News

Pacific Oxidants, Sulfur, Ice, Dehydration, and cONvection (POSIDON) Experiment

The NASA Pacific Oxidants, Sulfur, Ice, Dehydration, and cONvection (POSIDON) Experiment is a focused airborne science mission to study the ozone distribution, sulfur chemistry, very short-lived ozone depleting species (VSLS), cloud microphysics, and dehydration in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over the western Pacific.

2015 State of the Climate: Carbon Dioxide

Using measurements taken worldwide, scientists estimated that 2015’s global average carbon dioxide concentration was 399.4 parts per million (ppm), a new record high. At Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawai’i, where atmospheric carbon dioxide has been recorded longer than anywhere else in the world, the annual average carbon dioxide concentration was 400.8—also a new record, and a new milestone.

Robert (Bob) D. Evans of ESRL Global Monitoring Division receives the prestigious IO3C Farman Award Nomination

Robert (Bob) D. Evans of ESRL Global Monitoring Division receives the prestigious IO3C Farman Award Nomination For Sustaining a Long-term Inter-calibrated World-wide Dobson Total Ozone Observing Network. The "Joseph C. Farman Award" is granted to one or more outstanding scientists who have created and used high-quality, long-term time series of atmospheric measurements related to the study of atmospheric ozone and/or surface ultraviolet radiation.

Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom)

The Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom) is a NASA-funded multi-agency effort using the NASA DC-8 research aircraft to systematically sample trace gases and aerosols from sea level to the stratosphere on 10 pole-to-pole flights covering the Atlantic and Pacific oceans over the next 3 years. ATom will study the impact of human-produced air pollution on greenhouse gases and on chemically reactive gases in the atmosphere with a focus on ozone, methane, and black carbon, as well as atmospheric particulate matter.

MLO Science Fair Awards

Every year MLO contributes to the local Science Fair event. This year Samantha Yamamoto & Maile Birlhante won the junior research award with their project 'Light Dispersing'. Kendra Puleo won the second award with 'Ocean acidification effect on the food chain.' Kylan K. Sakata won the senior division award with 'Verifying special relativity over time dilation through moon decay at variable altitudes' and Moana Lily Pinner won the second award with 'Investigating the SPF, anti-oxidant and anti cancer potential of turmeric and ginger.'

South Pole is last place on Earth to pass global warming milestone

The Earth passed another unfortunate milestone May 23 when carbon dioxide surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm) at the South Pole for the first time in 4 million years.

Warming due to carbon dioxide jumped by half in 25 years

Human activity has increased the direct warming effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere by 50 percent above pre-industrial levels during the past 25 years, according to NOAA's 10th Annual Greenhouse Gas Index .

Last light: Sunset at the South Pole

In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox promises warmer days and green plants. But for researchers at NOAA's South Pole Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, Sunday March 20 marks the start of the austral autumn, the last time they see the sun for six months.

Record annual increase of carbon dioxide observed at Mauna Loa for 2015

The annual growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide measured at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii jumped by 3.05 parts per million during 2015, the largest year-to-year increase in 56 years of research.

Ann Thorne Named NOAA Research Employee of the Year

Ann Thorne of the Global Monitoring Division received the NOAA Research Employee of the Year Award "For exceptional service to NOAA's Global Monitoring Division and Earth System Research Laboratory, and an unsurpassed spirit and dedication to the NOAA Boulder Student Program."

NBC News video on the warming arctic and Barrow, Alaska

NBC News aired a news story about the affect that the warming arctic has on the people of Barrow, Alaska. Included in the video is an interview with the Barrow NOAA observatory station chief Marty Martinsen. See the video here.

Bottled air from all over the world tells story of ozone-depleting gases and their connection to climate change

If you’re like me, when you hear the word “flask,” you’re likely to picture a grizzled, trail-weary cowboy gulping down a mouthful of whiskey from a tarnished, dented tin. But say “flask” to atmospheric chemist Steve Montzka, and he sees something more like a fire extinguisher or a stainless steel, two-liter soda bottle.

Recent adjustments to the Montreal Protocol help protect ozone layer, but newer chemicals contribute to warming

An international agreement in 2007 to deal with the last remaining ozone-depleting chemicals used in large quantities is working, according to a new analysis published today. Atmospheric emissions of those chemicals, called hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and used in refrigeration and air conditioning, are no longer increasing, after having increased consistently over the past few decades, according to NOAA measurements published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry

MLO Science Fair Awards

Every year the Mauna Loa Obervatory contributes to the local Science Fair event. This year, Halia Buchal won the junior research award with the project titled: Purple or Green? Does Leaf Color Affect How Plants Respond to Different Colors of Light? The Senior research recipent Keanu D. Pinner won the senior division award with the project titled: Activation of the Hepatocyte Antioxidant Response by Kava Secondary Metabolites.

Understanding the Ozone Hole - a video designed for high school level students

The sun rises at the South Pole every Sept 21, after six months of darkness, and the spark of light from the rising sun also starts a season of ozone depletion down south. With the approach of that date in mind, a CIRES/NOAA scientist and videographer has developed a short, educational video that focuses on the ozone research being conducted by NOAA and CIRES scientists.