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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.

Observations, Extreme Events

Two Cutting-Edge Missions to Measure Global Change

This frame from an animation of GPM data shows the internal structure of Hurricane Arthur off the coast of South Carolina. This event marks the first time that a satellite has followed a hurricane through its full life cycle with high-resolution measureme

In 2014, NASA launched two new satellite missions that will enable fundamental advancements in our understanding of climate and global change. The Global Precipitation Measurement satellite, launched in February in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), carries state-of-the-art instrumentation that will collect unparalleled observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours. Such high-resolution data will improve forecasts of extreme weather and climate events, lead to a better understanding of the global water and energy

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Observations, Modeling

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

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’

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Observations, Modeling

Empowering the Nation with Climate Data

In March 2014, USGCRP helped support the launch of the Climate Data Initiative, a key component of the President’s Climate Action Plan. The Climate Data Initiative brings together open government data with commitments from the private and philanthropic sectors to develop data-driven tools that communities and businesses across America need to plan for the impacts of climate change.

With the launch of the Climate Data Initiative, data from USGCRP agencies—including NOAA, NASA, USGS, and DOD—and other Federal entities are

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Observations, Modeling

Supporting Global Change Research Through Satellite Missions: A Look Ahead

Preparing equipment for the Global Precipitation Measurement mission. (Source: NASA)

Overview
A series of Earth observation missions planned by NASA and partners for FY 2014 will contribute fundamentally to advancing our understanding of global change. Such missions are foundational to USGCRP research and are made possible by a sustained Program emphasis in instrumentation development. The planned FY 2014 missions are described below.

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Observations

Building Capacity and Diversity in Climate Studies

Participants in the AMS Climate Studies Diversity Project workshop in Washington, DC. (Source: AMS)

Overview
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) Climate Studies Diversity Project, funded primarily by NSF, leverages resources from NOAA, NASA, and academic and non-profit partners to build climate education capacity at minority serving institutions (MSIs). Through a five-day professional development

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