Measuring salt in the ocean may be key to predicting hurricane intensity Measuring salt in the ocean may be key to predicting hurricane intensity NOAA & Saildrone team up to gather unprecedented extreme weather data Salt has played an outsized role in human history. This element found in the ocean is now at the heart of new NOAA research that will potentially lead to improved forecasts of the most dangerous hurricanes. Read more
New ocean floats to boost global network essential for weather, climate research New ocean floats to boost global network essential for weather, climate research NOAA and partners have joined together to launch approximately 100 new Argo floats across the Atlantic ocean to collect data that supports ocean, weather and climate research and prediction. Read more
Report: Climate change contributed to some of 2020’s worst weather Report: Climate change contributed to some of 2020’s worst weather Failed monsoon rains that reignited the southwestern U.S. drought. A spring heat wave in western Europe. Intense Siberian wildfires. Scientists say human-caused climate change made these extreme weather events more likely, according to new research published today in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS). Read more
NOAA Research's top 5 stories from 2021 NOAA Research's top 5 stories from 2021 Spectacular footage from inside a hurricane; a major ocean mapping milestone; new insights on the continued impacts of climate change, and much more -- 2021 was a busy year for NOAA Research. As the year draws to a close, we’re taking a look back at a few of our biggest research stories of the last 12 months. Read more
Arctic Report Card: Climate change transforming Arctic into ‘dramatically different state’ Arctic Report Card: Climate change transforming Arctic into ‘dramatically different state’ NOAA’s 2021 Arctic Report Card documents the numerous ways that climate change continues to fundamentally alter this once reliably-frozen region, as increasing heat and the loss of ice drive its transformation into a warmer, less frozen and more uncertain future. Read more
Southern Ocean confirmed as strong carbon dioxide sink Southern Ocean confirmed as strong carbon dioxide sink New research utilizes airborne measurements of carbon dioxide to estimate ocean uptake A new study published this week in the journal Science estimates the Southern Ocean absorbs 550 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere per year, confirming its role as a significant carbon sink. Read more
Atmospheric carbon dioxide rebounds as global pollution rates approach pre-Covid levels 5Nov2021 Read more Read more
Craig N. McLean, director of NOAA Research, to retire 18Nov2021 Read more Craig N. McLean, assistant administrator of NOAA Research, who began his NOAA career as a uniformed officer in the NOAA Corps four decades ago and rose to lead the agency’s research division and become a champion of ocean exploration, scientific integrity and science diplomacy, has announced his plan to retire from public service on April 1, 2022. Read more
Meet Ko Barrett: NOAA's senior advisor for climate and IPCC vice-chair 1Nov2021 Read more At the end of October, a small team of NOAA experts traveled to Glasgow, Scotland to attend the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), an international summit aimed at accelerating climate action across the globe. Read more
NOAA’s new uncrewed glider poised to help vastly increase high-altitude research 7Oct2021 Read more NOAA scientists are testing a reliable, low-tech, uncrewed glider that can return a small payload of scientific instruments from the stratosperhere to a pre-determined landing spot, potentially opening up vast new reaches of the atmosphere to scientific investigation. Read more
Researchers head to the mountains to improve weather and water forecasting tools 20Oct2021 Read more A new NOAA-led study of precipitation high in the Colorado Rockies aims to give water managers better forecasts for runoff in the critically important Colorado River Basin. Read more