News & Research Highlights

In the mid- and high latitudes, ocean currents drive most changes in sea surface temperatures over long periods of time, overpowering atmospheric influences by two to three times. In subtropical regions, atmospheric forces have more influence.

Cold, dense water from the Southern Ocean transfers heat and carbon to the Northern Hemisphere via the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. But a new study finds that the northward transport of cold water at 16°N weakened by about 12 percent during 2000-2020.

The Adaptation Sciences research program funded a project to assess vulnerability to sea level rise and implement feasible strategies to cope.

The use of sulfuryl fluoride as a pesticide has raised concerns due to its potent greenhouse gas properties. A new study reveals California as the largest emitter, particularly in coastal regions such as Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties.

Tropical deep convection is one of the leading sources of uncertainty in future projections of the Earth’s temperature. There are uncertainties in the radiative response of convective clouds, which can have negative or positive radiative effects.

Levels of the three most important human-caused greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide – continued their steady climb during 2023, according to NOAA scientists.

A new study shows it’s possible to collect measurements of fire and smoke chemistry, weather conditions, and smoke plume dynamics in real time around an active wildfire.

A new study demonstrates an innovative approach combining two artificial intelligence methods to predict a key ENSO indicator up to a year and a half in advance. The method proved capable of predicting extreme ENSO events at about 85 percent accuracy.

For decades, NOAA has used jets to collect data from around hurricanes. A new study finds that a second flight path closer to the hurricane’s center improves forecast accuracy.

As atmospheric greenhouse gases rise and climate change impacts get costlier, the scientific community is redoubling efforts to investigate the potential risks and benefits of artificially shading Earth’s surface to slow global warming.