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.

Using 29 years of data from Landsat satellites, researchers at NASA found extensive greening in the vegetation across Alaska and Canada.

Scientists are using satellites to collect detailed data on forest change in remote parts of Alaska and the Arctic.

Rapid warming in the Arctic and boreal regions of Alaska is affecting boreal forests and tundra ecosystems in a number of ways. Higher temperatures and changes in precipitation have led to a higher incidence of wildfire and increased tree mortality from drought, insects, and disease. Increases in the length of the growing season and the amount of energy produced by vegetation have also been observed. While tracking how climate...

Scientists are combining satellite remote sensing and ground survey data to better understand the impacts of climate change and other disturbances on the health of Pacific Northwest forests and the ecosystem services they provide.

Pacific Northwest forests are sensitive to temperature and drought stress and face increased vulnerability to insect pests, diseases, and fires in a changing climate. The frequency and severity of climate-related forest disturbances are expected to continue to increase over the 21^st...

Map shows the average active layer thickness (ALT) at the end of the growing season for the Barrow, Alaska region that contains the NGEE Arctic study site.

Scientists are gaining new understanding of processes that control greenhouse gas emissions from Arctic permafrost, a potential driver of significant future warming.

Rapid warming in the Arctic is causing carbon-rich soils known as permafrost, previously frozen for millennia, to thaw. As thawing soils decompose, the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane are released into the atmosphere in varying proportions depending on the conditions under which decomposition occurs. Permafrost emissions could contribute significantly to future warming...

Figure shows how methane production changes with temperature in (a) surface and (b) deep peat samples that were anaerobically (without oxygen) incubated

Researchers are experimentally warming northern peatlands to understand carbon cycling in the climate of the future.

Northern peatlands hold large stocks of organic carbon in their soils that are vulnerable to release into the atmosphere as the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane as the climate warms. Emissions of methane, which has about 28 times the warming power...

AmeriFlux FLUXNET2015 data collection sites overlaid on a map of global land cover types.

A global data collection network has built a strong foundation for carbon cycle understanding.

The AmeriFlux Network, which is supported by the Department of Energy, connects scientists from across the Western Hemisphere studying the exchange of carbon, water, and energy between ecosystems and the atmosphere. Since its launch in 1996, AmeriFlux has built a data record from 213 sites worldwide, called...

Researchers found that reducing aerosol pollution can achieve both direct and indirect health benefits.

Atmospheric aerosols are tiny airborne particles that can dramatically affect the Earth’s climate through their influence on the flow of energy between Earth’s surface and space. Some aerosols have a cooling effect by reflecting solar energy back into space, while other aerosols containing substantial amounts of carbon warm their surroundings by absorbing the sun’s energy, and can also directly harm human health when particles are at ground...

Regional climate projections can provide information on likely future changes in climate, ecosystems, and water resources at useful scales.

In the Pacific Northwest, average temperatures are projected to increase by at least two and up to 15° F by end of the century, dependent on future greenhouse gas emissions levels. Winters are expected to become wetter and summers drier, snowpack will likely decrease substantially, and snowmelt runoff may occur earlier in the year. Wildfires are projected to become more frequent and more severe, and...

Climate scenarios provide a consistent set of possible future conditions to inform analyses of the risks posed by climate change.

The Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) assesses risks to the United States posed by climate and global change. Scenarios that represent a range of plausible future changes in key risk drivers, such as greenhouse gas emissions levels, weather and climate extremes, sea level, population, and land use, are used to guide NCA4’s evaluation of specific climate-related risks in regions and sectors across the...

A Spanish language translation of the executive summary of USGCRP’s report The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: a Scientific Assessment is now available.

Climate and health assessment information has been shared widely through a number of platforms and formats, including a Spanish translation of the report overview.

In April 2016, the USGCRP released The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment, a groundbreaking report detailing the major risks and vulnerabilities to human health posed by...

Collaboration across regions and institutions in Alaska supports increased resilience to climate-related risks to lives and livelihoods.

In Alaska, changes in snow, ice, and weather have increased risks to human lives and threats to valuable natural resources, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted hunting, fishing, and livelihoods. The vast and largely undisturbed landscapes of Alaska and Northwest Canada support unique natural and cultural resources that are valued locally and globally. To help address these challenges, leaders...

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Highlights

Detecting the drivers of forest change in Alaska and the Arctic

Measuring ecosystem response to changing environments in Pacific Northwest forests

Understanding carbon cycling in Arctic ecosystems

Understanding carbon cycling in warming northern peatlands

Supporting twenty years of carbon cycle understanding

Understanding the health benefits of reducing aerosol pollution

Modeling future climate, vegetation, and hydrology in the Pacific Northwest

Scenario products supporting the Fourth National Climate Assessment

Expanding access to climate change and human health assessment information

Building coastal resilience in Alaska