Over the Great Plains region of the United States, summertime thunderstorms often occur after sunset. Much of this nighttime rainfall is caused by large, organized storm systems and plays a critical role in the hydrology and agriculture of the region, especially over the more arid western Great Plains. During the summer months, these nighttime storm systems provide 30-70% of the region’s precipitation and can also cause severe weather, including flash floods, intense damaging winds, and large hail. Current weather and climate models have difficulty predicting the onset, location,...

As of 2010, urban areas are home to more than half of the world's population, produce at least 70% of carbon-dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, and emit a significant amount of anthropogenic methane, but represent a small fraction of the Earth’s land surface. Currently, greenhouse gas emissions estimates for many cities are either unavailable or are generated using self-reported data from particular sectors, and contain significant uncertainties. Although methods for comprehensive measurement of urban emissions have been tested in smaller cities with stable emissions, these techniques...

Recent evidence has revealed that the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are not as static as once thought. Accelerated ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet, disintegrating ice shelves around Antarctica, and signs that several marine-terminating glaciers in Antarctica have begun an irreversible retreat all signal that changes are taking place faster than was thought possible. Ice sheets are projected to contribute significantly to global sea-level rise, which poses dramatic risks for coastal communities and island nations worldwide. In response to these rapid changes, several USGCRP...

Awareness surrounding the connection between climate change and human health is growing. USGCRP’s The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United...