the islands to see all the clouds around the state during the day and night. This next image is one that gives close images of the islands only during the daytime hours, and is referred to as a Close-up visible image. This next image shows a larger view of the Pacific…giving perspective to the wider ranging cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean. Finally, here’s a L o op ing I R satellite image, making viewable the clouds around the islands 24 hours a day. To help you keep track of where any showers may be around the islands, here’s the latest animated radar image.

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of near 14,000 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tallest peak on the island of Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which is near 10,000 feet in elevation. These two webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon rising just after sunset for an hour or two! Plus, during the nights and early mornings you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise too…depending upon weather conditions.

Tropical Cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific – Here’s the latest weather information coming out of the National Hurricane Center, covering the eastern north Pacific. You can find the latest tropical cyclone information for the central north Pacific (where Hawaii is located) by clicking on this link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Here’s a tracking map covering both the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. A satellite image, which shows the entire ocean area between Hawaii and the Mexican coast…can be found here.

Aloha Paragraphs

Returning trade winds soon…generally fine weather

A ridge of high pressure is near Kauai Saturday evening, with light southeast winds, bringing voggy weather back into our area temporarily. This ridge has been pushed over the islands by a cold front to the northwest. This frontal cloud band won’t reach the 50th state, gliding by to the north. We can look at this cold front by using this big satellite image, provided by the University of Washington. We can see that the bulk of whatever showers that are associated with this front, will remain well to the north of Hawaii. The light winds today, coupled with the daytime heating, caused some afternoon clouds to form around the mountains. As the front moves by to our north Sunday, our winds will pick up in strength from the trade wind direction.

The winds will remain trade winds Monday…then gradually become lighter and from the southeast later Tuesday. This swinging around of the winds, and their easing up in strength, will be prompted by the approach of our next cold front. The computer models are now showing this next cold front stalling somewhere near Kauai or Oahu Wednesday. Following in the wake of the frontal boundary, will be NE and ENE trade winds, which may continue the showers for a while on the windward sides. It’s too early to know what will be on tap later during the new week ahead, although given the dry conditions, it would be good to see some precipitation taking aim on our state.

It’s Saturday evening, as I begin writing the last section of today’s narrative. Saturday was a very nice day, although there was some volcanic haze around locally. There were a minimum amount of showers, with lots of nice warm sunshine beaming down. This satellite image shows the nature of this fine weather that I’m referring to. The volcanic haze will be around through the night, although should be clearing the state during the day Sunday, as the winds pick up from the northeast. ~~~ Friday evening after work I saw a new film called A Single Man (2009), starring Julianne Moore and Colin Firth…among others. The Yahoo critics are giving this film a B+ grade, while the Yahoo users gave it an A-…which is pretty darn good. A brief synopsis of this film is: In Los Angeles 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis George Falconer, a 52 year old British college professor is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim. George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters, ultimately lead him to decide if there is a meaning to life. The director and producer of this new film is Tom Ford, a well known person in the fashion industry. – I had mixed feelings about this film, and wouldn’t want to steer anyone to it personally. I first of all noticed in a big way, that the film was playing in the smallest theatre at this mexaplex, and when I walked in, there was no one else there! Just before the film started four people walked in, so at least I wasn’t alone, although that wouldn’t have bothered me. It was a different kind of film than I’ve ever seen before, and quite honestly wasn’t quite what I expected. I was glad I saw it, as it sort of stretched me, but I could have missed it, and that would have been alright. If I was to give it a grade, I would say C maybe C+. There were some good parts, and it certainly was very artistic, which was engaging, on the positive side. As I continue to think back about the film, I want to like it better, and it wasn’t a bad film by any means. Perhaps I could raise the grade to C+ or B-…trying to be less judgemental. Just in case you have some curiousity about this film, here’s a trailer. ~~~ I had a haircut in Paia this morning, and went down to Baldwin beach, which was packed, for a walk and swim while I was on that side. I’m about ready to leave again, as I have a dinner invitation in Kihei. I’ll be back here again on Sunday, I hope you have a great Saturday night! Aloha for now…Glenn.