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Author name: Theo Stein

Sunset view from underneath an airplane's wing

NOAA researchers fly out over the Pacific to investigate cloud-forming marine sulfur

While the shade offered by clouds on a hot sunny day can be obvious, quantifying the actual climate impact in terms of solar energy remains a challenging task. This is because the volume, thickness, and lifetime of marine clouds can change rapidly, and the processes that govern how and where clouds  form and how gases and aerosols in the air interact with cloud droplets are highly complex. In a marine environment, many of those gases and aerosols in the air come from the ocean itself. 

NOAA researchers fly out over the Pacific to investigate cloud-forming marine sulfur Read More >

Underwater coral reef with group of tropical fish anthias, Red sea resort concept, Egypt

Global ocean roiled by marine heatwaves, with more on the way

The surface temperatures of about 40% of the global ocean are already high enough to meet the criteria for a marine heatwave — a period of persistent anomalously warm ocean temperatures — which can have significant impacts on marine life as well as coastal communities and economies. The new forecast by the Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL) projects that it will increase to 50% by September, and it could stay that way through the end of the year.

Global ocean roiled by marine heatwaves, with more on the way Read More >

Smoke from wildfires influences ozone pollution on a global scale

New NOAA analysis of a ground-breaking global atmospheric airborne research mission shows that smoke from biomass burning substantially contributes to one of the most common and harmful constituents of urban air pollution: ozone.  Another record-breaking fire season across the western United States and Canada fouled skies as far downwind as Boston and New York City with wildfire smoke, visibly demonstrating the impacts that fires can have on air quality thousands of miles away. Now, new NOAA research demonstrates that the effects of fire emissions on the atmosphere are even larger and far more widespread than previously believed, and substantially contribute to one of the most common and harmful constituents of urban air pollution: ozone. 

Smoke from wildfires influences ozone pollution on a global scale Read More >

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