Use of climatology data products to understand variation in the Salish Sea: The NANOOS Climatology App delivers
Presentation Abstract
The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) has developed a new Climatology App as part of its online data portal, the NANOOS Visualization System (http://nvs.nanoos.org/). The NVS Climatology App provides users with a rich interface to access long-term average conditions (climatology) and present-day departures from average (anomaly) data visualizations from buoys, satellites, and weather stations in the Pacific Northwest, enabling users to compare current conditions against conditions measured in the past. The web app consists of two components: climatologies from selected buoy, shore and land sites, and overlays from remote sensing data. We use graphics from this app to illustrate the development of the warm Pacific Ocean anomaly known as the ‘blob’ first offshore and then within the Salish Sea from 2013-2015, as well as dynamics of the currently developing El Niño.
Climatologies depicting long-term mean and standard deviations with real-time data on the same plot allow instant visualization of how different conditions are from normal. Sea surface temperature deviations during 2014 and 2015 were over 2 standard deviations from normal for many assets. Variables differ according to asset but include: water temperature, salinity, oxygen, wave height, peak wave period, water level, air temperature, wind speed, and barometric pressure. We compare offshore assets with those within the Salish Sea to highlight how anomalous recent conditions have been, not only for temperature but for other variables affecting the nearshore. Overlays depicting monthly means and anomalies derived from satellite data for chlorophyll, sea temperature, and mean sea level provide large-scale definition of the spatial extent of the blob and El Niño. Over time these plots illustrate the evolution of such features and their influence on the Salish Sea. The app currently shows 12 assets within the Salish Sea; we hope to add more data records from the Salish Sea.
Session Title
Changes in Ecosystem Function and Climate Revealed by Long-term Monitoring in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Climatology--Computer programs; Environmental monitoring--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Use of climatology data products to understand variation in the Salish Sea: The NANOOS Climatology App delivers
2016SSEC
The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) has developed a new Climatology App as part of its online data portal, the NANOOS Visualization System (http://nvs.nanoos.org/). The NVS Climatology App provides users with a rich interface to access long-term average conditions (climatology) and present-day departures from average (anomaly) data visualizations from buoys, satellites, and weather stations in the Pacific Northwest, enabling users to compare current conditions against conditions measured in the past. The web app consists of two components: climatologies from selected buoy, shore and land sites, and overlays from remote sensing data. We use graphics from this app to illustrate the development of the warm Pacific Ocean anomaly known as the ‘blob’ first offshore and then within the Salish Sea from 2013-2015, as well as dynamics of the currently developing El Niño.
Climatologies depicting long-term mean and standard deviations with real-time data on the same plot allow instant visualization of how different conditions are from normal. Sea surface temperature deviations during 2014 and 2015 were over 2 standard deviations from normal for many assets. Variables differ according to asset but include: water temperature, salinity, oxygen, wave height, peak wave period, water level, air temperature, wind speed, and barometric pressure. We compare offshore assets with those within the Salish Sea to highlight how anomalous recent conditions have been, not only for temperature but for other variables affecting the nearshore. Overlays depicting monthly means and anomalies derived from satellite data for chlorophyll, sea temperature, and mean sea level provide large-scale definition of the spatial extent of the blob and El Niño. Over time these plots illustrate the evolution of such features and their influence on the Salish Sea. The app currently shows 12 assets within the Salish Sea; we hope to add more data records from the Salish Sea.
