A heat health forecast tool aims to help communities better prepare for and respond to extreme heat events. The CCHHG, led by NOAA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with input from the National Institutes of Health and other agencies, developed a Climate and Health Monitor and Outlook Heat Forecast Product for the continental United States based on NOAA seasonal forecasts. The heat health forecast tool displays the rate of heat-related illness by region for a given week and is designed to help communities better prepare for and respond to extreme heat events. CDC is...

Experimental warming of a peatland ecosystem showed a rapid shift towards net carbon loss to the atmosphere. Peatlands cover only about 3 percent of Earth’s land surface but store around 30 percent of global soil carbon. As the climate warms, these carbon stocks are vulnerable to release into the atmosphere as the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to a cycle of further warming and carbon release. The SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments ) experiment, a DOE and USDA Forest Service initiative, is a 10-year study involving warming of an intact...

A coordinated observing campaign uncovered the causes of an unexpected methane plume spotted by satellite. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas emitted by both natural sources and processes (such as wetlands, geological seeps, and biomass burning) and human activities (including agriculture, waste and landfills, and fossil fuel extraction). Sources of regional and global methane pollution can be tracked through emission inventories, atmospheric in situ measurements, and remote sensing observations, allowing scientists to detect and study methane emissions and how they are changing. 1 A major...

Studies of vulnerability to hurricane impacts in agriculture and forestry support efforts to reduce risks from future storms. Three storms in the 2017 hurricane season caused catastrophic damage to communities, livelihoods, and infrastructure in the U.S. Southeast and Caribbean, including billions of dollars in losses in the agriculture and forestry sector. Climate change and other stressors are expected to increase damages and disruptions from hurricanes in the future, driving research to improve understanding of sector-specific vulnerabilities to storms and how best to reduce the risks and...

Researchers used interagency modeling and observational capabilities to understand the impacts of reduced pollution related to the COVID-19 pandemic on Earth’s energy balance. Lockdown measures enacted to control the spread of COVID-19 led to a worldwide reduction in emissions of tiny atmospheric particles known as aerosols. Through their interactions with solar energy and clouds, aerosols play a significant role in shaping Earth’s energy balance (or the balance between incoming energy from the sun and outgoing energy from the Earth) and climate that is still inadequately understood. NOAA and...

Scientists are investigating the movement of carbon from the atmosphere to the deeper ocean via ecological processes. Microscopic organisms known as phytoplankton in the upper ocean play a critical role in Earth’s carbon cycle and climate, transporting carbon from the surface to the deeper ocean where it is stored for months to millennia. This movement of carbon—known as the biological carbon pump— represents a significant sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but measuring it remains a challenge. A better understanding of what influences the function of the ocean's biological pump, and how...

Mapping forest carbon stocks with in situ, airborne, and satellite data supports forest management in the western United States. The Carbon Monitoring System (CMS), a NASA-led effort also involving the USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS), NOAA, the USGS, and non-governmental scientists, focuses on improving the monitoring of carbon stocks and fluxes (or the movement of carbon between the oceans, atmosphere, land, and ecosystems) to support carbon management activities. A CMS study is helping the USDA-FS and other stakeholders monitor aboveground biomass (or organic matter) stored in U.S. forests...

A multiyear observing campaign is tracking changing snowpack in the western United States, laying the groundwork for a future snow satellite mission. Snowpack plays a critical role in the water cycle and helps regulate Earth’s climate. Storage of snow in the winter feeds spring snowmelt, bringing water to crops, people, and ecosystems downstream. Snowpack also feeds hydropower generation in the Southwest and Northwest, and snow-related tourism and recreation are important economic drivers in many regions. 1 Warmer winter temperatures and other climate-related changes are altering the timing...

New data products integrate multiple sources of soil moisture information to improve drought monitoring and prediction. Drought is one of the most destructive and costly natural disasters, resulting in diminished agricultural production, reduced water resources, and deadly heatwaves. NOAA and the National Integrated Drought Information System have supported interagency activities to develop a national-scale drought product that integrates multiple sources of soil moisture information to improve drought monitoring and prediction. These activities represent collaborative efforts among NOAA, NASA...

The Drought Learning Network supports knowledge exchange on drought management in the U.S. Southwest. The Drought Learning Network (DLN) brings together drought management leaders and resource managers to support knowledge sharing and improve collaboration around building resilience among communities impacted by drought in the U.S. Southwest, one of the hottest and driest regions of the world. The DLN was created by drought management leaders from the USDA Southwest Climate Hub, the National Drought Mitigation Center, and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System to help capture...