News

Photo story: Flying north for the winter

In mid-February, scientists and staff working at Amundsen Scott Station in Antarctica — including researchers from NOAA — boarded a specially equipped Air National Guard C-130 for the last scheduled flight for nine months.

Department of Energy to help NOAA’s Mauna Loa observatory go net-zero

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded NOAA $5 million to support the conversion of the Mauna Loa atmospheric baseline observatory in Hawaii to a net-zero carbon facility. The award will help NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory purchase solar panels and battery storage systems that will enable the observatory to operate on renewable energy.

GML highlights at the 2024 AMS annual meeting

GML and CIRES researchers are presenting several talks and posters, and collaborating on others, at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society.

2023: The year in photos

We asked members of the NOAA Education community to share their most memorable photos from 2023. These images highlight program successes and challenges while honoring the dedication of teachers, educators, and NOAA staff across the country. Take a look at our favorite photos of the year.

Biden-Harris Administration invests $34 million for NOAA fire weather research through Investing in America agenda

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced the award of more than $34 million to reduce the risk to Americans’ lives and property from wildfires. This funding will support wildfire preparedness and response as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A volcanic eruption sent enough water vapor into the stratosphere to cause a rapid change in chemistry

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on January 15, 2022, produced the largest underwater explosion ever recorded by modern scientific instruments, blasting an enormous amount of water and volcanic gases higher than any other eruption in the satellite era.

Top NOAA Research stories from 2023

Record-breaking marine heatwaves, increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, an above average hurricane season, and numerous deep sea discoveries made 2023 a busy year for NOAA Research. Let’s explore some of our top stories from this year!

One year after the eruption, Mauna Loa Observatory has resumed key science activities

Over the past year since the eruption of Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island on Nov. 27, 2022, MLO staff visiting the site once a week via helicopter have restored limited power to four key observatory buildings by augmenting existing solar generation and adding battery systems.

Record fossil carbon dioxide emissions impeding progress on meeting climate goals: report

Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are projected to reach a record 36.8 billion metric tons in 2023, an increase of 1.1% over 2022, according to an annual report by the Global Carbon Project. While emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are declining in some regions including Europe and the United States, they continue to rise overall, the authors said, adding that global action to reduce fossil fuel consumption is not happening fast enough to prevent dangerous impacts from climate change.

GML highlights at the AGU 2023 Fall Meeting

GML and CIRES researchers are presenting several talks and posters at the 2023 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union and collaborating on many more.

New England research project to boost off-shore wind generation

A new research effort led by NOAA and the Department of Energy spinning up this month will play a significant role in the development of wind energy off of the New England coast.

NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory supports the nation’s greenhouse gas monitoring strategy

NOAA will commit its long-established, state-of-the-art capabilities in observation, modeling, and data analysis—including several major initiatives from NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML)—to support the new U.S. Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring, and Information System.

Biden-Harris Administration releases Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Strategy

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration released a conceptual framework for a national system to measure, monitor and share information related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to meet U.S. commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement. NOAA will commit its long-established, state-of-the-art capabilities in observation, modeling and data analysis to support this whole-of-government effort.

NOGAP survey completed its first flights to document greenhouse gas distribution across the U.S.

The National Observations of Greenhouse gasses Aircraft Profiles (NOGAP) survey completed the first of six loops around the United States to document and understand in great detail the vertical distribution of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in the lower atmosphere.

2023 ozone hole ranks 12th largest on record, find NOAA and NASA

The 2023 Antarctic ozone hole reached its maximum size at 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers) on September 21, which ranks as the 12th largest since 1979, according to annual satellite and balloon-based measurements made by NOAA and NASA.