Scientists and oyster growers are working together to understand ocean acidification Scientists and oyster growers are working together to understand ocean acidification The excess carbon dioxide responsible for global warming also increases the acidity of seawater, challenging the growth and survival of oysters and other shellfish. Read more
Is the Southern Ocean absorbing or emitting carbon dioxide? Is the Southern Ocean absorbing or emitting carbon dioxide? Robot’s epic voyage provides clues The answer is important for understanding how the Earth system is responding to climate change. Read more
Emissions of a banned ozone-depleting gas are back on the decline Emissions of a banned ozone-depleting gas are back on the decline Discovery in 2018 posed first real test of the Montreal Protocol New analyses of global air measurements show that five years after an unexpected spike in emissions of the banned ozone-depleting chemical chlorofluorocarbon CFC-11, they dropped sharply between 2018 and 2019. Read more
New NOAA ocean exploration ship to be based in Newport, Rhode Island New NOAA ocean exploration ship to be based in Newport, Rhode Island The NOAA Ship Discoverer will be a state-of-the-art ship that operates around the nation and the world to study and explore the ocean. Read more
Cooling effect of clouds generated by shipping overestimated, study says Cooling effect of clouds generated by shipping overestimated, study says Finding has implications for one potential solar geoengineering strategy New research indicates that man-made clouds formed along shipping routes dissipate too quickly to provide insight into the cooling effect of naturally occuring marine clouds. Read more
Frigid Arctic air outbreaks may be predictable, new research suggests Frigid Arctic air outbreaks may be predictable, new research suggests Known for precipitating outbreaks of Arctic air, stratospheric events in polar regions often cause other kinds of extreme weather. Since the stratosphere takes a long time to recover after these events, scientists may be able to improve predictability of extreme weather weeks ahead of time. Read more
Despite pandemic shutdowns, carbon dioxide and methane surged in 2020 7Apr2021 Read more The global average carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere surged at the fifth-highest rate in NOAA's 63-year record during 2020. Preliminary estimates of the increase in methane levels indicate it may have been the largest annual jump on record. Read more
Climate-driven shifts in deep Lake Michigan water temperatures signal the loss of winter 16Mar2021 Read more Climate change is causing significant impacts on the Great Lakes and the surrounding region. As the largest surface freshwater system in the world, the Great Lakes have an enormous impact, seen and unseen, on the more than 34 million people who live within their collective basin. Because of their unique response to environmental conditions, Earth’s large lakes are considered by scientists as key sentinels of climate change. A long-term study published in Nature Communications today from NOAA reveals a warming trend in deepwater temperatures that foreshadows profound ecological change on the horizon. While less visible than the loss in ice cover and increasing lake surface temperatures, this latest index of climate change adds to the growing evidence of climate change impacts in the region. Read more
New study shows promise of forecasting meteotsunamis 31Mar2021 Read more On the afternoon of April 13, 2018, a large wave of water surged across Lake Michigan and flooded the shores of the picturesque beach town of Ludington, Michigan, damaging homes and boat docks, and flooding intake pipes. Thanks to a local citizen’s photos and other data, NOAA scientists reconstructed the event in models and determined this was the first ever documented meteotsunami in the Great Lakes caused by an atmospheric inertia-gravity wave. Read more
5 ways NOAA scientists are answering big questions about climate change 20Apr2021 Read more From warmer ocean temperatures to longer and more intense droughts and heat waves, climate change is affecting our entire planet. Scientists at NOAA have long worked to track, understand and predict how climate change is progressing and impacting ecosystems, communities and economies. Read more
Emissions of a banned ozone-depleting gas are back on the decline 10Feb2021 Read more New analyses of global air measurements show that five years after an unexpected spike in emissions of the banned ozone-depleting chemical chlorofluorocarbon CFC-11, they dropped sharply between 2018 and 2019. Read more