NOAA science story tips -- AAAS 20...( Fish ear bones called otoliths grow ...)

Fish ear bones, called otoliths, grow in rings similar to annual growth rings found in trees. Researchers know the year that the fish was collected, and can count growth rings back to estimate the age of the fish. If the amount of C-14 detected in the first growth ring of the otolith matches up with the expected environmental amount in that year, then the estimated age of the fish is correct.

La Nia's Weather Impacts Are Reaching Peak Strength in the United States
Susan Buchanan, NOAA National Weather Service, (301) 713-0622 x110

The United States is currently experiencing the strongest La Nia system in eight years, and scientists indicate that the system is nearing peak strength. Many of the extreme weather patterns seen this year, such as above-average rains in the Pacific Northwest and drought in the South, can be attributed, in part, to La Nia. Recent research has also shown a connection between La Nia and winter tornadoes.

Forecasters identify La Nia when they find unusually cold ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific. La Nia tends to bring wetter than normal conditions across the Pacific Northwest and dryer and warmer than normal conditions across much of the southern tier. The impacts of La Nia at these latitudes are most clearly seen in wintertime. In the continental U.S., during a La Nia year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest.

NOAA Hurricane Hunter Flies Into Pacific Winter Storms
Jeanne Kouhestani, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, (301) 713-7693

In an effort to improve forecasts released 12-72 hours before a Pacific winter storm, NOAA is flying its Florida-based WP-3D "hurricane hunter" aircraft into severe weather originating over the Pacific Ocean. The P-3 is deploying out of a temporary base in Portland, Ore., Feb. 1 to March 15 to collect atmospheric data in severe winter storms that wil
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