A new way to measure how Arctic plant communities respond to climate change
NOAA scientists have devised a new way to monitor how Arctic plants and soil are responding to increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
Carbon Dioxide
Low-oxygen waters off Washington, Oregon coasts risk becoming large ‘dead zones’
A large area of poorly oxygenated water is growing off the coast of Washington and Oregon. Scientists say oxygen levels may fall low enough to create “dead zones.”
Deforestation, warming flip part of Amazon forest from carbon sink to source
New results from a nine-year research project in the eastern Amazon rainforest finds that significant deforestation in eastern and southeastern Brazil turned what was once a forest that absorbed carbon dioxide into a source of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions.
Carbon dioxide peaks near 420 parts per million at Mauna Loa observatory
In May, NOAA's measurements at the Mauna Loa observatory averaged 419.13 parts per million. Scientists at Scripps calculated a monthly average of 418.92 ppm. It's the highest level since accurate measurements began 63 years ago.
NOAA index tracks how greenhouse gas pollution amplified global warming in 2020
The annual analysis of samples collected by NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network provides an updated measure of the excess heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gas pollution.
Acidification impedes shell development of plankton off the U.S. West Coast
Results from a 2016 research cruise show ocean acidification has interfered with shell development of zooplankton that are a critical part of the marine food web.
Lawns provide surprising contribution to L.A. Basin’s carbon emissions
Understanding the biologic contribution of CO2 to megacities' overall carbon emissions will be important for designing and evaluating mitigation strategies.
Monitoring Change in the Arctic
While NOAA has had to cancel many of its planned research surveys in Alaska, it has been able to conduct a number of scaled-back research surveys in 2020. One such survey that will be finishing up this week is in the Arctic and was conducted on board NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson to collect critical data supporting a long time series involving many scientific partners.
Rise of carbon dioxide unabated
Atmospheric carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa Observatory reached a seasonal peak of 417.1 parts per million for 2020 in May, the highest monthly reading ever recorded. Monthly CO2 values at Mauna Loa first breached the 400 ppm threshold in 2014, and are now at levels not experienced by the atmosphere in several million years.
Dungeness crab larvae already showing effects of coastal acidification
A new NOAA-funded study has documented for the first time that ocean acidification along the US Pacific Northwest coast is impacting the shells and sensory …
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