Natural disaster plans may aid businesses’ pandemic response Natural disaster plans may aid businesses’ pandemic response 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
Research: the deep sea is slowly warming Research: the deep sea is slowly warming Understanding deep ocean warming can help improve seasonal weather, climate prediction Editor's note: AGU released the following story by science writer Rachel Fritts on October 13, 2020 on NOAA-led research. New research reveals temperatures in the deep sea fluctuate more than scientists previously thought and a warming trend is now detectable at the bottom of the ocean. Read more
High-resolution snow projections developed to inform wolverine conservation High-resolution snow projections developed to inform wolverine conservation A new, fine-scale modeling approach developed by NOAA and CIRES scientists now projects that there will still be enough high-elevation snow by the middle of the 21st Century to support - according to federal biologists - the denning habits of one iconic North American mountain-dweller, the wolverine. Read more
Lawns provide surprising contribution to L.A. Basin’s carbon emissions Lawns provide surprising contribution to L.A. Basin’s carbon emissions Understanding the biologic contribution of CO2 to megacities' overall carbon emissions will be important for designing and evaluating mitigation strategies. Read more
Sea Grant study finds ghost forests may contribute to climate change Sea Grant study finds ghost forests may contribute to climate change Read more
NOAA's miniature aerosol instrument delivered to space NOAA's miniature aerosol instrument delivered to space "POPS" will help monitor air quality in crew quarters 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
NOAA projects 30-percent maximum Great Lakes ice cover for 2021 winter 21Jan2021 Read more NOAA scientists project the maximum Great Lakes ice cover for 2021 will be 30 percent, higher than last year’s maximum of 19.5 percent, but part of a long-term pattern of declining ice cover likely driven by climate change. Read more
Congress reauthorizes NOAA Sea Grant through 2025 21Dec2020 Read more The National Sea Grant College Act was reauthorized and amended by Congress and signed by President Donald J. Trump on December 18, 2020. The reauthorization, titled the “National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2020,” includes several updates to Sea Grant’s authorizing legislation. The Act serves as a guiding framework upon which Sea Grant operates and serves America’s coastal and Great Lakes communities. 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
Congress reauthorizes law supporting partnerships to advance ocean science 13Jan2021 Read more Congress voted on January 1, 2021 to reauthorize and strengthen the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, a 23-year old program created by Congress to facilitate ocean-related partnerships between federal agencies, academia and industry to advance ocean science research and education.The reauthorization passed Congress as an amendment included in Section 1055 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Read more
Frigid Arctic air outbreaks may be predictable, new research suggests 28Jan2021 Read more 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