What is NOAA’s climate mission?

What is NOAA’s climate mission?

NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. From the surface of the sun to the bottom of the ocean, NOAA advances scientific understanding of Earth’s environment, climate, and weather. We provide foundational climate science, data, and information services that Americans want and need to make informed decisions. Without NOAA’s climate monitoring, research, and modeling capabilities we couldn’t quantify where and how climate conditions have changed, nor could we predict where and how they’re likely to change.

Pattern in coral

Interesting pattern in a coral. Protecting ecosystems, such as coral reefs, and protecting human lives and prosperity all figure in NOAA’s climate mission. Image from NOAA Photo Library.

NOAA is working to improve the nation’s resilience to changes in climate and weather. Specifically, NOAA is working to…

  • help people prepare for drought and water resource challenges;
  • protect and preserve coasts and coastal infrastructure;
  • identify and manage risks to marine ecosystems and the valuable services they provide;
  • reduce communities’ and businesses’ vulnerability to extreme weather; and
  • help people to understand and evaluate options for mitigating and adapting to climate-related impacts.
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Pattern in coral
 
 
Published Date: 
Thursday, January 23, 2014

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michon.scott

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If the globe is still warming, then why are some locations not warming while others have experienced cooling?

If the globe is still warming, then why are some locations not warming while others have experienced cooling?

The 1.5°F (0.85°C) warming is a change in the annual average temperature of the whole world. This warming is not uniform over the entire globe; nor are temperature increases expected to occur continuously. Differences in exposure to sunlight, cloud cover, atmospheric circulation patterns, aerosol concentrations, atmospheric humidity, land surface cover, etc., vary from place to place. These differences influence whether and how much a location is warming or cooling.

global map of temperatures in 2018 compared to average. Red areas were warmer than average, blue were cooler.

Temperatures in 2018 compared to the 1981-2010 average. Places that were up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average are shades of red. Places that were up to 7 degrees cooler than average are shades of blue. Map is from our Data Snapshots collection, and is based on data from NCEI and processed by the NOAA Environmental Vizualization Lab.  

References

IPCC, 2013: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group 1 to the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.

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Published Date: 
Thursday, January 23, 2014

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michon.scott

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Mount Agung erupts in Indonesia: Is it a climate event?

Mount Agung erupts in Indonesia: Is it a climate event?

Mount Agung in Indonesia erupted for the first time since 1963 causing widespread evacuations on the island of Bali. But is it a climate event? 

Published Date: 
Thursday, December 7, 2017

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tom.diliberto

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NOAA releases 2017 hurricane outlook for the Atlantic Ocean

NOAA releases 2017 hurricane outlook for the Atlantic Ocean

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NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center releases its 2017 Atlantic hurricane outlook, saying odds favor an above-normal hurricane season.

 
 
Climate.gov Section: 
Published Date: 
Thursday, May 25, 2017

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tom.diliberto

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NASA to Provide Coverage of Hurricane Dorian

NASA to Provide Coverage of Hurricane Dorian

 

NASA will be tracking Hurricane Dorian throughout this Labor Day weekend. The agency will provide status updates on the storm as it nears Florida and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on the state’s central east coast, as well as updated video and imagery.

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NASA Breaking News

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