News Stories

USNIC Receives Esri Special Achievement Award
July 13, 2022 — U.S. National Ice Center’s (USNIC) Information Technology Department Head, Mr. George Wachira, accepted an Esri Special Achievement award in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the 2022 Esri User Conference on behalf of USNIC’s workforce, July 13. USNIC was selected from more than 100,000 of Esri’s GIS mapping-software users for achievement in automation, analysis and product generation workflows. “We [USNIC] are proud to accept this award marking our workforce’s exceptional talent and expertise,” said USNIC Director, CDR Casey Gon. “This award is testament to our center’s hard-work and dedication to enhancing support of the U.S. Navy’s larger mission.” The Esri Special Achievement award is presented to worldwide user-sites in recognition of outstanding work with GIS technology. ... MORE

Suitland, MD — U.S. National Ice Center’s (USNIC) Information Technology Department Head, Mr. George Wachira, accepted an Esri Special Achievement award in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the 2022 Esri User Conference on behalf of USNIC’s workforce, July 13.

USNIC was selected from more than 100,000 of Esri’s GIS mapping-software users for achievement in automation, analysis and product generation workflows.

“We [USNIC] are proud to accept this award marking our workforce’s exceptional talent and expertise,” said USNIC Director, CDR Casey Gon. “This award is testament to our center’s hard-work and dedication to enhancing support of the U.S. Navy’s larger mission.”

The Esri Special Achievement award is presented to worldwide user-sites in recognition of outstanding work with GIS technology.

NPS Researchers Leave a Lasting Legacy in Climate Analysis and Prediction
July 6, 2022 — The analysis of global patterns can help scientists develop predictions about the conditions a specific region might experience in the coming weeks, months or years. One method they do this is by looking for precursor conditions in the ocean and atmosphere that might be indicators of what’s to come in the region. For his 2021 doctoral thesis at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kellen Jones wanted to see if there were large-scale climate events that serve as precursors to Santa Ana winds, which can lead to devastating wildfires in Southern California. “We focused on looking at 164 different Santa Ana winds from 1979 to 2018, and we were able to determine what that weather pattern looks like across the globe,” Jones recalls. “We found a very unique signature … a unique thumbprint in the global climate system that occurs during and also before seeing a Santa Ana wind event.” He and his advisor Dr. Tom Murphree, now a research associate professor emeritus in NPS’ Department of Meteorology, used machine learning and other methods to determine the related events that took place in the tropics and the Indian Ocean before Santa Ana winds materialized in California... MORE

Climate Change Operation Impacts Inforgraphic.

Plymouth Native Serves at U.S. Navy at Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
July 6, 2022 — A Plymouth, Minnesota, native joins Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command as a member of the U.S. Navy. U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command directs and oversees more than 2,500 globally distributed military and civilian personnel who collect, process and exploit environmental information to assist Fleet and Joint Commanders in all warfare areas to make better decisions, based on assured environmental information, faster than the adversary. Chief Petty Officer Leigh Windham joined the Navy 12 years ago. In that time, Windham has earned five Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, as well as one Navy Commendation Medal. ... MORE

Into the Storm, Under the Ocean
June 27, 2022 — The U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) offers many summer internships and programs for midshipmen to take part in each year. One of those internship opportunities is a program called Training and Research in Oceanic and Atmospheric Processes in Tropical Cyclones (TROPIC), an internship program offered to rising first class (senior) and second class (junior) midshipmen during the third block of their summer training. The program, created by Navy Capt. Beth Sanabia, a permanent military professor in the oceanography department at USNA, began in 2011. During the months of July and August, Sanabia and her TROPIC team work directly with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known as the Hurricane Hunters, from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, to improve hurricane forecast accuracy by understanding what is happening under the storm during tropical disturbances in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The TROPIC team augments the Hurricane Hunters’ atmospheric measurements by collecting ocean data in and around the storm environment... MORE

SAN ANTONIO -participating in the summer internship program, Training and Research in Oceanic and Atmospheric Processes in Tropical Cyclones (TROPIC), pose for a photo in San Antonio after completing flights into Hurricane Ida. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy Capt. Beth Sanabia)

Celebrating World Hydro Day 2022
June 21, 2022 — World "Hydro" Day 2022 marks the 101st anniversary establishing the International Hydrographic Organization, which sets the standard for hydrographic surveying and publication of safety of navigation products, June 21. World Hydro Day celebrations are designed to raise awareness about hydrography and how it plays a role in improved knowledge of the seas and oceans. The day provides opportunities to publicize work and services carried out by national hydrographic offices and stimulate technical collaboration on a global scale. Since 1830, the U.S. Navy has been conducting hydrographic surveys on the high seas, starting with Lt. Matthew Maury’s expedition. ... MORE

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss.—— World "Hydro" Day 2022 marks the 101st anniversary establishing the International Hydrographic Organization, which sets the standard for hydrographic surveying and publication of safety of navigation products, June 21.

World Hydro Day celebrations are designed to raise awareness about hydrography and how it plays a role in improved knowledge of the seas and oceans. The day provides opportunities to publicize work and services carried out by national hydrographic offices and stimulate technical collaboration on a global scale.

Since 1830, the U.S. Navy has been conducting hydrographic surveys on the high seas, starting with Lt. Matthew Maury’s expedition.

ALTO says Hello
June 17, 2022 — USS Tripoli’s Aerographer’s Mates deployed the first of five buoys in the western Pacific Ocean, May 14. The buoy is an Autonomous Lagrangian Thermometric Observer (ALTO), a subsurface device provided by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) that drifts through the water, surfacing periodically to transmit oceanographic data via satellite. Once deployed by either ship or aircraft, ALTO will provide several years of completely automated measurements of ocean temperatures, salinity and currents. The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography community collects global oceanographic and meteorological data that are ingested into models which support naval operations. ALTO buoys are programmed to descend to a pre-determined depth between 1,000 and 1,200 meters and stay at that depth for up to four days then collect oceanographic data while ascending back to the surface to transmit the data to NAVOCEANO... MORE

220514-N-CM110-1062 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 14, 2022) – Sailors assigned to the Metrological and Oceanographic division take a buoy out of a crate in the vehicle stowage area aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7), May 14, 2022. Tripoli is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 7th Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Maci Sternod)

Naval Oceanography’s part in BALTOPS 2022
June 13, 2022 — Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command is participating in the 51st iteration of exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) via the embarked Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) detachments aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), along with forward deployed Sailors, Marines, and civilians from U.S. Sixth Fleet (C6F) METOC, Fleet Weather Center Anti-Submarine Detachment (FWCASWDET) Sigonella and Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center (NOMWC), June 5-17, 2022. The METOC detachments, embarked aboard Kearsarge, originated from Strike Group Oceanography Team – Norfolk (SGOT-N). The team is charged with providing commanders and escort ships timely and tactically relevant environmental analysis and prediction. The METOC detachment’s continuous environmental analysis enhances decision superiority, mission accomplishment, and interoperability during BALTOPS 22. ... MORE

U.S. Navy Aerographer’s Mate Airman Chase Dublin uses a handheld anemometer to gather wind speed and weather information aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) during exercise BALTOPS 22, June 10, 2022. BALTOPS 22 is the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region. The exercise, led by U.S. Naval forces Europe-Africa, and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, provides a unique training opportunity to strengthen combined response capabilities critical to preserving freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Yvonna Guyette)

South Korea and U.S. Navy Strengthen Ties with New Agreement
June 10, 2022 — Naval Oceanography hosted representatives from the Republic of Korean Navy (ROKN) for a two-day tour of U.S. Navy (USN) commands at NASA Stennis Space Center, MS and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two navies, June 7-8, 2022. This MOU, a regularly-signed joint agreement, reaffirms commitment to enhance the ROKN-USN partnership by sharing information on oceanography, hydrography, and meteorology best-practices. Foundationally, the MOU aligns with the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) priorities: (1) defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat; (2) deterring strategic attacks against the U.S., Allies and partners; (3) deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary; and (4) building a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem. “The signing of this agreement is historic and demonstrates our navies’ commitment to continued growth in our oceanographic alliance,” said RDML Ron J. Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC). ... MORE

Naval Oceanography hosted representatives from the Republic of Korean Navy (ROKN) for a two-day tour of U.S. Navy (USN) commands at NASA Stennis Space Center, MS and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two navies, June 7-8, 2022.

This MOU, a regularly-signed joint agreement, reaffirms commitment to enhance the ROKN-USN partnership by sharing information on oceanography, hydrography, and meteorology best-practices.

Foundationally, the MOU aligns with the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) priorities: (1) defending the homeland, paced to the growing multi-domain threat; (2) deterring strategic attacks against the U.S., Allies and partners; (3) deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary; and (4) building a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem.

“The signing of this agreement is historic and demonstrates our navies’ commitment to continued growth in our oceanographic alliance,” said RDML Ron J. Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC).

U.S. National Ice Center Confirms A-74 Iceberg Split Near Berkner Island
June 10, 2022 — U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC) confirmed iceberg A-74 (Fig. 1) split, or calved, into two icebergs—identified as A-74A and A-74B—near Berkner Island in the Weddell Sea, June 7, 2022. A-74A was centered at 76° 55' South and 45° 54' West , measuring 28 nautical miles on its longest axis and 18 nautical miles on its widest axis. A-74B was centered at 76° 45' South and 44° 54' West and measured 9 nautical miles on its longest axis and 4 nautical miles on its widest axis. ... MORE

Figure 1: Sentinel-1A image of icebergs A-74A and A-74B from June 07, 2022.

U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC) confirmed iceberg A-74 (Fig. 1) split, or calved, into two icebergs—identified as A-74A and A-74B—near Berkner Island in the Weddell Sea, June 7, 2022.

A-74A was centered at 76° 55' South and 45° 54' West , measuring 28 nautical miles on its longest axis and 18 nautical miles on its widest axis. A-74B was centered at 76° 45' South and 44° 54' West and measured 9 nautical miles on its longest axis and 4 nautical miles on its widest axis.

JTWC Int’l Roadshow Strengthens U.S.-Japanese Alliance
June 10, 2022 — Naval Oceanography’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) visited the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) during JTWC’s 2022 International Roadshow, June 10. JTWC’s Director, Mr. Brian Strahl and its Training Department Head, Dr. Owen Shieh executed the visit, offering training to JMA’s forward-deployed weather personnel—focusing on tropical cyclone operations and JTWC warnings as well as decision-support products—ultimately reinforcing the U.S.-Japanese partnership alliance. “The alliance between Japan and the United States is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific", said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday during a recent meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). “Our bond with Japan has never been stronger…we share a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and, together, we will work tirelessly to ensure and maintain security and stability in one of the world’s most important regions…as well as engage in productive discussions on how our navies can accelerate critical advances in interoperability.” ... MORE

n Jun 10, 2022, Mr. Brian Strahl and Dr. Owen Shieh visited the Japanese Meteorological Agency in Tokyo, Japan, during the 2022 JTWC Roadshow.

This visit re-established in-person dialogue with JMA and its WMO-designated Typhoon Center, which was not possible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Strahl and Dr. Shieh began by presenting a plaque commemorating the visit and long-standing mutual friendship between the two agencies to the JMA Director General for Atmosphere and Ocean, Mr. Takashi Mori, and the Head of the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC), Mr. Takuya Hosomi. In addition to discussing the mutual benefit of the close relationship and continuing liaison efforts, the meeting provided an opportunity to thank JMA for providing real-time radar data to the Office of Naval Research. Having access to this radar network across Mainland Japan and throughout the Ryukus will boost CNMOC’s understanding of the environment in this key location. Mr. Strahl and Dr. Shieh participated in a technical exchange with scientists of the Tokyo Typhoon Center, followed by a tour of the JMA operations floor. This visit put front and center the vital role meteorology and oceanography plays in the battlespace awareness of both our nations as strategic focus continues to shift to the INDOPACOM AOR

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