Category: Environment

Looming Deadlines for Coastal Resilience

6/29/2024 - By ucsusa.org. Rising Seas, Disruptive Tides, and Risks to Coastal Infrastructure. Climate change is rapidly worsening tidal flooding, threatening essential and costly coastal infrastructure that millions of people depend on. Research led by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that between now and 2050, climate change–driven sea level rise will… SEE MORE

Moderate to above-moderate harmful algal bloom predicted for western Lake Erie

6/27/2024 - By noaa.gov. Blue-green algae capable of producing substance toxic to humans and wildlife, can affect drinking water and local economies. NOAA and its research partners are forecasting a moderate to above-moderate harmful algal bloom (HAB) in western Lake Erie this summer. This year’s bloom is expected to measure 5, with… SEE MORE

MARILAO, PHILIPPINES - MAY 04, 2024: Workers prepare to dump blocks of ice at a pool amid extreme heat in Marilao, Bulacan province. Sweltering conditions strained power grids, sparked health warnings, and left residents desperate for ways to stay cool. May 2024 was the world's warmest May on record. (Image credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

May 2024 was Earth’s Warmest May on Record

6/24/2024 - By noaa.gov. The globe saw its 12th-consecutive month of record warmth. Last month marked a full year of record-high global temperatures, with May 2024 ranking as the warmest May on record. Earth’s ocean temperatures also set a record high for the 14th month in a row, according to data and… SEE MORE

Geoscientists Found the Most Dangerous Part of a Famous West Coast Fault

6/20/2024 - By Nikk Ogasa. The most destructive Cascadian earthquakes are likely to slam offshore of Washington state and Vancouver Island, new data reveal. The Cascadia megathrust is a massive fault thought capable of generating devastating magnitude 9 earthquakes similar to the 2011 Tohoku temblor, but its structure has long eluded scientists.… SEE MORE

Silhouette of a person at sunset during a heatwave. (Image credit: iStock)

Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke? Know the Signs of Heat Illness

6/19/2024 - By noaa.gov. If you are spending any time outside this summer, chances are you’ll be exposed to a lot of sun, high temperatures and humidity. How much heat can a person safely endure? It depends. Much less visible and dramatic than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes, heat is considered the silent… SEE MORE

A photo of USGS vessel "Hypoxia Bandit" on the Mississippi River in Vicksburg in early 2024. USGS scientists are using a US-D-96 sampler to collect sediment and water-quality samples from the river. (Image credit: USGS Lower Mississippi Gulf Water Science Center)

NOAA forecasts above-average summer ‘dead zone’ in Gulf of Mexico

6/18/2024 - By noaa.gov. Low oxygen conditions expected to impact 5,827 square-mile area. NOAA is forecasting an above-average summer “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico covering approximately 5,827 square miles — an area roughly the size of Connecticut. The dead zone, or hypoxic area, is an area of low oxygen that… SEE MORE

Are the Great Lakes Really Inland Seas?

6/16/2024 - By Gemma Tarlach. Well, yes. And no. Actually, it depends on where you stand, in more ways than one. the water reared slammed onto the sand like an ambush predator. Then it withdrew, and came back. Again and again the surf attacked the beach, and exploded over a nearby concrete… SEE MORE

Plate Tectonics Has a Surprise Silver Lining

6/11/2024 - By Robin George Andrews. Without this restless geologic process, which triggers destructive earthquakes, Earth would not be habitable. I IMAGINE THAT EXCEEDINGLY FEW people like to be unexpectedly jostled about by an earthquake. Whether you’re in an area known to be frequented by modestly powerful temblors, or whether you’re chilling out… SEE MORE

Passaic River, New Jersey. Contamination is found in sediment from the Dundee Dam to the mouth of the river, throughout Newark Bay, and other portions of the New York/New Jersey Harbor. (Credit: NOAA)

Restoration for Fish, Wildlife, and Communities Coming to Seven Polluted Waterways

6/10/2024 - By oceanservice.noaa.gov. Good news for a new year! In 2023, NOAA and partners helped to recover over $92.8 million from polluters to restore seven waterways in six states following oil spill and industrial pollution incidents. These restoration efforts will benefit fish, wildlife, and disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. NOAA… SEE MORE

Map of eastern Lake Ontario showing Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary's boundaries, which encompasses 1,722 square miles/ noaa.gov

Lake Ontario Designated as New Marine Sanctuary

6/7/2024 - By noaa.gov. Designated in 2024, Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is a historically rich area where the long interactions between human activity and the maritime environment has fostered a deep sense of meaning and place. The lake shores and bottomlands of Lake Ontario offer an intriguing window into the history… SEE MORE