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.

Interagency science informed the synthesis of actionable research to support Federal responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2020, DoD began working with interagency partners to synthesize actionable research on potential environmental drivers impacting the life and spread of the COVID-19 virus. From this collective research, representatives from the Air Force Directorate of Weather worked with DoD’s operational climate services unit, the 14th Weather Squadron in Asheville, NC, to produce actionable products for senior DoD leaders on potential environmental drivers of...

A close-up shot of an emerald ash borer clinging to the side of a twig. Its metallic brown-green stands out against the blurred, wooded background.

A new scientific assessment provides information on the spread and control of invasive species for land managers.

The spread of invasive species is recognized as a major driver of biodiversity loss and a source of substantial economic and environmental damage. Global environmental changes, including climate change and land use change, continue to influence how invasive species spread and interact with ecosystems, presenting new and ongoing challenges for land managers. A recent USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS) ...

A straight-on view of unsettled water flowing through the All-American Canal, the Southern Californian landscape framing both of its sides.

Collaborative studies among scientists and decision-makers are identifying strategies to meet current and future water demands.

The western United States faces growing water challenges. Drought, population change, aging infrastructure, and ecosystem needs all strain existing water and power infrastructure, and future climate change is expected to further...

Partially collapsed Florida beach homes sit beside a crumbling road under blue skies, captured in the aftermath of a category four hurricane.

A modeling framework provides insight on future coastal flooding risks to guide resilience efforts.

Sea level rise and other climate-related changes are increasing risks from the impacts of storms on coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. To support efforts to build resilience to climate variability and change, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center-Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (ERDC-CHL) developed the Coastal Hazards System (CHS) as a...

An aerial view of the Chesapeake’s Swan Island spotted with new marsh and dune plant growth, and its coasts lined with restored sediment.

Nature-based restoration efforts on Swan Island aim to protect coastal communities from erosion and storm surge while restoring ecosystems.

Coastal islands and marshes in the Chesapeake Bay provide habitat for many species and protect coastal communities from wave energy. Within the last half century, the effects of shoreline erosion, land subsidence, and sea level rise have accelerated the rate of island submergence and degradation of ecosystems in the region. In one example, the Smith Island complex, of which Swan Island is a part, has eroded at rates of up to 2 meters per...

Map with color-coded circles showing the percentage increase or decrease in snowpack at measurement sites in the western United States. Decreases have been especially prominent in Washington, Oregon, northern California, and the northern Rockies.

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...

The U.S. research centers that develop climate and Earth system models and the U.S. scientific community are key participants in long-running collaborative efforts to improve knowledge on climate change. A number of major interagency activities supporting improvements in climate modeling took place in 2019.

Most prominently, the World Climate Research Programme Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) is currently in its sixth phase (CMIP6). The earlier phases of CMIP experiments have provided the research community...

Satellite observations show significant declines in Arctic sea ice cover in recent decades as the climate has warmed,^[1] with impacts on fish and wildlife habitats that are important for subsistence, recreation, and tourist activities in the region. Retreating sea ice also contributes to increased storm surge, coastal flooding, and coastal erosion.^[2] Arctic sea ice plays a key role in moderating climate within and beyond the region, and understanding sea ice change is critical to projections of future...

Climate-sensitive infectious diseases, including vector-borne diseases (such as dengue, West Nile Virus, and Chikungunya), waterborne diseases (such as those caused by Vibrio species), soil- and dust-borne diseases (such as Valley Fever), and zoonotic diseases (such as plague and avian influenza) pose threats to the health of Americans living at home and abroad. These threats are anticipated to change in distribution and severity as climate change progresses in the coming decades. Improving U.S. capacity to predict and communicate changes in risks of climate-sensitive diseases,...

Coordinated experiments run across major Earth system models help improve model projections and advance climate science understanding.

Projections of the future state of the Earth system can differ significantly across models, with various potential sources of uncertainty. To better understand the sources of difference and where fundamental scientific understanding can be improved, the Earth system modeling community uses a set of experiments run across many models known as the ...

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Highlights

Translating research on the environmental drivers of COVID-19 to support decision-making

Supporting management of invasive species in forests and rangelands

Addressing water supply challenges in the American West

Understanding coastal hazards

Building coastal resilience in the Chesapeake Bay

Monitoring snowpack change

Modeling efforts drive advances in projections of future climate change

An observing network tracks changes in Arctic sea ice cover

Interagency activities inform efforts to predict and prepare for climate-sensitive infectious diseases

Collaborative modeling experiments to improve understanding of the future of the Earth system