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.

Imagery captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite on May 2, 2017

Interagency collaboration supported rapid response efforts.

Periods of heavy rainfall caused extensive flooding across much of the Midwestern United States and Mississippi River Basin in spring 2017, including widespread accumulation of 7–10 inches of rain, flash floods, and long-term river flooding. In response, NASA’s Earth Science Disasters Program assembled a team of scientists at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, other NASA centers, and NASA-affiliated partners to assist the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. National...

A lake near Fairbanks, Alaska shows signs of thawing permafrost below the surface

By monitoring trends such as permafrost thaw, shifts in wildfire, and changing wildlife habitats, a multi-year field campaign seeks to provide the scientific basis for informed decision-making in response to change.

Climate change in the Arctic and Boreal Region is unfolding faster than anywhere else on Earth. Observations reveal reduced Arctic sea ice, widespread changes to coastlines and waterways, thawing of permafrost soils and decomposition of long-frozen organic matter, and shifts in ecosystem structure and function. These changes have far-reaching impacts in the...

The figure shows long-term averages of Arctic summer sea ice concentration simulated by an adaptation of CICE/Icepack

Interagency collaboration supports predictions of Arctic sea cover used by the U.S. Navy and other operational and research organizations.

Summer sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean shrunk significantly since the early 1980s, with particularly rapid declines in recent years^[1]. Arctic sea ice plays a key role in regulating weather and climate in and beyond the region^[2], and projections of how sea ice cover will change in the coming years are critical for...

Modeling efforts provide new data on the effects of climate change in Antarctica.

Between 1998 and 2016, warming in Antarctica has been rapid and significant. Recent observations also reveal increases in snowfall in western Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica that are unprecedented over the past two millennia. To investigate these changes, a team of NSF-sponsored researchers and NASA scientists merged observation-based NSF-funded research with global modeling efforts that benefited from NASA satellite and airborne-based data^[1]...

A NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) dust warning to motorists traveling along Interstate 10 near Lordsburg, New Mexico, tweeted in November 2017.

Interagency efforts are supporting preparedness and safety measures for critical transportation infrastructure.

Dust storms in the Southwest can create dangerous and deadly driving conditions, reducing visibility to near zero with very little warning. Interstate 10 is especially vulnerable to dangerous dust-related driving conditions as it passes through a dry lake bed west of Lordsburg near the Arizona border. To help reduce dust-related risks, the NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program and the DOT Federal Highway Administration coordinated with...

VegDRI (left) and QuickDRI (right) for weeks in May and July depicting the evolution of the “flash” drought over eastern Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota in 2017.

Monitoring tools help resource managers prepare for and reduce the impacts of drought.

The impacts of drought on water resources, plants and wildfire, agriculture, and the economy are complex and occur over many timescales, underscoring the value of a range of drought monitoring tools that support different types of decisions. To help meet this need, two complementary weekly drought monitoring and mapping tools—the Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI) and the Quick Drought Response Index (QuickDRI)—were...

Historical and Projected Global Mean Sea Level Rise

An assessment of observed and projected climate trends in the United States forms the foundation for comprehensive analyses of climate-related vulnerabilities and risks.

USGCRP oversaw the production of the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) as Volume I of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. CSSR assesses the state of knowledge on human-caused climate change, with a primary focus on the United States, including observed and future projected changes in temperatures, precipitation patterns, extreme...

Locations of regional engagement workshop hubs and satellites (green) and NCA4 participation at professional conferences, meetings and other events (yellow) through May 2018.

Strong engagement efforts help ensure that USGCRP assessment products are relevant and accessible to users.

USGCRP recently finalized the fourth installment of the National Climate Assessment (NCA4). Volume I (the Climate Science Special Report, see Highlight 16) was released in November 2017, and Volume II (Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States) was released in late 2018. A technical input to the sustained assessment process, the Second State...

A report on the status of America’s forests and rangelands provides a baseline for monitoring future change and its effect on ecosystem services and livelihoods.

Expanding populations, increased urbanization, land use change, and climate change continue to affect American forests and rangelands. Climate change and natural disturbances will alter forest and rangeland ecosystems and affect their ability to provide ecosystem services such as water quality protection, removal of pollutants from the atmosphere, and outdoor recreation. The most recent...

USGCRP co-led an international group of funders and implementers in initiating development of a collaborative research action.

The Belmont Forum is an international partnership between national research funding agencies and international science organizations focused on advancing transdisciplinary global change science and accelerating its application. Its Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs) combine natural science, social science, and stakeholder perspectives to produce knowledge for understanding and responding to global environmental change. In November...

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Highlights

Responding to the 2017 Midwestern floods

Monitoring change in Alaska and the Arctic

Predicting Arctic sea ice change

Modeling ice sheet change in Antarctica

Building infrastructure resilience

Supporting informed responses to drought

Providing the climate science foundation for the Fourth National Climate Assessment

Engaging the public in assessing climate change impacts and risks in the United States

Assessing the future of America’s forests and rangelands

Developing international support for research on climate, environment, and human health