Scripps Institution of Oceanography

In 2018, scientists from Scripps Oceanography teamed up with Project Recover to explore Hansa Bay, Papua New Guinea—an area with high potential for locating missing WWII aircraft. Using advanced seafloor mapping technologies and funded by The Friedkin Group, the Scripps-led expedition conducted a large-scale seafloor survey. Their efforts led to the discovery of the B-24 aircraft “Heaven Can’t Wait.” Last month, Project Recover announced a major milestone: the repatriation of First Lt. Herbert G. Tennyson, the pilot of “Heaven Can’t Wait,” which was downed by Japanese anti-aircraft fire on March 11, 1944. “The 2018 dive was instrumental in supporting the repatriation of First Lt. Herbert G. Tennyson,” said Andrew Pietruszka, a Scripps underwater archaeologist who was part of the 2018 mission. “Scripps scientists in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Delaware and Project Recover provided the scientific equipment that was used, and the majority of the technical staff. The data we collected was shared with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and helped guide their recovery effort.” Beyond scientific and logistical efforts, the project emphasized international collaboration, securing necessary permits and working alongside the government of Papua New Guinea to recognize the historical and cultural significance of these sites. “It is our duty as a nation to honor those who came before us and made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our country, democracy, and freedom,” said Pietruszka. “By repatriating these service members, we also honor their families, who continue to feel their loss across generations. If we can play even a small role in recognizing their service and providing comfort and closure to their loved ones, it is well worth the effort.” Head to the comments for more information. ??

A new report demonstrates that changes to reservoir operations at Lake Oroville and New Bullards Bar Reservoir can both reduce flood risk for communities along the Yuba and Feather rivers during extreme atmospheric river storm events and potentially benefit water supply during drier periods. The approach, known as Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO), uses improved monitoring, weather, and runoff projections to build more flexibility and efficiency into reservoir operations. In the largest FIRO assessment to date, the California Department of Water Resources and Yuba Water Agency partnered with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at Scripps Oceanography and the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Research and Development Center to evaluate if FIRO could be implemented at both reservoirs to reduce downstream flood risk without negatively impacting water supplies. “Through the partnerships between research, forecasting, and reservoir operations organizations, the Yuba-Feather FIRO Viability Assessment has helped advance the integration of atmospheric river forecasting that enables FIRO to be viable at Oroville and New Bullards Bar,” said F. Martin (Marty) Ralph, founding director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “CW3E's state-of-the-art weather model is tailored to atmospheric river forecasting and aided by extra weather observations offshore using aircraft and ocean observations as part of Atmospheric River Reconnaissance.” Learn more. ?? https://lnkd.in/gC22XWr4

?? A recent event brought together a diverse group ranging from political leaders from both sides of the aisle to a Roman Catholic cardinal to grade-school students to discuss the challenges society encounters in addressing climate change. As part of the Innovate Locally to Inspire Change Globally summit, the organization Climate-Resilient California and Californians held a virtual meeting on Feb. 28 that emphasized the critical role of local actions in building climate resilience and highlighted the importance of pragmatic solutions over political differences. “The right ecosystem is here in California. Very few states can claim that,” said Event Chairman Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a Scripps Oceanography climate scientist. “What this meeting achieved was the various stakeholders talking to each other and everyone understanding the magnitude of what’s ahead of us.” Learn more about how the summit highlighted actionable pathways to enhance climate resilience and inspire global change. ??

From our Dean Albert "Al" P. Pisano, Ph.D.: "It’s heartening to see this coverage of fire-detecting AI bots from the UC San Diego ALERTCalifornia camera network in The Wall Street Journal. Congratulations to everyone across and beyond campus who works so hard to continually improve this incredible resource for California and the nation. From the story by Jim Carlton in the The Wall Street Journal: 'The bots have detected over 1,200 confirmed fires so far, beating human 911 callers roughly one-third of the time, with particular usefulness at night, officials say.' This system a strong example of engineering and computer science for the public good, combined with incredible collaborations across Scripps Institution of Oceanography / California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) / UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. This is just scratching the surface. The list of critical public sector and private sector collaborators is long and accomplished. (Thank you!!!)" https://lnkd.in/g9V4PdBb

?? "The carbon dioxide curve will respond quickly to what we do as humans. It's on us to pull those levers to cut emissions." Yesterday, Ralph Keeling—who leads CO2 measurements at Scripps Oceanography—joined an esteemed panel at SXSW that highlighted how scientists track carbon dioxide, the development of new technology and tools for carbon capture and the importance of working toward a more sustainable future. You can learn more about the Keeling Curve, which provides a daily record of global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, by heading over to the link in the comments.

?? ? By harnessing the power of supercomputers, a team of scientists from Scripps Oceanography, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center uncovered that small-scale ocean processes may have a far greater impact on storm development than previously believed. These findings indicate that allocating computing power to high-resolution models that capture small-scale interactions could improve predictions of storm intensity and rainfall. Future research will investigate how these mechanisms impact phenomena like atmospheric rivers and aim to quantify their overall influence on storm intensity. Head to the link in the comments to learn more.

?? Heading to SXSW? ?? If you’ll be in Austin next week, be sure to check out the SXSW panel "The Quest to Capture Carbon and Bend the Curve.” Scientists, innovators and filmmakers will discuss the importance of tracking carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, the development of new tools that will help us work towards a more sustainable future, and the curiosity and collective action needed to get us there. ??? March 10 ?? 10 – 11 a.m. CT ?? Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon A Add this panel to your schedule with the link in the comments. ??

?? Passionate about our planet? ?? Skilled in climate communication? ?? Ready to shape climate policy? The Scripps Oceanography Master of Advanced Studies in Climate Science and Policy could be your next step! This program equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to drive real change—helping governments and industries meet energy reduction, climate mitigation, and adaptation goals. Our alumni are leading the way in transforming society to tackle the climate crisis. Learn more and apply by March 19!

Happy to have you here on #WorldWildlifeDay. This year's theme is Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet, and what better way to acknowledge this theme than by sharing news that aligns perfectly with this mission? Last month, a study led by Scripps Oceanography marine biologist Octavio Aburto unveiled a comprehensive framework for Marine Prosperity Areas. These areas are designed to bring together governments, non-governmental organizations, and local stakeholders to champion Marine Prosperity Areas as a cornerstone of global conservation efforts, committing to the investments and partnerships necessary to build a sustainable future. Swim over to the link in our comments to learn more about how Marine Prosperity Areas align human well-being with the restoration of designated marine and coastal environments. ??: Octavio Aburto / @maresmexicanos

???? El Ni?o and La Ni?a aren’t always predictable, and atmospheric rivers might be the missing piece of the puzzle! New research from Scripps Oceanography scientists finds that atmospheric rivers explain the majority of atypical El Ni?o Southern Oscillation years. The study—which was supported by the California Department of Water Resources and the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center—shows that atmospheric rivers can overwhelm the influence of El Ni?o and La Ni?a on annual precipitation totals in the American West. “Atmospheric rivers are the precipitation wildcards in the Western U.S.,” said Rosa Luna-Ni?o, a postdoctoral scholar at Scripps and lead author of the study. “One or two atmospheric rivers can turn it into a wet year, but a weak atmospheric river season can turn it into a dry year. This means we can’t trust El Ni?o and La Ni?a completely to make accurate water year predictions.” Learn more about the study published in the journal Climate Dynamics. ??