Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / March 7-8, 2011

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

Lihue, Kauai –                   81
Honolulu airport, Oahu –    83
Kaneohe, Oahu –               77
Molokai airport –                79
Kahului airport, Maui –        82
Kona airport –                      83
Hilo airport, Hawaii –          76

Air Temperatures ranged between these warmest and coolest spots near sea level – and on the highest mountain tops…as of 5pm Monday evening:

Kailua-kona – 82F
Hilo, Oahu – 71

Haleakala Crater –     missing (near 10,000 feet on Maui)
Mauna Kea summit – 30 (under 14,000 feet on the Big Island)

Precipitation Totals – The following numbers represent the largest precipitation totals Monday evening:

0.33    Mount Waialeale, Kauai
1.02    Palisades, Oahu
0.09    Molokai
0.00    Lanai
0.00    Kahoolawe
2.86    Puu Kukui, Maui
2.47    Waiakea Uka, Big Island

Marine Winds – Here’s the latest (automatically updated) weather map showing the tail-end of a trough of low pressure to the east of the state. At the same time we have a trade wind producing high pressure system to the northeast. Our trade winds will remain moderately strong Tuesday and 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 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 Looping IR 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 web cam 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 web cams 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. Of course, as we know, our hurricane season ends November 30th here in the central Pacific.

 Aloha Paragraphs

Trade wind weather pattern
Photo Credit…Glenn Przyborski

Moderately strong trade winds will prevail this week generally, with some up and down motion in strength as we go. According to this weather map, we see high pressure systems northeast and northwest of Hawaii Monday night. We also see a trough of low pressure to the east of the Big Island. Despite the presence of this trough, we’re finding a steady flow of northeasterly winds, making for locally blustery trade winds. There may be a slight reduction in trade wind speeds Tuesday and Wednesday, although they will continue to blow through the week…strengthening further after mid-week into the weekend time frame.

Breezy trade winds…the following numbers represent the strongest gusts, along with directions Monday evening:

29 mph        Port Allen, Kauai – NE
24              Honolulu, Oahu – NE
24              Molokai – NE
22              Kahoolawe – E 
28              Kahului, Maui – NE
15              Lanai Airport – NE 
25              South Point, Big Island – NE

We can use the following links to see what’s going on in our area of the north central Pacific Ocean Monday night. This large University of Washington satellite image shows an area of clouds associated with a trough to our east, oriented southwest to northeast near the Big Island…with another band of clouds to our northwest.  Looking at this NOAA satellite picture, we see that there is still some moisture from the trough, which is stretched out over the Big Island up through Maui County and Oahu. We can use this looping satellite image to see a few remaining heavier showers around the Big Island. Checking out this looping radar image, we can see light to moderately heavy showers, or even a bit more intense than that locally…falling from Oahu down through Maui County to the Big Island.

A well established trade wind weather pattern remains active, although there is still evidence of the residual instability from Oahu down through the Big Island Monday night. The island of Kauai continues to have generally fair weather, with just those few windward biased showers. Oahu, Maui County and the Big Island will have more showers falling tonight, some will continue to be locally on the heavy side. As the trade winds are wound up pretty well now, the bulk of the incoming showers will spill out along the windward sides…although not exclusively. The recent small craft wind advisory over Maui and the Big Island has been discontinued. Radar imagery shows that we still have quite a bit of instability in our overlying atmosphere, thus the heavier showers are hanging on. We can likely expect to see more of these showers falling through the next several days. It may take until Thursday or Friday before things dry out more thoroughly, which will take us into a very nice looking weather pattern this weekend.  



~~~ Here in Kihei, Maui, at around 530pm, there are lots of clouds around, and it even lightly showered right down to the coast earlier this afternoon. My neighbor up in Kula, emailed to tell me that there had been a heavy shower up that way this afternoon too. Often with this kind of weather pattern, most of the showers will fall along the windward sides at night, with afternoon showers breaking out in the upcountry areas during the afternoons. One of the good things about this trade wind weather pattern is that the volcanic haze is gone here on Maui. I'll be back early Tuesday morning with your next new weather narrative, I hope you have a great Monday night until then! Aloha for now…Glenn.

Interesting: A fissure that opened on Kilauea's east rift zone after the March 5 collapse of the Pu'u 'O'o crater floor continues to erupt lava. Activity along the fissure was sporadic overnight and throughout March 6, with periods of quiet punctuated by episodes of lava spattering up to 80 ft. high.

The fissure is located west-southwest of Pu'u 'O'o in a remote area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Due to the ongoing volcanic activity, Park closures remain in effect in this area. Live views of Kilauea's fissure eruption are now possible via a Webcam installed by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) this afternoon.

The Webcam images, which are updated every five minutes, can be accessed at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/NCcam/. Measurements made by HVO scientists show that the Pu'u 'O'o crater floor dropped at least 377 ft. during Saturday's collapse. The only signs of activity within the crater Sunday were infrequent cascades of rock fragments falling from collapse blocks.

This activity is visible when Pu'u 'O'o Webcam views, accessible at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/POcam/, are not obscured by volcanic fume. Lava flows on the pali and coastal plain are still active, but sluggish. Whether these flows are residual lava draining through the tube system or outbreaks that continue to be fed by lava from the east rift zone vent is not yet known.

Based on similar events in past years, it will take a day or two to see if the lava supply has been cut off by the uprift fissure eruption. At Kilauea's summit, the lava lake has receded deep within the vent in Halema'uma'u Crater and is now barely visible in HVO's Webcam images ( http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/HMcam/).

Small collapses of the vent walls occasionally produce dusty-brown plumes that can be seen from Park visitor overlooks. Earthquakes are occurring at lower rates in the Napau Crater area adjacent to the new fissure eruption and beneath the summit caldera, but seismic tremor is significantly elevated in both areas.

Summit deflation continues, but began to slow this afternoon. Deflation of the Pu'u 'O'o area has slowed throughout the day. Daily updates about Kilauea's ongoing eruptions, recent images and videos of summit and east rift zone volcanic activity, and data about recent earthquakes are posted on the HVO Web site at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

Additional status reports will be posted as warranted. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawai`i.

Interesting2: In Shakespeare's play Macbeth the forest of Birnam Wood fulfills a seemingly impossible prophecy by moving to surround the murderous king (the marching trees are helped, of course, by an army of axe-wielding camouflaged Scots). The Arctic tundra may soon feel much like the doomed Macbeth with an army of trees (and invading species) closing in.

In a recent study, researchers found that climate change is likely to push the northern forests of the boreal into the Arctic tundra—a trend that is already being confirmed in Alaska. Analyzing 16 global climate models starting in 1950 and ending at the close of the 21st Century, researchers found that the tundra of North America, Europe and Asia will be increasingly encroached upon by pine and deciduous forest.

"The response of vegetation usually lags changes in climate. The plants don't have legs, so it takes time for plant seed dispersal, germination and establishment of seedlings," Song Feng, research assistant professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln's School of Natural Resource, said in a press release.

As temperatures rise regionally by 5.6 to 9.5 degrees Fahrenheit, a quarter to a half of the Arctic could be impacted, according to the study in Climate Dynamics, depending on future greenhouse gas emissions. Tundra vegetation is expected to lessen by 33-44% by 2099.

The ecosystem changes could impact climate as well, explains Feng: "the expansion of forest may amplify global warming, because the newly forested areas can reduce the surface reflectivity, thereby further warming the Arctic. The shrinkage of tundra and expansion of forest may also impact the habitat for wildlife and local residents."

Interesting3: The health risks from toxins such as lead in old paint or asbestos in walls are too often overlooked when homes are upgraded, according to a study calling on governments to set tougher pollution rules. The report, by Canadian experts, said that retrofits of old buildings, such as insulation meant to save energy and limit greenhouse gas emissions, often released poisons that can be especially damaging to children.

"Without sufficient care, retrofits…can increase the health risks," Theresa McClenaghan, executive director of the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), told Reuters as she outlined a CELA project to limit health risks. "If you do it right, we can make houses healthier, safer and more energy efficient," she said.

CELA called for tighter pollution controls, more training of contractors and a greater regard for health in designing energy efficiency programs. It said the United States and France were among very few nations with rules for handling old lead paint, whose use was banned decades ago by developed nations. Lead can damage the developing brain of young children.

Lead, making up half the weight of some old paints, was long used to make paint more durable, shiny and water resilient. A Canadian home built in the 1930s might have accumulated more than 440.9 pounds of lead, CELA said.

The lead poses little threat if undisturbed but "replacing old windows or drilling into walls to blow in insulation, for example, can contaminate the house with lead dust," CELA said.

Asbestos, used as a flame retardant, can cause cancer. In Canada, it was used in 300,000 to 400,000 homes as loose fill in attics until it was taken off the market in 1990. Disturbing asbestos can release microscopic fibers to the air.

Interesting4: The Iraqi Marshlands, which were pushed to the brink of extinction under the Saddam era, are slowly being restored to their former glory. For over 7,000 years the Iraqi Marshland- also known as the Mesopotamian Marshlands- played an important role in global ecosystems by supporting rare wildlife and rich biodiversity.

Located in south Iraq, the marshlands stretched to over 6,000 square miles and are believed by many to be the location of the Garden of Eden. In the 1980's, however, Saddam drained the marshland to punish the Marsh Arabs who rebelled against him and turned their green lush wetlands into dusty deserts.

Following the 2003 war in Iraq which had its own destructive impact on the environment, a unique opportunity emerged to restore the marshlands in what has since been dubbed as "the largest habitat restoration project in the world".

At its peak the Iraqi Marshlands were considered to be the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East but after the devastating draining projects under Saddam, the Marshland shrunk to just 10 percent of its original size.

The Marsh Arab population dropped from around quarter of a million to just a few thousand. One Iraqi who had fled the country under Saddam returned to find that the wetlands he knew as a child had been destroyed beyond recognition. Azzam Alwash, decided to change this and set up Nature Iraq to help re-flood and so restore the marshlands.

Water which was diverted away from the Iraqi Marshlands under Saddam were re-routed to the marshlands which has seen the return of reeds on the embankments, bird-life and fishes. Birds such as the pied Kingfisher, the great white Pelican, the Basra Reed Warbler and the Greater Flamingo can now been seen flying across the marshlands.

Interesting5: Increased export of Brazilian beef indirectly leads to deforestation in the Amazon. New research from Chalmers and SIK in Sweden that was recently published in Environmental Science & Technology shows that impact on the climate is much greater than current estimates indicate.

The researchers are now demanding that indirect effect on land be included when determining a product's carbon footprint. "If this aspect is not taken into consideration, there is a risk of the wrong signals being sent to policy makers and consumers, and we become guilty of underestimating the impact Brazilian beef has on the climate," says Sverker Molander, Professor Environmental Systems Analysis and one of the researchers responsible for the article.

In Brazil, beef production is the major cause of deforestation in the Amazon. The consequence is not only that valuable rainforest disappears — deforestation also adds to the greenhouse effect. When the carbon-rich forest is burned down to clear land for farming, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released.

An estimated 60-70 per cent of the deforested land is used for cattle ranching. Brazil has emerged as the largest beef exporter in the world over the course of the 2000s. However, very little of the exported beef comes from the deforested parts of the Amazon.

In the international surveys performed to estimate a product's impact on the environment — known as carbon footprint standards — this beef is calculated as causing zero emissions from deforestation, while causing regular emissions from the cattle's digestion and feed production.

Beef from deforested areas also only constitutes a small portion of total production, about six per cent. "The snag is that this six per cent of beef production causes about 25 times more carbon dioxide emissions than beef produced in the rest of Brazil. This means that the average for carbon dioxide emissions caused by beef production in Brazil is twice as high as that in Europe," says Sverker Molander.

The article in Environmental Science & Technology shows that growing export is a major driver behind increased production of beef in Brazil, which means it has indirectly contributed to an expansion of pasture in the Amazon. As it stands today, only land whose use is directly changed is included when estimating a product's carbon footprint, which is misleading.

"We have calculated in many different ways in the article, and no matter how we do it, we arrive at the conclusion that Brazilian beef is a heavy producer of carbon dioxide." Carbon dioxide emissions in conjunction with deforestation are currently responsible for ten per cent of all emissions globally. Increasing demand for more feed, bio-fuel and food, primarily meat, creates a need for more farming land, which leads to deforestation and even greater emissions.

"The basic problem is that we are eating an increasing amount of meat. For every new kilogram we eat, the risk of deforestation increases," says Christel Cederberg, one of the article's co-authors and a researcher at both Chalmers and SIK. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has set a goal to double the country's beef export over the next decade.

At the same time, global demand for biodiesel and ethanol, which are produced from soy and sugar cane in the southern part of the country, is increasing. This has resulted in rising land prices. Many cattle ranchers sell their valuable grazing land to soy and sugar cane farmers, and then buy big land areas in the less expensive northern regions.

"By 2050, global meat consumption is expected to have increased by almost 80 per cent, which will require more grazing land and increased soy cultivation. Added to this is increased demand for land to produce bio-energy. Yields cannot just continue to increase. No matter from which angle you look at the forecasts, changed and increased land use is the result," says Christel Cederberg.