New NOAA, partner buoy in American Samoa opens window into a changing ocean New NOAA, partner buoy in American Samoa opens window into a changing ocean NOAA and partners have launched a new buoy in Fagatele Bay within NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa to measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the waters around a vibrant tropical coral reef ecosystem. 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
This Earth Day, Explore the Ways NOAA Research is Tackling the Planet’s Biggest Questions This Earth Day, Explore the Ways NOAA Research is Tackling the Planet’s Biggest Questions For scientists at NOAA, Earth Day — and every other day of the year — is about getting to the bottom of some of the most pressing questions about the planet we call home: how it works, how it’s changing, and how humans are affecting it. Read more
New Research Advances Efforts to Combat Invasive Silver Carp New Research Advances Efforts to Combat Invasive Silver Carp Study makes it easier to identify invasive carp eggs and larvae in water samples. Invasive species can be disastrous for local ecosystems, and the invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is no exception. Read more
NOAA organizes first agency-wide event to advance its modeling enterprise NOAA organizes first agency-wide event to advance its modeling enterprise NOAA constantly strives to improve its models of our changing environment in order to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers, and other decision makers with reliable information they can act on. But improving models takes time, money, and labor—tight budget constraints make this a challenging feat. Read more
Looking for life in Arctic mud Looking for life in Arctic mud Editor's note: This is the seventh in a series Dispatches from the Arctic on the August science cruise by NOAA and partner scientists aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker Healy. Today's post is from Janet Hsiao, NOAA John Knauss Sea Grant fellow, and Meredith LaValley of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee. Read more
Atmospheric Rivers: What are they and how does NOAA study them? 11Jan2023 Read more You may have heard of atmospheric rivers in the news lately due to the intense rainfall and flooding along the U.S. West Coast. These naturally occurring air currents can bring both severe disruption and great benefit through the heavy rain and mountain snows that contribute to regional water supply. NOAA studies atmospheric rivers to improve forecasting capabilities as well as to improve our understanding of atmospheric river impacts on communities and the physical environment. Read more
One facility makes a big contribution to Salt Lake’s winter brown cloud 25Jan2023 Read more 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
When volcanoes roar: protecting the public and tracking long-term climate impacts 5Jan2023 Read more 2022 was a busy year for volcanic eruptions with Hawaii's Mauna Loa and Kilaeau erupting simultaneously, along with Mount Semeru, Indonesia and the Hunga undersea volcano in Tonga. While the United States Geological Survey is the primary agency that monitors volcanic activity in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees safety systems for tsunamis and other volcano-related threats, as well as studies the impact of volcanic gasses on our global climate. Read more
Towering wildfire clouds have big impacts on the stratosphere 23Feb2023 Read more Smoke from wildfire-generated thunderstorms has greater impacts on the stratosphre, lasts longer and acts differently than scientists previously thought, a new research paper in the journal Science concludes. Read more
Low ice on the Great Lakes this winter 17Feb2023 Read more Ice coverage has reached a record low in the Great Lakes for this time of year. Read more