The latest edition of Our Changing Planet, USGCRP's annual report to Congress, gives an overview of the Federal global change research enterprise, with plain-language highlights spotlighting recent efforts to advance science and support societal needs.
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Aug 21, 2014Physical Climate, Observations, Modeling, Mitigation, Carbon Cycle
New NASA research shows that Earth's atmosphere contains an unexpectedly large amount of carbon tetrachloride (CC14), an ozone -depleting chemical that was banned worldwide decades ago. According to the study, global emissions of CCl4 average 39 kilotons per year—approximately 30 percent of peak emissions prior to its banning.
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Jul 2, 2014Physical Climate, Observations, Carbon Cycle
Early this morning, NASA launched the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2), a new science satellite that will measure Earth's output and uptake of carbon dioxide—the leading greenhouse gas responsible for climate change .
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Jun 25, 2014Physical Climate, Observations, Human Health, Extreme Events
Both NASA and NOAA have ranked May 2014 as the planet’s hottest May since records began in 1880. UPDATE: Since this article was published, June 2014, August 2014, September 2014, and October 2014 have also set records for monthly average temperatures.
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May 29, 2014Oceans, Physical Climate, Observations, Ecosystems & Biodiversity, Education, Indicators, Human Health
A new EPA report presents a set of 30 indicators that track the causes and effects of climate change . Written for general audiences, the report aims to help readers understand long-term climate-related trends observed across the atmosphere, oceans, snow and ice, ecosystems, and public health.