News & Research Highlights

Black carbon's role in firestorm-induced climate effects

August 06, 2024

Clouds produced by some wildfires can send black carbon high into the atmosphere, where it can linger for months. Black carbon particles with thicker coatings of other materials absorb more light, potentially doubling their warming effect.

Discovering a hidden driver of extreme moist heatwaves

August 06, 2024

Dry air plays a surprisingly important role in these heatwaves by suppressing upward movement of warm, moist air, a process that usually cools the surface.

Climate factors behind record-breaking ocean temperatures in 2023

August 06, 2024

A new study finds 2023’s record-breaking temperatures came from a mix of ongoing global warming and natural climate variability, including transition from cooler La Niña conditions to warmer El Niño conditions.

Recent study advances understanding of atmospheric rivers and Arctic climate changes

July 30, 2024

New research finds large-scale circulation shifts have helped increase atmospheric river activity, boosting summer moisture in the Arctic.

Evaluating the impact of solar radiation modification on water resources in Central Africa

July 30, 2024

A new study suggests that in a high emissions scenario where water availability could decrease up to 60 percent, solar radiation modification could increase water availability up to 50 percent.

Impacts animal feeding operations on air quality in northeastern Colorado

July 30, 2024

Cooler temperatures in the spring, autumn, and winter might significantly increase ammonium nitrate formation, potentially leading to higher levels of particulate matter.

NOAA tests next-generation wildfire detection and warning tools

July 23, 2024

Two experimental tools that will speed fire detection and warning got a week-long test run in June 2024. Hands-on simulations involved National Weather Service fire weather forecasters, state wildfire managers, researchers, and social scientists.

"Twisters" movie: NOAA tornado science and staff behind the scenes

July 23, 2024

Heading to the theater to see the new "Twisters" movie? Keep an eye out for NOAA! But remember: While it's exciting to think of chasing tornadoes, please don't attempt it yourself. These storms are deadly forces of nature.

New discovery in atmospheric chemistry helps predict methane's role in climate change

July 23, 2024

Models have overestimated atmospheric levels of hydroxyl radicals, which break down methane. A new discovery shows that water vapor reduces sunlight's availability to make hydroxyl radicals, slowing methane’s atmospheric breakdown rate.

Improving extreme rainfall predictions: the limits of high-resolution climate models

July 23, 2024

Higher-resolution models don’t consistently improve accuracy of extreme rainfall predictions, a new study finds. A better approach may balance model resolution and model intricacies.

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News & Research Highlights