Increase in atmospheric methane set another record during 2021

For the second year in a row, NOAA scientists observed a record annual increase in atmospheric levels of methane, a powerful, heat-trapping greenhouse gas that’s the second biggest contributor to human-caused global warming after carbon dioxide.

Modeling greenhouse gas emissions from atmospheric observations with Lei Hu

In celebration of Women’s History Month, this article continues a series of interviews with NOAA Research employees and scientists.

Fair-weather cumulus clouds are found to stimulate more surface energy exchange over a forested landscape

New research found that low, fair-weather, cumulus clouds stimulate stronger surface energy exchange in comparison to other sky conditions over a forested landscape in northern Wisconsin.

NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory Development of a UAS “Virtual Tower” for Gas and Ozone Measurements

Scientists from NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) have undertaken novel development of an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) “hexacopter” that will enable the lab to not only recommence a long-standing mission that was recently forced to halt, but paves the way toward enhanced operations in the future.

Research confirms the large impact of the Antarctic ozone hole on UV radiation

New research in confirms a large effect of the Antarctic ozone hole on UV radiation.

Two additional regions of Asia were sources of banned ozone-destroying chemicals

A follow-up investigation by NOAA scientists into the sudden increase in emissions of an ozone-destroying chemical between 2010 and 2018 has determined that three regions of Asia - not just one - were responsible for rising emissions of the banned chemical.

Former GML Director James Butler retires

Dr. James Butler, Director of NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML), retired on December 31, 2021 after 35+ years of service to NOAA and the global scientific community.

Fires are driving short-term spikes in an ozone-depleting gas

New research reveals global wildfires as an important cause of the short-term spikes in the atmospheric abundance of a potent ozone-depleting chemical, methyl bromide.

A potential application of a low-cost sensor in global aerosol monitoring

New research evaluates the use of a low-cost, widely-used PurpleAir sensor to estimate aerosol light scattering properties.

A new site is installed for the NOAA Federated Aerosol Network

A new site was installed for the NOAA Federated Aerosol Network (NFAN) in January 2022. The new station will be operated by the Air Force Institute of Technology at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The new GML Barrow Observatory facility is officially LEED Silver

The new building for the NOAA Barrow Atmospheric Baseline Observatory was officially certified as LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

A lucky guess? Learn the science of ozone depletion with NOAA and NASA!

As NOAA and NASA announced the 2021 Antarctic ozone hole condition on October 27, the 8th- and 9th-grade science classroom at Lafayette Junior/Senior High School also concluded their first science project on ozone hole prediction.

GML highlights at AGU 2021 Fall Meeting

GML and CIRES researchers talks and posters at the 2021 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

Southern Ocean confirmed as strong carbon dioxide sink

A new study published this week in the journal Science confirms the role of the Southern Ocean as a significant carbon sink.

GML's StratoCore will open a new era to study the stratosphere

GML and CIRES scientists are currently redesigning NOAA's balloon-borne AirCore sampler and increasing the number of gases measured from these samples.