The Caribbean Drought Learning Network (CDLN) is a peer-to-peer network that links climate service providers, climate researchers and resource managers to share knowledge and strengthen collaboration and communication in drought research and management in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where drought constrains agricultural production, impacts the economy, and diminishes quality of life. The goal of this network is to produce and share information, lessons learned, and needs...
Share
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.
A 2021 report from EPA, USDA-FS, DOI, and NIST compared the air quality and health impacts of smoke from prescribed fire, which is used as a land management tool, with smoke from wildfire. The report found that using prescribed fire is not without risk as it can result in smoke-related air quality and public health impacts—but at a much smaller scale compared to wildfire. The assessment could be informative to multiple levels of government as they engage and plan for future land and fire management activities. The...
Neighborhoods in the same city can differ in temperature by as much as 20°F, due to differences in tree cover and other factors that influence the intensity of the urban heat island effect. To learn where action is needed to protect disproportionately affected populations now and in the future, the interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS, led by NOAA and the CDC) and partner CAPA Strategies LLC launched community-led urban heat island campaigns...
As the climate changes, hotter-than-usual days and nights are becoming more common, and heat waves are expected to become more frequent and intense. Cities experience higher temperatures than surrounding areas–known as the urban heat island effect–and residents often face higher health risks during extreme heat events. To help monitor changes in the health challenges associated with heat waves in urban areas, the USGS and EPA are developing data, analyses, and indicators for characterizing trends in the urban heat island effect...
The CDC’s Heat and Health Tracker, developed in collaboration with NOAA and its NWS, provides local heat and health information to help communities prepare for and respond to extreme heat events. This includes monthly and future projections of the expected number of days that are at or above a dangerous level of heat based on climatological norms. The Heat and Health Tracker also includes a Heat-Related Illness and Temperature map of the rate of emergency department visits associated with heat-related illness per 100,000...
In December 2021, the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System issued the third report in a series about the response and resilience of the Nation’s marine transportation system after major hurricanes. The report assessed the impacts to ports from the 2020 hurricane season, which saw a record-breaking number of storms form in the Atlantic basin during a global pandemic. Three storms were examined in-depth: Hurricanes Laura, Sally, and Delta. The report was authored by the Marine...
. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States, creating widespread coastal flooding and over $60 billion in economic damages. A recent modeling study funded by NASA, NOAA, and NSF, with contributions from DOE and the USGS, found that the impacts of Hurricane Sandy were significantly worsened by sea level rise attributable to climate change (Strauss et al., 2021). Researchers simulated water levels and damages both as they occurred and as they would have occurred across a range of lower sea levels, showing...
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that move moist air from the tropics to higher latitudes, producing heavy rain and snow upon landfall. They provide much of the rainfall in the western United States and are frequently associated with extreme weather across large parts of the country. The international Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP) is seeking to improve understanding of the linkages between climate change and atmospheric rivers. ARTMIP...
Collaboration across modeling, observational, and process research communities aims to improve how models represent and predict precipitation.
Many extreme events and related impacts are associated with the intensity, duration, and frequency of precipitation, including drought, flooding, wildfire, and severe storms. Understanding when, where, and how much precipitation will fall can help decision-makers and planners in agriculture, emergency management, energy, and other sectors prepare for and reduce costs from potential impacts. While models are skilled at simulating...
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...