Measuring salt in the ocean may be key to predicting hurricane intensity Measuring salt in the ocean may be key to predicting hurricane intensity NOAA & Saildrone team up to gather unprecedented extreme weather data Salt has played an outsized role in human history. This element found in the ocean is now at the heart of new NOAA research that will potentially lead to improved forecasts of the most dangerous hurricanes. Read more
Researchers head to the mountains to improve weather and water forecasting tools Researchers head to the mountains to improve weather and water forecasting tools A new NOAA-led study of precipitation high in the Colorado Rockies aims to give water managers better forecasts for runoff in the critically important Colorado River Basin. Read more
A world first: Ocean drone captures video from inside a hurricane A world first: Ocean drone captures video from inside a hurricane Saildrone Inc. and NOAA have released the first video footage gathered by an uncrewed surface vehicle from inside a major hurricane barreling across the Atlantic Ocean. Read more
New research helps crack the mystery of clouds to improve climate prediction New research helps crack the mystery of clouds to improve climate prediction NOAA and partner research on clouds and air-sea interactions will help improve a new generation of models that predict our weather and climate, according to a new summary article that is part of a special issue of the open access journal Earth System Science Data. Read more
NOAA names University of Oklahoma to host new institute for severe and high-impact weather research NOAA names University of Oklahoma to host new institute for severe and high-impact weather research Selection comes with up to $208 million award over five years The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today announced it has selected the University of Oklahoma to host NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CISHIWRO). Read more
NOAA names University of Hawaii to host new institute for marine and atmospheric research NOAA names University of Hawaii to host new institute for marine and atmospheric research Selection comes with up to $210 million award over five years The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today announced it has selected the University of Hawaii to host NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (CIMAR). Read more
NOAA Science Report features new data-gathering drones, advances in wind, weather and water forecasts 29Mar2023 Read more 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
Scientists discover hydrothermal vent activity along the Puy de Folles vent field 17Apr2023 Read more NOAA, Schmidt Ocean Institute, and partners recently embarked on the In Search of Hydrothermal Lost Cities expedition on the Schmidt’s Research Vessel Falkor (too) to locate and observe hydrothermal vent activity along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The team successfully located never-before-seen black smoker vents near the Puy de Folles vent field and the impressive ecosystems they support. Read more
Heat waves happen at the bottom of the ocean too 13Mar2023 Read more A team led by NOAA researchers used a combination of observations and computer models to generate the first broad assessment of bottom marine heat waves in the productive continental shelf waters surrounding North America. Read more
How deadly are dust storms? 5Apr2023 Read more A new research paper from NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society finds that dust storms – previously assumed to be rather rare and isolated to particular regions – are contributing to a larger number of U.S. traffic fatalities than are recorded. This research also proposes modifications to the current reporting classifications to more accurately capture dust storm impact. Read more
NOAA research in the stratosphere is taking off 2Mar2023 Read more 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