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.

Modeled (top panel) and observed (bottom two panels) changes in atmospheric aerosol loads between 1980 and 2000. A decrease over Europe and North Amer- ica (blue) and an increase over southeastern and eastern Asia (red)—evident in all three panels—contrib

Pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels and wood has contributed to climate change in complex ways, with some pollutants causing cooling and others causing warming, accompanied by effects on patterns of atmospheric circulation and precipitation. To better understand these complex relationships, the Atmospheric Chemistry Climate Model Intercomparison Project, part of the international 5th-phase Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), conducted a series of pollution-focused modeling experiments to reveal spatial patterns, sectoral influences,

...

The NASA GEOS5 model has made significant progress in simulating the MJO, demonstrated by how closely its output (right panel) visually resembles satellite observation data (left panel; in both panels, MJO events are represented as lines of green, red, a

Predicting climate conditions anywhere from two weeks to a season in advance is critical for making informed decisions and safeguarding infrastructure across various sectors of the U.S. economy, including water resources, energy supply, public safety, and agriculture, among many others.

USGCRP agencies are supporting improved climate forecasts on these relatively short timescales through field campaigns coupled with model development and analysis efforts. DOE, NASA, NOAA, NSF, and DOD’

...

This graph shows projected impacts of climate change on crop productivity (darker blue) and related agricultural and economic responses. Black dots indicate the average percent change in each variable by 2050, relative to no climate change; the height of

Agricultural production is a critical sector of the domestic and global economy that is affected directly by climate change. The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP)—supported in part by DOE, NASA, USAID, and USDA—is a major international effort linking the climate, crop, and economic modeling communities to produce improved projections of climate impacts on the agricultural sector, thereby enhancing capacity to prepare for and respond to these climate-driven changes. To learn more about AgMIP, visit: http://goo.gl/ZmU82S

...

An example of a climate change indicator: variation in Antarctic land ice over time. (Credit: NASA)

“Indicators” are variables that can be used to measure the status or trend of a system. Indicators of climate-related global change—whether ecological, physical, or societal—can be used to track and communicate key aspects of the changing environment, point out vulnerabilities, and inform decision making at local, state, and national levels.

A pilot set of climate indicators is being developed collaboratively by USGCRP agencies including NASA, NOAA, EPA, USDA, DOE, DOD’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), CDC, and DOI. The

...

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).

...

Scientists examining an ice core used to reconstruct the evolution of Earth’s climate during the Eemian interglacial period, a useful analog for present-day and expected future conditions. (Source: NEEM)

Overview
A number of USGCRP agencies such as NSF, DOE, NOAA, NASA, USGS, and SI are investing in understanding the history of Earth’s climate, known as “paleoclimate.” Paleoclimate data extend records of climate

...

A suite of forecasts of air temperature ~6.5 feet (2 meters) above the ground, initialized in November 2011, were able to effectively predict March 2012 conditions. Red indicates higher temperatures and blue indicates lower temperatures relative to histor

Overview
The North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME)—led by NOAA in partnership with DOE, NSF, NASA, and U.S. and Canadian research institutions—is an experimental climate forecasting system that combines a suite of different models. Using a combined system of models, each with different individual strengths in predicting phenomena, can enhance the overall success of a

...

A comparison of observed (left) and simulated (right; single model realizations) hurricane tracks around North America between 1981 and 2008 (the horizontal and vertical axes show longitude and latitude, respectively). Tropical cyclones are challenging to

Overview
Climate and Earth system modeling supported by USGCRP agencies such as DOE, NASA, NOAA, NSF, and others was foundational to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) on the scientific basis for climate-change, released in 2013. Along with international partners, Federal and Federally supported modeling centers

...

This conceptual framework shows linkages between categories of indicators. (Source: USGCRP indicators program)

Overview
Indicators are measurements or calculations that represent the status, trend, or performance of a system (e.g., the economy, agriculture, air quality). USGCRP, with the participation of 9 of its 13 member agencies—NOAA, NASA, EPA, USDA, DOE, DOD’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), HHS’s

...

A map of continental U.S. drought conditions during July 2012, showing extreme and exceptional drought in several regions. (Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, a partnership between USDA, NOAA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center)

Overview
The 2011–2012 U.S. drought was the most severe and extensive in at least 25 years, and the effects are still being felt in some areas of the Nation. Recently, USDA partnered with local governments, colleges, and state and Federal partners— including NOAA and FEMA—to conduct a series of regional drought workshops. Hundreds of farmers, ranchers, business owners, and other stakeholders met with government officials to discuss needs

...

GlobalChange.gov

Utility

Global search

Share

Highlights

Modeling Pollution to Understand Localized Climate Trends

DYNAMO: Linking Observations and Models to Predict Near-Term Climate

Modeling Climate Impacts on Agriculture and Adaptation by the Agro-Economy

Tracking Climate Change with Indicators

Drought Research to Support Management and Preparedness

Understanding Future Climate by Looking Back in Time

Combining Models to Better Predict Future Conditions

Modeling 20th and 21st Century Climate to Understand and Predict Change

Developing Indicators of Climate Change

Sharing Information to Improve Drought Monitoring and Forecasting