LEO-15 Undersea Node

LEO-15 Undersea Node

What is a Node?

Rutgers University has two unmanned undersea research nodes that are deployed 9 kilometers off the coast of Brigintinne, New Jersey. These two nodes are part of a research site called LEO-15.

They are linked to the Rutgers Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, NJ, with an electro-optic cable that contains optical fibers to transfer information and copper wires to transfer power. This link provides a real-time connection between the undersea world off the coast of New Jersey and the Internet, providing scientists, engineers, and educators with realtime access to the sea. It permits them to monitor experiments and to alter their direction from essentially any classroom, office building, or laboratory in the world. The cable also provides continuous and ample electrical power, a luxury denied to experimentalists using traditional methods to study the ocean.

The LEO-15 Concept

To most Americans, the coastal ocean is one of our nation's most important natural treasures. Issues associated with its management are the subject of constant debate by the public, the media, and politicians. A common feature of these debates is the need for better information about the ocean environment. Until now, we have depended upon ships, satellites, and a few buoys for information. A major limitation is our inability to make frequent observations of ocean processes from one place in the ocean over long periods of time. LEO-15 is designed to address that limitation; it is on line almost continuously, providing scientists and engineers realtime data.

NSSL PODCASTS - Severe Weather

Improving Forecasts of Severe Storms

National Severe Storms Laboratory Chief of Forecast Research and Development Dr. David Stensrud discusses severe weather modeling and improving forecasts of severe weather events. Recorded 8 November 2007

• Section 1 - Research focused on improving forecasts and warnings for severe weather (4:55)
• Section 2 - How radar data are used in models (1:25)
• Section 3 - Hazardous Weather Testbed collaborative research effort (1:58)
• Section 4 - The goal of forecast and warning research (1:10)
• Section 5 - Dave discusses his career path (2:56)

  LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE PODCAST RUNTIME 12:27 TEXT TRANSCRIPT

WEATHER NOTES

Enhanced River Flood Warning Service for the Iroquois River

On Tuesday, April 1 2008 at 8 am CDT, the National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago Forecast Office in Romeoville Illinois will begin providing river forecast and flood warning service for the Iroquois River at Rensselaer Indiana in Jasper county and the Iroquois River near Foresman Indiana in Newton county.

River flood products will be issued when these locations are at or forecast to rise to flood stage or above. The flood products will provide information such as the current and forecast river stages for these locations to provide early notification of potential flooding on the Iroquois river in Indiana. In addition, the current and forecast information for these locations will be available on the NOAA NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) web page at weather.gov/chicago.

If you have any questions or comments on this change...please Contact:

William Morris
Hydrologic Program Manager
National Weather Service Forecast Office
333 West University Drive
Romeoville, IL
Phone: 815-834-0600 x493
Email: william.morris@noaa.gov

What's New at the NDBC Web Site? 2008

• March - DART buoy network expansion complete! NDBC deployed a new water level measuring buoy in the Pacific. This completes the planned expansion of the NOAA tsunami reporting network and brings the total number of DART stations to 39.

• February - DART buoy network expanded. NDBC deployed four new DART buoys in the Pacific. This brings the total number of DART water level measuring stations in the NOAA tsunami reporting network to 38.

• January - Waves/ocean buoy at Buzzards Bay! NDBC established WAMDAS buoy 44070 and added it to the Rhode Island map.

MARITIME NOTES

Salvage experts consider wrecking stricken ferry

The future of the stricken Riverdance ferry will be decided during crisis talks on Thursday.

Salvors, insurers and the boat's owners will meet to discuss what to do next, after the vessel was battered by further bad weather.

The ferry is now completely on its side and is sinking into the sand, and salvors have admitted that cutting the boat up on the sand is a possibilty, but still a last resort.

But it is starting to look like the most likely option, after attempts to salvage the boat over the last month have failed.

NOAA – CAMEO proposals

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a notice stating that it is soliciting proposals to strengthen the scientific basis for the Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Organization (CAMEO) program. The CAMEO program assists policy makers and resource managers to make ecosystem-science-based decisions that fulfill policy goals and management objectives of society. Proposals must be received no later than June 17. 73 Fed. Reg. 14774 (March 19, 2008).

RS