Skip to main content

GlobalChange.gov

Utility

  • About USGCRP
  • Agencies

Global search

  • Understand Climate Change
  • Assess National Climate Assessment
  • Explore USGCRP Highlights
  • Browse Reports & Resources
  • Engage Connect & Participate

You are here

  • About USGCRP

Share

Facebook logo Twitter logo Google+ logo LinkedIn logo Reddit logo

Highlights

Since 1989, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has submitted annual reports to Congress called Our Changing Planet. The reports describe the status of USGCRP research activities, provide progress updates, and document recent accomplishments.

In particular, Our Changing Planet highlights progress and accomplishments in interagency activities. These highlights represent the broad spectrum of USGCRP activities that extend from Earth system observations, modeling, and fundamental research through synthesis and assessment, decision support, education, and public engagement. Highlights describe the state of science at the time of publication of each yearly report, and may not reflect more recent advances in understanding. The date of publication of the source report is noted on each highlight page.

Modeling, Extreme Events

Developing a new seasonal-to-decadal climate prediction system

A next-generation modeling system supports assessment of changing climate risks.

NOAA, the USGS, and Princeton University scientists contributed to the development of a new modeling system for seasonal-to-multidecadal climate predictions and projections, SPEAR (Seamless System for Prediction and Earth System Research), at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.[1] SPEAR combines a set of newly developed components that...

Read more
Extreme Events, Adaptation

Learning from climate disasters

A researcher stands next to a large, horizontal stack of tree cross sections salvaged after a hurricane. Her hand rests on the trunk of one of the freshly-cut cross sections.

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...

Read more
Observations, Extreme Events

Interagency data products and research inform hurricane response and recovery in the Carolinas

This image of Pee Dee River in South Carolina was captured by NASA’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) instrument aboard a September 17, 2018 science flight.
Hurricane Florence struck the Carolinas on September 14, 2018, causing widespread flooding and damage. In the aftermath of the storm, NASA deployed airborne radar to map floodwaters threatening the region, supplying federal, state, and local agencies with information critical to disaster response efforts. 
 
Airborne radar is able to “see” through cloud cover to image the ground below during day and night and can map flooding occurring under...
Read more
Water Resources, Extreme Events

Drought Research to Support Management and Preparedness

The NMME (yellow column) is a seasonal forecasting system that combines individual models (purple columns N1-N6) to produce more accurate predictions of climate. In forecasts of precipitation (top two panels) and temperature (bottom two panels)—key factor

Drought is a significant hazard for the United States, with potentially severe and long-lasting impacts on the Nation’s economy and food and water supplies. USGCRP agencies are advancing our understanding of the causes and consequences of drought, an FY 2015 interagency research priority (see Section 4). They are also collaborating in efforts to support drought preparedness and recovery, such as the National Drought Resilience Partnership (a deliverable of the President’s Climate Action Plan) and the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).

...
Read more

Filter By Topic

  • (-) Remove Extreme Events filter Extreme Events
  • Observations Apply Observations filter
  • Modeling Apply Modeling filter
  • Water Resources Apply Water Resources filter
  • Adaptation Apply Adaptation filter

Filter By Agency

  • (-) Remove Department of Commerce filter Department of Commerce
  • (-) Remove Department of the Interior filter Department of the Interior
  • Department of Agriculture Apply Department of Agriculture filter
  • National Aeronautics & Space Administration Apply National Aeronautics & Space Administration filter
  • Department of Energy Apply Department of Energy filter
  • Department of Health & Human Services Apply Department of Health & Human Services filter
  • Department of Transportation Apply Department of Transportation filter
  • Environmental Protection Agency Apply Environmental Protection Agency filter
  • National Science Foundation Apply National Science Foundation filter

Filter By Region

  • Southeast & Caribbean Apply Southeast & Caribbean filter

Filter By Report Year

  • 2022 Apply 2022 filter
  • 2014 Apply 2014 filter
  • 2020 Apply 2020 filter
GlobalChange.gov is made possible by our participating agencies
Thirteen Agencies, One Vision: Empower the Nation with Global Change Science
  • USDA
  • DOC
  • DOD
  • DOE
  • HHS
  • DOI
  • DOS
  • DOT
  • EPA
  • NASA
  • NSF
  • SI
  • USAID

Get Our Newsletter

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Contact Us
U.S. Global Change Research Program
1800 G Street, NW, Suite 9100
Washington, D.C. 20006 USA

Tel: +1 202 223 6262
Fax: +1 202 223 3065
Privacy Policy