New study: Dust, warming portend dry future for the Colorado River New study: Dust, warming portend dry future for the Colorado River Land management efforts could help protect snowpacks, water from a warmer future Reducing the amount of desert dust swept onto snowy Rocky Mountain peaks could help Western water managers deal with the challenges of a warmer future, according to a new study led by researchers at NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Read more
New study: Rising temperatures challenge Salt Lake City’s water supply New study: Rising temperatures challenge Salt Lake City’s water supply Sensitivity study helps the city, others in the Intermountain West, plan for the future In an example of the challenges water-strapped Western cities will face in a warming world, new research shows that every degree Fahrenheit of warming in the Salt Lake City region could mean a 1.8 to 6.5 percent drop in the annual flow of streams that provide water to the city. Read more
NOAA Sea Grant awards $1.8 million to Sandy-hit states to better understand public response to coastal storm threats NOAA Sea Grant awards $1.8 million to Sandy-hit states to better understand public response to coastal storm threats NOAA Sea Grant this month announced $1.8 million in grant awards to Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey to enhance the American public’s ability to effectively plan, prepare and respond to natural disasters when they strike—particularly for major storms like Sandy, which resulted in 140 fatalities last year. Read more
Encouraging information from this year’s observations of the Antarctic ozone hole Encouraging information from this year’s observations of the Antarctic ozone hole For nearly 50 years, scientists with NOAA have launched high-altitude balloons from the South Pole, to understand why a hole was forming in the protective ozone layer high in the atmosphere. Now, organizations around the world track the infamous ozone hole through these ballon-sondes, satellite measurements and ground instruments. Read more
Water vapor in the upper atmosphere amplifies global warming, says new study Water vapor in the upper atmosphere amplifies global warming, says new study A new study shows that water vapor high in the sky and the temperature at the Earth’s surface are linked in a “feedback loop” that further warms our climate. Published today, this study gives the first estimate of the size of the feedback’s effect, which may help researchers improve modeling to better understand climate change. Read more
NOAA, Aquarium of the Pacific report on the future of American ocean exploration NOAA, Aquarium of the Pacific report on the future of American ocean exploration More than 100 explorers, scientists, government officials, academics, and industry leaders who attended the inaugural ‘Ocean Exploration 2020: A National Forum,’ in July, have proposed the future of American ocean exploration. NOAA and the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., hosted the Forum, and released a report this week examining the future of ocean exploration through a coordinated federal effort involving multiple agencies in collaboration with the private sector. Read more
Another climate milestone on Mauna Loa 7Jun2018 Read more Carbon dioxide levels measured at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory averaged more than 410 parts per million in April and May, the highest monthly averages ever recorded. Read more
NOAA research model brings severe weather into focus 12Jul2018 Read more NOAA’s best severe-weather model just received an upgrade developed by NOAA researchers that will help the National Weather Service provide more accurate hazardous weather and aviation forecasts. Scientists are also using it to advance a wide array of future forecast tools. Read more
Research: coral reefs will be unable to keep pace with sea-level rise 13Jun2018 Read more Many coral reefs will be unable to grow fast enough to keep up with predicted rising sea levels, leaving tropical coastlines and low-lying islands exposed to increasing erosion and flooding risk, new research suggests. Read more
NOAA’s greenhouse gas index up 41 percent since 1990 30May2018 Read more The warming influence from long-lived greenhouse gases rose again in 2017, reflecting ongoing changes to the atmosphere associated predominantly with human activities, NOAA scientists announced today. Read more
Emissions of ozone-destroying chemical controlled by Montreal Protocol rising again, NOAA data shows 17May2018 Read more Emissions of one of the chemicals most responsible for the Antarctic ozone hole are on the rise, despite an international treaty that required an end to its production in 2010, a new NOAA study shows. Read more