NOAA research links human-caused CO2 emissions to dissolving sea snail shells off U.S. West Coast NOAA research links human-caused CO2 emissions to dissolving sea snail shells off U.S. West Coast For the first time, NOAA and partner scientists have connected the concentration of human-caused carbon dioxide in waters off the U.S. Pacific coast to the dissolving of shells of microscopic marine sea snails called pteropods. Read more
Scientists test a new tool to improve local precipitation forecasts Scientists test a new tool to improve local precipitation forecasts A new weather forecasting tool could soon find itself part of the day-to-day operations of NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). The instrument, called Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer, or AERI, measures temperature, water vapor and trace gases (like ozone, carbon monoxide and methane) in the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, the troposphere. Now, an AERI project led by Tim Wagner, a scientist with NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has received funding through NOAA’s Joint Technology Transfer Program. Read more
Study shows ocean acidification is two-front assault on coral reefs Study shows ocean acidification is two-front assault on coral reefs Scientists studying coral reefs in volcanically acidified water of the southwestern Pacific Ocean measured a net loss of coral reef skeletons due to increased bio-erosion, according to new research by NOAA, the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) and Australian scientists. Read more
NOAA Research grants support continued tornado research in the Southeast NOAA Research grants support continued tornado research in the Southeast A study of tornadoes in the southeastern United States begins its second year this month as NOAA Research announces awards of $2.5 million in grants presented to partner institutions. Read more
Q&A: Is Arctic warming fueling severe winter weather in the mid-latitudes? Q&A: Is Arctic warming fueling severe winter weather in the mid-latitudes? We caught up with James Overland, oceanographer at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Lab, to hear about his latest research on whether Arctic warming is fueling more severe winter weather in the mid-latitudes, the temperate zone of the Earth between the tropics and the Arctic, and the part of the United States where most Americans live. Read more
Antarctic ozone hole about average in 2016 Antarctic ozone hole about average in 2016 Results are consistent with expectations, scientists say The hole in the Earth’s ozone layer that forms over Antarctica each September grew to about 8.9 million square miles in 2016 before starting to recover, according to scientists from NOAA and NASA who monitor the annual phenomenon. Read more
Rise of carbon dioxide unabated 4Jun2020 Read more Atmospheric carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa Observatory reached a seasonal peak of 417.1 parts per million for 2020 in May, the highest monthly reading ever recorded. Monthly CO2 values at Mauna Loa first breached the 400 ppm threshold in 2014, and are now at levels not experienced by the atmosphere in several million years. Read more
NOAA unveils 10-year roadmap for tackling ocean, Great Lakes acidification 29Jul2020 Read more Read more
Warming influence of greenhouse gases continues to rise, NOAA finds 28May2020 Read more NOAA’s Annual Greenhouse Gas Index tracks the concentrations of greenhouse gases being added to the atmosphere principally from human-caused emissions. The AGGI then calculates the heat being added to Earth's atmosphere and oceans as a result. Read more
Ocean gliders head to sea to improve hurricane forecasts 15Jul2020 Read more NOAA’s hurricane gliders are heading to sea this week off the coasts of Puerto Rico, the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern U.S. to collect data that scientists will use to improve the accuracy of hurricane forecast models. Read more
Institute for climate, ocean and ecosystem research announced 20May2020 Read more The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today announced it has selected the University of Washington to host NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES). Read more