Monitoring the atmosphere at the U.S.'s northernmost tip Monitoring the atmosphere at the U.S.'s northernmost tip For nearly 50 years, NOAA’s Barrow Atmospheric Baseline Observatory has provided a window on the world, producing a record of changes that have a profound global reach. Read more
Why NOAA tracks water levels in the Great Lakes Why NOAA tracks water levels in the Great Lakes Millions of people rely on the Great Lakes for recreation, industry, and drinking water, and changing water levels can have positive or negative impacts on industries like tourism and transportation in the region. Read more
NOAA Ocean Exploration Meets Major Mapping Milestone NOAA Ocean Exploration Meets Major Mapping Milestone Two million square kilometers. Or 772,204 square miles. That’s more than one quarter the size of the contiguous United States. And it’s the area of seafloor mapped by NOAA Ocean Exploration using the modern, high-resolution multibeam sonar system aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer since the ship was commissioned in 2008. Read more
Atmospheric carbon dioxide rebounds as global pollution rates approach pre-Covid levels Atmospheric carbon dioxide rebounds as global pollution rates approach pre-Covid levels Report finds the world’s nations have 11 years left to avoid catastrophic global warming Read more
Meet Ko Barrett: NOAA's senior advisor for climate and IPCC vice-chair Meet Ko Barrett: NOAA's senior advisor for climate and IPCC vice-chair 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
Urban areas across the U.S. are undercounting methane emissions, a new study shows Urban areas across the U.S. are undercounting methane emissions, a new study shows An eight-year study of Boston’s natural gas system has revealed that emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, are significantly higher than previously estimated. Read more
Study: Reducing human-caused air pollution in North America & Europe brings surprise result: more hurricanes 11May2022 Read more A new NOAA study published today in the journal Science Advances about four decades of tropical cyclones reveals the surprising result that reducing particulate air pollution in Europe and North America has contributed to an increase in the number of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic basin and a decrease in the number of these storms in the Southern Hemisphere. The study also found that the growth of particulate pollution in Asia has contributed to fewer tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific basin. Read more
Greenhouse gas pollution trapped 49% more heat in 2021 than in 1990, NOAA finds 23May2022 Read more The Annual Greenhouse Gas Index serves as a measure of global society's progress - or lack of progress - in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
Projected increase in space travel may damage ozone layer 21Jun2022 Read more Scientists from NOAA and The Aerospace Corp. modeled the climate response of the stratosphere to increased future emissions of black carbon from rockets burning kerosene fuel. Read more
NOAA and Saildrone launch seven hurricane-tracking surface drones 3Aug2022 Read more In partnership with NOAA, Saildrone Inc. is deploying seven ocean drones to collect data from hurricanes during the 2022 hurricane season with the goal of improving hurricane forecasting. For the first year, two saildrones will track hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Read more
Study validates accuracy of NOAA’s smoke forecasting model during the Camp Fire 5Jul2022 Read more A research team led by scientists from the University of California Berkeley and NOAA found that HRRR-Smoke accurately predicted the intensification of smoke pollution from the Camp Fire. Read more