NOAA Science Report features new data-gathering drones, advances in wind, weather and water forecasts NOAA Science Report features new data-gathering drones, advances in wind, weather and water forecasts Discovering a 207-year-old whaling ship, advancing air-quality forecasts, improving storm surge and wind forecasts, and deploying the first-ever drone-based tagging of endangered whales. These are a few of the more than 60 stories about NOAA’s many notable scientific accomplishments from the past year that are featured in the 2022 NOAA Science Report, which emphasizes a wide range of impacts that NOAA science advancements have on the lives of Americans. Read more
NOAA, Smithsonian and fed partners seeking suggestions to update key climate literacy guide NOAA, Smithsonian and fed partners seeking suggestions to update key climate literacy guide Suggestions and feedback are due by May 31, 2023 NOAA, as part of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), is requesting suggestions on structure, topics, and content to help update a key national climate literacy guide used by educators, policymakers, and scientists across the U.S. and internationally for more than a decade. Read more
Potent greenhouse gas declines in the US, confirming success of control efforts Potent greenhouse gas declines in the US, confirming success of control efforts NOAA researchers partnered with EPA, industry to improve emission estimates A new NOAA analysis shows U.S. emissions estimates of the super-potent greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride and shows they have declined between 2007-2018. Read more
NOAA research in the stratosphere is taking off NOAA research in the stratosphere is taking off A major airborne research mission of the stratosphere is underway in Alaska Flying out of Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska, a NASA WB-57 research jet carrying a payload of sampling instruments into the stratosphere will gather measurements of trace gases and aerosols in an undersampled region of the atmosphere. Read more
NOAA, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office create work-sharing program to advance green technology NOAA, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office create work-sharing program to advance green technology The Department of Commerce’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today announced a collaboration to promote and advance further innovation in climate and “green” technology areas, a key focus of the Biden administration. Read more
Did La Niña drench the Southwest United States in early winter 2022/23? Did La Niña drench the Southwest United States in early winter 2022/23? Another meteorological winter is drawing to a close, though it feels like some of us in the East are still waiting for winter to arrive (not a single inch of snow here in central New Jersey so far!). Read more
Atmospheric Rivers: What are they and how does NOAA study them? 11Jan2023 Read more You may have heard of atmospheric rivers in the news lately due to the intense rainfall and flooding along the U.S. West Coast. These naturally occurring air currents can bring both severe disruption and great benefit through the heavy rain and mountain snows that contribute to regional water supply. NOAA studies atmospheric rivers to improve forecasting capabilities as well as to improve our understanding of atmospheric river impacts on communities and the physical environment. Read more
One facility makes a big contribution to Salt Lake’s winter brown cloud 25Jan2023 Read more The 2.4 million people who live along Utah’s Wasatch Front experience some of the most severe winter particulate matter air pollution in the nation. Now, analysis of measurements taken during NOAA research flights in 2017 indicates that emissions from a single source, a magnesium refinery, may be responsible for a significant fraction of the fine particles that form the dense winter brown clouds that hang over Salt Lake City. Read more
When volcanoes roar: protecting the public and tracking long-term climate impacts 5Jan2023 Read more 2022 was a busy year for volcanic eruptions with Hawaii's Mauna Loa and Kilaeau erupting simultaneously, along with Mount Semeru, Indonesia and the Hunga undersea volcano in Tonga. While the United States Geological Survey is the primary agency that monitors volcanic activity in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees safety systems for tsunamis and other volcano-related threats, as well as studies the impact of volcanic gasses on our global climate. Read more
Towering wildfire clouds have big impacts on the stratosphere 23Feb2023 Read more Smoke from wildfire-generated thunderstorms has greater impacts on the stratosphre, lasts longer and acts differently than scientists previously thought, a new research paper in the journal Science concludes. Read more
Low ice on the Great Lakes this winter 17Feb2023 Read more Ice coverage has reached a record low in the Great Lakes for this time of year. Read more