New study: Pace of climate zone shifts quickens as climate warms New study: Pace of climate zone shifts quickens as climate warms As our planet is warming, not only have Earth’s climate zones begun to shift – the pace of change is expected to accelerate, according to a new study led by the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado. Read more
Arctic nearly free of summer sea ice during first half of 21st century Arctic nearly free of summer sea ice during first half of 21st century For scientists studying summer sea ice in the Arctic, it’s not a question of “if” there will be nearly ice-free summers, but “when.” A new study says it could be before 2050. Read more
NOAA-led report: 2012 Central Great Plains 'flash drought' a result of natural variations in weather NOAA-led report: 2012 Central Great Plains 'flash drought' a result of natural variations in weather A new report by the NOAA Drought Task Force finds natural variations in weather patterns caused the 2012 Great Plains drought and rules out global ocean conditions, as well as human-induced climate change, as major culprits. Read more
New study gives first independent confirmation of global land warming New study gives first independent confirmation of global land warming A new observational study that did not use temperature recordings from land stations has confirmed global land warming. Read more
Thin, low Arctic clouds played an important role in the massive 2012 Greenland ice melt Thin, low Arctic clouds played an important role in the massive 2012 Greenland ice melt New study shows clouds will be important in region’s future Clouds over the central Greenland Ice Sheet last July were “just right” for driving surface temperatures there above the melting point. Read more
Introducing a new resource to help our nation's 'working waterfronts' flourish Introducing a new resource to help our nation's 'working waterfronts' flourish Experts in several NOAA Sea Grant programs helped develop the new Sustainable Working Waterfront Toolkit. Read more
Aviation is responsible for 3.5 percent of climate change, study finds 3Sep2020 Read more The study evaluated all of the aviation industry’s contributing factors to climate change, including emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, and the effect of contrails and contrail cirrus – short-lived clouds created in jet engine exhaust plumes at aircraft cruise altitudes that reflect sunlight during the day and trap heat trying to escape at night. Read more
Lawns provide surprising contribution to L.A. Basin’s carbon emissions 12Oct2020 Read more Understanding the biologic contribution of CO2 to megacities' overall carbon emissions will be important for designing and evaluating mitigation strategies. Read more
NOAA's miniature aerosol instrument delivered to space 8Oct2020 Read more A miniaturized aerosol spectrometer developed by scientists in NOAA’s Chemical Sciences Labotatory will be one of several insttuments making sure air in the living spaces of the International Space Station stays safe. Read more
Natural disaster plans may aid businesses’ pandemic response 19Oct2020 Read more The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 have battered small- and medium-sized enterprises, putting millions of jobs in the U.S. at risk. And a year rife with natural disasters has not done the many already struggling businesses any favors. Read more
Monitoring Change in the Arctic 25Sep2020 Read more While NOAA has had to cancel many of its planned research surveys in Alaska, it has been able to conduct a number of scaled-back research surveys in 2020. One such survey that will be finishing up this week is in the Arctic and was conducted on board NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson to collect critical data supporting a long time series involving many scientific partners. Read more