NOAA

Bleached corals in the Great Barrier Reef during a previous mass bleaching event.

The World's Fourth Mass Coral Bleaching Event Is Underway—and It Could Become the Worst One Yet

The impacted reefs represent 54 percent of the planet's total, and that figure is currently increasing by 1 percent each week, NOAA scientists say

Boats got stuck on Lake Titicaca's dried bed in September in Huarina, Bolivia, due to drought.

This September Was the Earth’s Hottest on Record

The scorching month follows the hottest June, July and August in recorded human history

Scientists came across the golden orb while exploring the seafloor of the Gulf of Alaska with a remotely operated vehicle on August 30.

What Is This Mysterious Golden Orb Scientists Found on the Ocean Floor?

After bringing the four-inch-diameter blob to the surface, researchers still only know that it is “biological in origin”

A vehicle stuck on the shoulder of a road near Mayo, Florida, as Hurricane Idalia crosses the state.

Hurricane Idalia Hits Florida Amid Projected 'Above-Normal' Storm Season

The hurricane is the strongest to strike the state’s Big Bend area in about 125 years

July 4, 2023 was the Earth's hottest day ever, breaking the record set one day earlier. The heat continued into Wendsday, July 5.

Earth Faces Hottest Day Ever Recorded—Three Days in a Row

Researchers attribute the sweltering heat to a combination of human-caused climate change and El Niño, which has a global warming effect

Researchers declare the onset of El Niño when the temperature of the water in the tropical Eastern Pacific is at least 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 Celsius) above average for a three-month period.

El Niño Has Arrived

The natural climate pattern usually increases global temperatures and could lead to record-breaking heat

A high-temperature hydrothermal vent field discovered on Puy des Folles Seamount on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at approximately 6,562 feet in depth.

See the Breathtaking Ocean Life Found at Deep-Sea Vents

An international team of scientists discovered new hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge releasing mineral-rich water hot enough to melt lead

Aurora borealis captured in northern Minnesota on April 23.

Widespread Auroras That Lit Skies This Week Are Getting More Common

The stunning colors that dazzled viewers on Sunday will appear again as the sun's activity builds to a peak in 2025

Between 2013 and 2017, 90 percent of the sunflower sea star population was wiped out from a disease called Sea Star Wasting Syndrome.

These Sea Stars Are Literally Wasting Away—but They May Soon Receive Protection

Sunflower sea stars have been recommended for Endangered Species Act protection as disease leads them to “disintegrate into gooey masses”

Scientists measured a carbon dioxide concentration of 420.99 parts per million, an increase of 1.8 ppm over 2021. 

Carbon Dioxide Levels Now Higher Than Ever in Human History

Levels have risen more than 50 percent in the last two centuries alone

Hurricane Nora off the coast of Mexico and Hurricane Ida gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico on August 28, 2021.

NOAA Predicts Another Busy Hurricane Season This Year

2022 will likely be the seventh consecutive year of above-average hurricane activity

Reservoirs like Lake Powell are falling to record-low water levels due to years of persistent drought.

The West Coast Should Brace for Spring Megadrought, NOAA Warns

More than half of the United States is likely to struggle with limited water supply and increased risk of wildfires in the coming months

Several Gulf Coast cities including Pensacola, Florida suffered flooding from storm surges and heavy rainfall during Hurricane Sally in September 2020.

Sea Levels Will Rise One Foot Along U.S. Coasts by 2050

Some regions could see as much as seven feet of sea level rise by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions aren't curbed

Scientists used satellites to get a birds-eye view of the jaw-dropping bolts.

Intense Lightning 'Megaflashes' Stretched Almost 500 Miles Across Three U.S. States

The bolts, which occurred in 2020, broke records for distance and duration

Beavers can create shallow pools of water when they build dams, changing the landscape. 

Beavers Are Reshaping the Arctic Tundra. Here's Why Scientists Are Concerned

Ponds made by the large rodents are causing permafrost to thaw, releasing methane and carbon dioxide once stored in the frozen Earth

While Spongebob and Patrick are friends in the animated world, the relationship between sea stars and sponges is not as friendly in real life. Sea stars are carnivores and are known to prey on sea sponges, crabs, oysters, clams, and coral.

See SpongeBob SquarePants' and Patrick Star's Real-Life Twins

The aquatic pals were discovered one mile deep in the Atlantic Ocean during a NOAA expedition

A map from NOAA showing parts of the country that are under heat advisory as of July 27 (orange), excessive heat watch (brown) and excessive heat warning (fuchsia). The shaded areas of the map with heat related advisories or warnings encompass more than 30 million people.

'Heat Dome' Descends on Central United States

Forecasts suggest more than 30 million people could see temperatures topping 100 degrees this week

A satellite image of North America taken on August 25, 2020. Smoke from wildfires can be seen rising from California and Hurricane Laura can be seen heading toward Louisiana and eastern Texas as the remnants of Marco swirl over the Southeast.

NOAA's Weather Forecasting System Just Got a Major Update

The new version of the Global Forecast System could give Americans in the path of a hurricane an additional 36 hours to prepare compared to the old model

A 38-foot male whale washed up along Sandy Key in the Florida Everglades in January 2019. Researchers have now determined that the whale is a member of a previously unknown species they've dubbed Rice's whale. A necropsy revealed a 3-inch hunk of plastic lodged in its gut that may have contributed to its demise.

Large New Whale Species Identified in the Gulf of Mexico

Named Rice’s whale, the species can reach lengths of 42 feet and lives in the Gulf’s warm waters all year

Category-4 Hurricane Laura hit Cameron, Louisiana on August 27, 2020 with winds up to 150 mph and storm surge in excess of 15 feet. The storm caused costly destruction along the coast and inland to the city of Lake Charles and was one of seven storms that caused more than $1 billion in damages.

U.S. Breaks Record for Billion-Dollar Climate Disasters in 2020

A total of 22 disasters caused $95 billion in total damage, reflecting climate change’s growing cost

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