When noise becomes signal When noise becomes signal Unusual California precipitation over last two winters could have been predicted Last spring, Governor Jerry Brown declared an end to California’s historic drought that caused over $5 billion in damage to agriculture as well as substantial impacts to fisheries, infrastructure, human health, and vegetation. The drought was not only severe, but it also spanned the winters of 2015-16 and 2016-17, which had unusual and unexpected precipitation that affected the drought’s evolution. Read more
Studying wildfires by flying directly through the smoke Studying wildfires by flying directly through the smoke We already have the Hurricane Hunters, now make room for the Wildfire Hunters. Understanding how wildfires impact air pollution and the composition of Earth’s atmosphere is critical for communities near and far because smoke from wildfires can travel long distances and have adverse health impacts on citizens. Read more
NOAA research model brings severe weather into focus NOAA research model brings severe weather into focus Upgrade of the HRRR is one example of how research supports operations NOAA’s best severe-weather model just received an upgrade developed by NOAA researchers that will help the National Weather Service provide more accurate hazardous weather and aviation forecasts. Scientists are also using it to advance a wide array of future forecast tools. Read more
A bird’s eye view of the Arctic - and future weather research A bird’s eye view of the Arctic - and future weather research New NOAA research demonstrates that drones and weather balloons can gather data needed to improve weather forecasts in severe working environments. Read more
Ready for summer heat? Study finds new primary driver of extreme Texas heat waves Ready for summer heat? Study finds new primary driver of extreme Texas heat waves Summer is finally here, and that means families all over the country are starting to fire up the barbecue grill and open up their beach chairs. But summertime also means hot weather — sometimes dangerously hot. Read more
NOAA teams up with India to strengthen ocean observations NOAA teams up with India to strengthen ocean observations NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown to deploy new sensors in the Indian Ocean A team of 20 NOAA scientists are in Goa, India, to meet with 200 of India’s leading ocean, atmosphere and fisheries scientists to mark a decade of productive collaboration on ocean and atmospheric observations, with life-saving economic benefits for both nations. The NOAA and Indian scientists will also board NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown to launch new observational buoys in the Indian Ocean to improve the vitally important Indian Ocean observing system of buoys, a key tool for India and the United States to forecast everything from monsoons to severe weather in the United States. Read more
Dungeness crab larvae already showing effects of coastal acidification 23Jan2020 Read more Analysis of larval crab sampled from coastal waters identified examples of damage to the outer shell of numerous larval Dungeness crabs, as well as the loss of hair-like sensory structures crabs use to orient themselves to their surroundings. Read more
NOAA launches major field campaign to improve weather and climate prediction 7Jan2020 Read more Picture a calm, sunny day at a tropical beach. You look out at the ocean and in the distance a flotilla of small white clouds sails close to the waves. It’s ideal weather and typical of many days in the tropical Atlantic. However, scientists don’t fully understand how these ubiquitous clouds (a type of “shallow convective cloud”) form and impact the ocean, and it represents one of the largest uncertainties in predicting climate change. Read more
Wave gliders, ocean drifters and drones to help international researchers solve key climate question 23Jan2020 Read more American and European scientists are deploying dozens of autonomous and remotely-piloted instrument platforms to capture simultaneous observations of the lower atmosphere and the upper ocean offshore of Barbados with unprecedented detail. Read more
NOAA teams up with Viking to conduct and share science aboard new Great Lakes expedition voyages 16Jan2020 Read more NOAA plans to expand its research in the Great Lakes region as the agency teams up with the travel company Viking to carry scientists aboard new expedition voyages planned to begin in 2022. Read more