Scientists peer into the dark for insights on daytime air pollution Scientists peer into the dark for insights on daytime air pollution Scientists have long known that the sun drive photochemical reactions responsible for generating ozone and particulate pollution that is harmful to human health. But what happens when the sun goes down? A new study co-authored by a Chemical Sciences Laboratory resesearcher provides insight into what happens with air pollution in the dark of the night.. Read more
NOAA Research scientist Stephen Montzka named 2022 AAAS Fellow NOAA Research scientist Stephen Montzka named 2022 AAAS Fellow Montzka, senior scientist for the Global Monitoring Laboratory, is recognized for his distinguished contributions to the field of atmospheric sciences, particularly for measuring and interpreting trends in greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance concentrations worldwide. He is among 26 AAAS Fellows elected from NOAA since 1976. Read more
One facility makes a big contribution to Salt Lake’s winter brown cloud One facility makes a big contribution to Salt Lake’s winter brown cloud Finding helps explain Salt Lake City's persistent air quality problems The 2.4 million people who live along Utah’s Wasatch Front experience some of the most severe winter particulate matter air pollution in the nation. Now, analysis of measurements taken during NOAA research flights in 2017 indicates that emissions from a single source, a magnesium refinery, may be responsible for a significant fraction of the fine particles that form the dense winter brown clouds that hang over Salt Lake City. Read more
National Academy of Science honors NOAA's Kirk Bryan for pioneering ocean and climate science National Academy of Science honors NOAA's Kirk Bryan for pioneering ocean and climate science Former NOAA scientist Kirk Bryan, Ph.D, has been named winner of the 2023 National Academy of Science’s Alexander Agassiz Medal for his pioneering work in oceanography and climate science. Read more
Montreal Protocol emerges as a powerful climate treaty Montreal Protocol emerges as a powerful climate treaty A new report from the U.N., which includes key scientific contributions from NOAA and international partners, confirms that the recovery of Earth’s protective ozone layer is on track, and that the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty that guides the phase-out of ozone-destroying chemicals, has had the additional benefit of slowing global warming. Read more
DaNa Carlis named director of NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory DaNa Carlis named director of NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory DaNa L. Carlis, Ph.D., a research meteorologist and experienced scientific leader, has been named the director of NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. He will join the world’s preeminent research institution for observing and understanding severe thunderstorms and extreme weather on January 29. He is the first African American to be named a lab director in NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. 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