Robots probe ocean depths in mission to fine-tune hurricane forecasts Robots probe ocean depths in mission to fine-tune hurricane forecasts Four ocean gliders are setting off to sea to bring back data that scientists hope will improve the accuracy of hurricane forecast models. Read more
NOAA seeks public input on future priorities for research and development NOAA seeks public input on future priorities for research and development Draft research and development plan is open for public comment until August 26 NOAA is asking the general public and our stakeholders for comments on a new draft plan that outlines agency priorities for research and development from 2020 to 2026. Read more
NOAA taps weather program leader to head NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab NOAA taps weather program leader to head NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab John Cortinas, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s Office of Weather and Air Quality, today was named the new director of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami. He will begin the new position on July 8. Read more
The DNA found in sea turtle poop could be scientists’ newest monitoring tool The DNA found in sea turtle poop could be scientists’ newest monitoring tool Tracking the signal of environmental DNA, or eDNA, can be used to track animals themselves. Read more
NOAA names Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to host cooperative institute NOAA names Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to host cooperative institute The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today announced it has selected Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to host NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region. Read more
Global ocean is absorbing more carbon from emissions Global ocean is absorbing more carbon from emissions Scientists see four-fold increase in ocean’s annual carbon uptake New research by NOAA and partners based on extensive sampling of the global ocean finds that the ocean absorbed 34 billion metric tons of carbon from the burning of fossil fuels from 1994 to 2007 — a four-fold increase to 2.6 billion metric tons per year when compared to the period starting from the Industrial Revolution in 1800 to 1994. 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