Tennessee Aquarium Takes Part in International Study

When you have a giant aquarium, and can team with other giant aquariums, why not let the world in on what you might know and what you can learn.  The Tennessee Aquarium, in Chattanooga, is  taking part in a fascinating study by collecting the teeth frm their resident sharks.  Sound dangerous?  Are they hiring a Shark Dentist?  Please read below from a Tennessee Aquarium press release.  Fascinating.

Chattanooga, Tenn. (July 27, 2009) – Cameras flash almost every time a big, toothy shark passes in front of visitors through the viewing windows at the Tennessee Aquarium. But guests might not realize that the snaggle-toothed grin of the sand tiger shark could help give scientists a snapshot of what Earth’s climate was like eons ago.

Researchers have discovered that the chemical composition of sharks’ teeth is strongly influenced by water temperature. Certain bonds develop differently in cold water compared to warm water. UCLA’s Dr. Aradhna Tripati and CalTech’s Dr Robert Eagle are attempting to calibrate the carbonate “clumped isotope” thermometer using shark teeth collected in controlled environments like the Tennessee Aquarium. “Initial experiments with shark teeth from different aquarium temperatures show that we can measure the temperature at which the fish lived, to within 1-2^oC” Dr. Eagle said. “Our work with the Tennessee Aquarium will allow us to go on and examine the water temperatures in which extinct sharks lived from fossil teeth, even millions of years back in time. We also intend to go on and use this technique to investigate the body temperatures of extinct organisms of unknown physiology, such as dinosaurs. ”

Recently, volunteer divers began collecting teeth inside the Aquarium’s Secret Reef exhibit for this study. No dental instruments were required however. Volunteer divers simply used their sharp eyes to collect nearly 100 teeth on the bottom of the exhibit that the sharks had lost.

Sandbar and sand tiger sharks lose teeth almost daily according to senior aquarist Rob Mottice. “Most sharks have seven rows of teeth in each jaw,” Mottice said. “And since they loose a tooth from the front row every 10-14 days, they will literally generate thousands of teeth in their lifetime to replace the lost ones.”

The teeth collected in the Secret Reef will give the scientists a control group of samples from 78 degree water. These will be examined along with shark teeth collected from other Aquariums. “The London Aquarium has offered us teeth at 75 deg. F, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium has offered us some teeth from a tank that is at 65 deg. F,” Dr. Tripati said.

Of course you can go see sharks with REAL live teeth IN their heads at the aquarium, just a little drive away in Chattanooga.

Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31

The Eclipse Through An AMAZING Camera

This week, we all saw images on television screens of the solar eclipse that occurred on Wednesday.  This was the longest eclipse the earth will see until 2136, which will likely be beyond most of our own lifetimes… unless my Fish Oil and CoQ10 work as I hope (!!!).  I digress.  When looking at the images at the NASA webpage, some are amazing, especially the one below.  “Hinode is an international mission to study our nearest star, the sun. To accomplish this, the Hinode mission includes a suite of three science instruments — the Solar Optical Telescope, X-ray Telescope and Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer.

Together, these instruments will study the generation, transport, and dissipation of magnetic energy from the photosphere to the corona and will record how energy stored in the sun’s magnetic field is released, either gradually or violently, as the field rises into the sun’s outer atmosphere.” – NASA

So as the moon passed between the earth and sun, most of the zoomed in images you have seen don’t have this kind of detail.  This is truly my favorite picture of this event.  When we see images like this, it reminds us how much detail remains in the universe that this amazing technology is seeing.

Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31

Marshall Space Flight Center Right in the Middle of it ALL

I cannot let something that normally goes unseen in North Alabama to pass without great congratulations and thanks.  Much of what is below has literally been taken verbatim from NASA and the MSFC in Huntsville.

“Ten years ago this week, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and successfully deployed into orbit, ushering in an unprecedented decade of discovery for the high-energy Universe. As one of NASA’s “Great Observatories” — along with the Hubble Space Telescope, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope — Chandra has now doubled its original five-year mission. With its unrivaled ability to create high-resolution X- ray images, Chandra has enabled astronomers to investigate phenomena as diverse as comets, black holes, dark matter and dark energy.

“Chandra’s discoveries are truly astonishing and have made dramatic changes to our understanding of the universe and its constituents,” said Martin Weisskopf, Chandra project scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The science that has been generated by Chandra — both on its own and in conjunction with other telescopes in space and on the ground — has had a widespread, transformative impact on 21st century astrophysics. Chandra has provided the strongest evidence yet that dark matter must exist. It has independently confirmed the existence of dark energy and made spectacular images of titanic explosions produced by matter swirling toward supermassive black holes.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Chandra, three new versions of classic Chandra images will be released during the next three months. These images, the first of which is available Thursday, provide new data and a more complete view of objects that Chandra observed in earlier stages of its mission. The image being released today is of E0102-72, the spectacular remains of an exploded star.”

While most of what you have read above is taken directly from NASA, and from writings including teams of people at the Marshall Space Flight Center, I am amazed at what this project has shown scientists all over the world. While I must admit to not fully understanding most of what Chandra sees and how the images are scrutinized, it is moving our knowledge of science forward at light speed and my thanks and appreciation goes to all those in Huntsville and around the world involved in Chandra for how you are taking lessons learned and applying them to improve our lives here on Earth.

Thank You.

 Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31

July Weather Is About to Return

With the showers spreading into the Tennessee Valley, we are in a transition time between the record cool temperatures of Saturday through Tuesday morning and the high temperatures in the lower 90s by Friday and Saturday.  The good news is that we are running just ahead of annual average precipitation totals at this time, and periodic rains, like this week’s, help us to keep the beneficiality of the rains coming.  When we see infrequent but heavy rains, much of it is ‘wasted’ in run-off and flooding.  I am certain that is the very first time I have used the word beneficiality.

Following the showers of Tuesday night and Wednesday, the temperatures and humidity will climb quickly into the low 90s Friday and Saturday, with heat index values climbing to near 95 to 98 degrees.  On Sunday, another cold front will move across the Tennessee Valley with more showers and thunderstorms to lead the charge for another cool down on Monday and Tuesday with some slightly cooler temperatures.

Check the 7-Day forecast for details and follow Storm Force31 on Twitter @ stormforce31, and on Facebook, Storm Force 31.

Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31

And NO This is NOT a Political Statement  It’s Mosquito Time!

Summer is the prime time for one of our least favorite insects: mosquitoes.  With the wet spring and early summer in many parts of the country, mosquito numbers are likely to be high this year. 

Life Cycle and Ecology

Understanding the mosquito’s life cycle and ecology can help you avoid getting bitten.

• There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes worldwide, with at least 150 in the U.S.
• Mosquitoes start life out as aquatic larvae in standing bodies of water such as ponds, swamps and marshes.  Their larvae can live in as little as an inch of water so even temporary puddles will serve as nurseries.
• Mosquitoes’ primary food source is flower nectar and fruit juices.  Only the female mosquito feeds on blood.  She uses the protein-rich blood meal to fuel the production of eggs.
• In the process of feeding on nectar, mosquitoes help to pollinate flowers.
• Female mosquitoes find their victims by sight and by following the chemical trail of carbon dioxide and water vapor from the breath of people and animals.
• Mosquitoes inject saliva into the bite to keep blood from clotting.  An allergic reaction to the saliva is what causes the resulting itchy welt.
• A female can lay 200-300 eggs at time.
• In the U.S. diseases such as West Nile Virus and canine heartworm are spread by mosquitoes.
• The vast majority of mosquitoes are eaten by predators.  Eggs and aquatic larvae are fed on by fish, salamander larvae and dragonfly nymphs.  Adults are eaten by birds, bats, amphibians, dragonflies and many other insects.

10 Tips for Keeping Mosquitoes at Bay

1. Remove unnecessary standing water around your home.  Typical hot-beds for mosquito reproduction are clogged gutters, flower-pot drainage dishes, children’s play equipment, tarps and any debris that can hold water.
2. Share this advice with your neighbors.  Mosquitoes that emerge in their yards will easily travel to yours.
3. Empty and refill birdbaths every few days.  It takes a minimum of about a week for the metamorphosis from egg to larva to pupa to winged adult to be completed, so this eliminates any chance that your birdbath will serve as a mosquito nursery.
4. Attract mosquito predators.  Add plants to water gardens to attract frogs, salamanders and dragonflies and put up houses for birds and bats.  Fish feed on mosquito larvae, just don’t release goldfish or other exotic species into natural areas.
5. Don’t use insecticides or put oil on the surface of bodies of water.  This kills beneficial insects and mosquito predators and causes air and water pollution. 
6. “Mosquito Dunks” that contain natural bacteria that kills mosquitoes can be added to water gardens without harming fish, birds or other wildlife.  (Closely related insects, some beneficial, could be affected though.)
7. DEET-based repellants are effective but if you want to avoid synthetic chemicals, aromatic herbal repellents also work if applied frequently.
8. Avoid going outdoors at dusk, which is peak mosquito time, or wear long sleeves to minimize exposed skin that could be bitten.
9. Bug zappers aren’t effective against mosquitoes.  Zappers do kill thousands of beneficial insects a night.
10. Mosquitoes are not strong flyers and the breeze created by a fan is often all you need to keep a patio or deck mosquito-free so you can enjoy the outdoors.

This from NWF Wildlife and Weather email to Storm Force 31, and I hate mosquitoes.  If there is a mosquito nearby, he’ll find ME!

Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31

Some Amazingly Cool July Weather

Scattered T-storms early Thursday morning moved across much, but not all, of the Tennessee Valley.  As the showers moved through, there were some flooding rains in Lawrence County and Wayne County, TN, as well as parts of Lauderdale County, AL.  Any additional rains in NW Alabama and Western Southern Middle Tennessee could produce flooding in flood prone areas, and street flooding in low lying areas.

Then, on Friday morning an upper level system will slide across the Tennessee Valley and give us showers and thunderstorms in the early morning hours of Friday, with scattered thunderstorms possible along the cold front that moves across the Tennessee Valley midday on Friday.

Then the winds shift, pick up, and remove the humidity from the air, and keep Saturday’s highs in the lower 80s.  Yes record lows are possible Sunday and Monday mornings in the middle to upper 50s!

The records are 58 (HSV, 1984, MSL, 1976) on Sunday and 59 (HSV, 1976) and 57 (MSL, 1909) on Monday.  If you have been waiting for the PERFECT weekend to take the family camping, THIS IS IT!!

Check the 7-Day forecast for details and follow Storm Force 31 on Twitter @ stormforce31, and on Facebook, Storm Force 31.

Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31

Who Knew Welding Could Be So Exciting

 If I say welding, it probably doesn’t stir excitement in you.  But to engineers at NASA, a first and only welding machine it’s first milestone product.  A welding process was shown off at the Marshall Space Flight Center on Tuesday.  The world’s largest automated welder produced its first product today, an 18′ dome made for NASA’s ARES 1 program.  This milestone device was developed and built at the Marshall Space Flight Center for the ARES and Constellation programs.  But that’s not all, according to Robert Carter, a Welding Engineer on the project. “People often miss that we’re not just developing technology, we’re also training a work force that is ready to make the transition from this development at this facility to the production floor at MAF.” MAF is the Michoud Assembly Facility, the world’s largest manufacturing plant in New Orleans.  The friction stir welding device was used to complete the top of the fuel tank for the ARES 1 rocket, a contact lens looking gore dome.

“Gored meaning that the dome is constructed of multiple panels that are welded together.  So this is the first friction stir welded gore dome,” In the world… er.. EVER, according to Carter.

The first in the WORLD… EVER.  And along the way, these engineers at Marshall have literally pioneered a new process.  One necessary to return Americans to the Moon and take them beyond.

Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31