News

NOAA, NASA: Significant ozone hole remains over Antarctica

The Antarctic ozone hole, which yawns wide every Southern Hemisphere spring, reached its annual peak on September 12, stretching 10.05 million square miles, the ninth largest on record. Above the South Pole, the ozone hole reached its deepest point of the season on October 9 when total ozone readings dropped to 102 Dobson units, tied for the 10th lowest in the 26-year record.

South Pole ozone hole update

Scientists from NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Global Monitoring Division, are closely watching the development of the Antarctic ozone hole from the South Pole observatory.

Three NOAA/ESRL AirCore samplers deployed in back-to-back balloon launches

On September 10, 2011, NOAA and CIRES scientists and engineers teamed up with the non-profit group Edge of Space Sciences (EOSS) to launch three AirCore samplers of varying sizes and material coatings. The resulting data set shows excellent agreement between the three samples for CO2, CH4, and CO, and also characterizes some regions of atmospheric variability.

Unmanned Aircraft Study of Stratospheric Water Vapor & Ozone, and Climate

Five NOAA/ESRL and five CIRES cooperative institute scientists will operate four atmospheric instruments including two ozone sensors, one water vapor sensor, and one greenhouse gases sensor for methane, nitrous oxide, and sulfur hexafluoride on the NASA Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to study the earth’s Tropical Tropopause Layer

Fifth and Final Pole-to-Pole Aircraft Study of Greenhouse Gases is Underway

Six NOAA and twelve CIRES cooperative institute employees from the NOAA Global Monitoring and Chemical Sciences Divisions of ESRL are involved in the fifth and final HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Aircraft Study of Greenhouse Gases and Black Carbon (HIPPO/5) survey beginning on August 9, 2011, and ending on September 9.

Major Breakthrough by NOAA-led Team on Removal of Air Pollution

An international, NOAA-led research team has made a major breakthrough in understanding the atmosphere’s ability to cleanse itself of air pollutants and some greenhouse gases. Earlier studies were inconclusive on how sensitive the hydroxyl (OH) radical that controls the self-cleaning power of the atmosphere was to environmental changes.

Fourth Pole-to-Pole Airborne Study of Greenhouse Gases and Black Carbon

The fourth, month-long, HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations of Greenhouse Gases and Black Carbon (HIPPO/4) aircraft survey will take place from 14 June to 15 July utilizing 12 flights to cover a total distance of 53,250 km on NCAR’s HIAPER or GV manned aircraft.

NOAA Scientist Awarded Revelle Medal at AGU

For his work in expanding our understanding of the global carbon cycle and raising awareness for climate change, Pieter Tans, Ph.D., was awarded the Roger Revelle Medal at the 2010 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.