Small unmanned aircraft flies into rapidly intensifying Hurricane Michael Small unmanned aircraft flies into rapidly intensifying Hurricane Michael NOAA scientists flew multiple missions into Hurricane Michael in the days before landfall, closely observing the rapid intensification of the storm. Their tools included a small unmanned aircraft, called the Coyote, which flew into the strongest winds of the eyewall as the storm intensified to a category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Read more
Drifting buoys track Hurricane Michael in the Gulf of Mexico Drifting buoys track Hurricane Michael in the Gulf of Mexico On Monday night, October 8, 2018, 10 drifting buoys were thrown from the hatch of a U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunter into the Gulf of Mexico so they could be in front of Hurricane Michael to help with hurricane forecasting. Read more
NOAA funding research effort to develop global aerosol map NOAA funding research effort to develop global aerosol map A better map of dust in the wind will improve aerosol forecasts The University of Colorado has been awarded funding for development of an improved global map of smoke, dust and other aerosol particles. Read more
NOAA organizes first agency-wide event to advance its modeling enterprise NOAA organizes first agency-wide event to advance its modeling enterprise NOAA constantly strives to improve its models of our changing environment in order to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers, and other decision makers with reliable information they can act on. But improving models takes time, money, and labor—tight budget constraints make this a challenging feat. Read more
High temperatures bring citizen scientists to map the hottest places in D.C. and Baltimore High temperatures bring citizen scientists to map the hottest places in D.C. and Baltimore With the Mid-Atlantic region expecting a stretch of days with above-normal summer temperatures, NOAA and its partners will lead a group of citizen scientist volunteers on a mission this week to collect data that will be used to map the hottest places in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Read more
Looking for life in Arctic mud Looking for life in Arctic mud Editor's note: This is the seventh in a series Dispatches from the Arctic on the August science cruise by NOAA and partner scientists aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker Healy. Today's post is from Janet Hsiao, NOAA John Knauss Sea Grant fellow, and Meredith LaValley of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee. Read more
NOAA scientist honored for tackling the world’s big climate questions 13Dec2018 Read more NOAA senior research scientist Isaac Held was awarded the 2018 Roger Revelle Medal on Wednesday evening by the American Geophysical Union for his pioneering work to answer some of the biggest questions about the structure of our atmosphere and how its large-scale circulation systems drive our weather and climate. Read more
New research improves wind forecasts for the renewable energy industry 20Nov2018 Read more New research on wind behavior in complex terrain, led by NOAA and the U.S. Department of Energy, will improve forecasts for wind energy firms by 15-25 percent, and improve wind forecasts for the entire country. Read more
Argo Program Achieves Milestone with Two Million Ocean Measurements 10Dec2018 Read more An Argo float recently surfaced in the Atlantic Ocean to transmit temperature and salinity measurements from over a mile deep. This float was made in France and launched by German scientists in 2016, and it is one of thousands in the international Argo Program, which just recorded its two millionth profile, marking a major milestone for the 20-year old observation program. Read more
NOAA seeking public input for research and development plan 1Feb2019 Read more The public is invited to help set the course for NOAA research and development for the coming years. Public comments will be welcomed until Friday, February 8, 2019. You can submit your comments by email to noaa.rdplan@noaa.gov. Please include the subject line “NOAA R&D Plan Public Comment.” Read more
NOAA taps fishery scientist to lead its Pacific Marine Environmental Lab 4Feb2019 Read more Michelle McClure, director of the Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, began work Monday, February 4, 2019, as the new director of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle. Read more