Welcome to the Newsroom, your one-stop source for the latest news on Earth science research. NASA news announcements, summaries of headline news, listings of new published research, and more are here and are updated each week.

NASA Sees Ozone Hole Approach Annual Peak
September 28 — NASA scientists are using the latest tools to monitor the annual peak in the Antarctic ozone hole and are sharing information with the public on its Ozone Watch Web site. More

NASA Launches Hurricane Data Portal for Scientists, Educators, and Application Users
September 27 — A new hurricane web portal is designed for viewing and studying hurricanes with a variety of measurements from satellite-based NASA instruments. More

NASA Technology Captures Massive Hurricane Waves
September 26 — NASA research is helping to increase knowledge about the behavior of hurricane waves that pose a serious threat to mariners and coastal communities. More

NASA Study Tracks Global Sources, Transport of Air Pollution
September 25 — A NASA and university study of ozone and carbon monoxide pollution in Earth's atmosphere is providing unique insights into the sources of these pollutants and how they are transported around the world. More

NASA Study Finds World Warmth Edging Ancient Levels
September 25 — A new study by NASA climatologists finds that the world's temperature is reaching a level that has not been seen in thousands of years. More

'Imported' Pollution Tied to Poor Air Quality in Texas in 2004
September 21 — Scientists using NASA satellites and other data including computer models and ground sensors have demonstrated that pollutants traveling even thousands of miles can impact air quality. More

Short-Term Ocean Cooling Suggests Global Warming 'Speed Bump'
September 21 — New research suggests global warming trends are not always steady in their effects on ocean temperatures. More

NASA's TRMM Satellite Tracks 2006 Hurricane Rainfall
September 20 — NASA scientists are using satellite data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission to determine the amount of rainfall that falls in the path of a hurricane. More

NASA News Archive

Hurricane Katrina's Waves Felt in California
September 23 — As hurricane Katrina was rumbling towards New Orleans, a seismic hum more than 1,000 times the strength of the average volcanic tremor was felt nearly 2,000 miles away in southern California -- its source was the hurricane itself. (Science Daily)

Cyclone Threatens Pakistani Coastal Towns
September 23 — Pakistani authorities braced for a cyclone in the Arabian Sea that meteorologists said was likely to hit the country's two coastal towns in the next 24 hours. (AFP)

Antarctic Ozone Hole Nears Record
September 22 — The hole over Antarctica's ozone layer is bigger than last year and is nearing the record 11 million-square-mile hole seen in 2000, the World Meteorological Organization said. (Reuters)

Mountain Water Resources Under Threat, Experts Warn
September 22 — Mountain water resources are under threat from global warming and increased usage of the precious resource by ski resorts, scientists warned at a conference in the French Alps. (Reuters)

Storms Sweep Midwest
September 22 — Severe storms crossing the Midwest produced heavy rains, hail and flooding and caused at least 10 deaths, local officials said. (Associated Press)

Global Warming Takes a Break
September 21 — Cooling ocean temperatures in the last three years signal a temporary halt for global warming, but researchers expect the warming trend to resume. (LiveScience.com)

Rebuilding Wetlands: Do Hurricanes Help?
September 21 — A new study suggests that hurricanes can spread tons of new sediment and silt across wetlands, buffering inland regions from inundating storm surges. (MSNBC)

Damage Light from Gordon's Remnants in Northwestern Spain
September 21 — The remnants of tropical storm Gordon hit landfall in the Spanish coastal region of Galicia -- ravaged by fires only last month -- bringing heavy rain and local wind gusts of up to 85 miles mph, Spanish media reported. (AFP)

Tiny Krill Key to Ocean Turbulence
September 21 — Mass movements of marine crustaceans called krill generate turbulent currents that may help pump nutrients from the ocean depths to surface waters, researchers say. (National Geographic Online)

Canadian Fires Raise Houston's Ozone Level
September 21 — Scientists using NASA satellites and other data have demonstrated that pollutants traveling thousands of miles can impact air quality. (United Press International)

Farmers Could Help Gut Greenhouse Gas
September 21 — U.S. farmers can play a significant role in curbing greenhouse gas emissions, but more research and greater incentives are needed to make it cost-effective, according to two new studies. (Reuters)

Greenland Ice Sheet Melting Faster
September 20 — Greenland's massive ice sheet is melting much quicker than scientists had estimated and the pace has accelerated lately, according to new research. (Reuters)

Arctic Melt Exposes Polar Route
September 20 — European scientists voiced shock over pictures showing Arctic ice cover had disappeared so much last month that a ship could sail unhindered from Europe's most northerly outpost to the North Pole itself. (Discovery.com)

NASA Satellite Tracks 2006 Hurricane Rainfall
September 20 — NASA scientists are using satellite data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission to determine the amount of rainfall that falls in the path of a hurricane. (Innovations Report)

Desert Forest Waters Itself
September 20 — Trees in a rare cloud forest in the desert regions of Oman water themselves with seasonal fog, according to scientists. (LiveScience.com)

Nitrous Oxide: No Laughing Matter for Forests
September 20 — A new study finds climate change could cause forests in Europe to spew out more and more nitrous oxide, a potent contributor to global warming. (Science Daily)

Scientist Has Grim Drought Forecast for West
September 20 — Future Western droughts could last an average of 12 years, spanning half of the region and severely reducing Colorado River flows that supply millions of people, according to climate projections. (Rocky Mountain News)

Growth in Amazon Cropland May Impact Climate and Deforestation Patterns
September 19 — Scientists using NASA satellite data have found that clearing for mechanized cropland in the Brazilian Amazon may alter the region's climate and the land's ability to absorb carbon dioxide (PhysOrg.com)

Scientists Develop New Ocean Forecast System
September 19 — A new joint forecasting system by Australian meteorologists, researchers, and Navy predicts ocean currents, temperature and salinity up to a week in advance. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

England's Warming Not 'Natural'
September 19 — Temperatures in central England are about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than in the 1950s, and humanity's greenhouse gas emissions may be the reason, a new study states. (BBC)

Climate Change Cited in Siberian Landscape Shift
September 18 — Environmental experts in Russia say global warming is melting permafrost and forming new lakes in Siberia's vast frozen tundra. (National Public Radio)

Tree Rings Can Reveal Hurricane Record
September 18 — Oxygen taken from tree rings could help settle the question of whether hurricanes are getting stronger and more frequent, U.S. researchers said. (Reuters)

In the Headlines Archive

Analysis of Leaf Area Index Products from Combination of MODIS Terra and Aqua Data , Yang, W.; Shabanov, N.V.; Huang, D.; Wang, W.; Dickinson, R.E.; Nemani, R.R.; Knyazikhin, Y.; Myneni, R.B., Remote Sensing of Environment , October 2006 (Vol. 104, No. 3, 297-312)

Assessment of Multispectral ATSR2 Stereo Cloud-Top Height Retrievals , Naud, C.; Muller, J.-P.; Clothiaux, E.E., Remote Sensing of Environment , October 2006 (Vol. 104, No. 3, 337-345)

Retrospective Mapping of Burnt Areas in Central Siberia Using a Modification of the Normalised Difference Water Index , George, C.; Rowland, C.; Gerard, F.; Balzter, H., Remote Sensing of Environment , October 2006 (Vol. 104, No. 3, 346-359)

Classifying Regenerating Forest Stages in Amazonia Using Remotely Sensed Images and a Neural Network , Kuplich, T.M., Forest Ecology and Management , October 2006 (Vol. 234, No. 1-3, 1-9)

GOME Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieval over Ocean: Correcting for the Effects of Residual Cloud Contamination , Carboni, E., Atmospheric Environment , October 2006 (Vol. 40, No. 36, 6975-6987)

Global Temperature Change , Hansen, J.; Sato, M.; Ruedy, R.; Lo, K.; Lea, D.W.; Medina-Elizade, M., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , September 26, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 39, 14288-14293, Paper No. 10.1073/pnas.0606291103)

Cropland Expansion Changes Deforestation Dynamics in the Southern Brazilian Amazon , Morton, D.C.; DeFries, R.S.; Shimabukuro, Y.E.; Anderson, L.O.; Arai, E.; del Bon Espirito-Santo, F.; Freitas, R.; Morisette, J., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , September 26, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 39, 14637-14641, Paper No. 10.1073/pnas.0606377103)

Effect of Parameterized Sub-Grid-Scale Diffusions on the Source-Receptor Relationship in the WRF Model , Chen, S.-H.; Hsu, H.-M., Geophysical Research Letters , September 23, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18809, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL026954)

Rise and Decline of Active Chlorine in the Stratosphere , Solomon, P.; Barrett, J.; Mooney, T.; Connor, B.; Parrish, A.; Siskind, D.E., Geophysical Research Letters , September 23, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18807, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL027029)

Rain-Yield per Flash Calculated from TRMM PR and LIS Data and Its Relationship to the Contribution of Tall Convective Rain , Takayabu, Y.N., Geophysical Research Letters , September 23, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18705, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL027531)

Dust Flux within Dust Devils: Preliminary Laboratory Simulations , Neakrase, L.D.V.; Greeley, R.; Iversen, J.D.; Balme, M.R.; Eddlemon, E.E., Geophysical Research Letters , September 23, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 19, L19S09, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL026810)

Correction for Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Atmospheric Phase Artifacts Using Time Series of Zenith Wet Delay Observations from a GPS Network , Onn, F.; Zebker, H.A., Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth , September 23, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. B9, B09102, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JB004012)

Influence of Solar Variability on Gravity Wave Structure and Dissipation in the Thermosphere from Tropospheric Convection , Vadas, S.L.; Fritts, D.C., Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics , September 22, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. A10, A10S12, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JA011510)

Wavelet-Based Index of Magnetic Storm Activity , Jach, A.; Kokoszka, P.; Sojka, J.; Zhu, L., Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics , September 22, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. A9, A09215, Paper No. 10.1029/2006JA011635)

Interplanetary Magnetic Fluctuation Anisotropy in the Inertial Range , Smith, C.W.; Vasquez, B.J.; Hamilton, K., Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics , September 22, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. A9, A09111, Paper No. 10.1029/2006JA011651)

Quiet Time Solar Illumination Effects on the Fluxes and Characteristic Energies of Ionospheric Outflow , Peterson, W.K.; Collin, H.L.; Lennartsson, O.W.; Yau, A.W., Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics , September 21, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. A11, A11S05, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JA011596)

Observations and Modeling of Energetic Electron Dynamics during the October 2001 Storm , Miyoshi, Y.S.; Jordanova, V.K.; Morioka, A.; Thomsen, M.F.; Reeves, G.D.; Evans, D.S.; Green, J.C., Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics , September 21, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. A11, A11S02, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JA011351)

On the Interplanetary Magnetic Field B[y] Control of Substorm Bulge Expansion , Liou, K.; Meng, C.-I; Wu, C.-C., Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics , September 21, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. A9, A09312, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JA011556)

Plasma Depletion and Mirror Waves Ahead of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections , Liu, Y.; Richardson, J.D.; Belcher, J.W.; Kasper, J.C.; Skoug, R.M., Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics , September 21, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. A9, A09108, Paper No. 10.1029/2006JA011723)

Global Trends, Seasonal Cycles, and European Emissions of Dichloromethane, Trichloroethene, and Tetrachloroethene from the AGAGE Observations at Mace Head, Ireland, and Cape Grim, Tasmania , Simmonds, P.G.; Manning, A.J.; Cunnold, D.M.; McCulloch, A.; O'Doherty, S.; Derwent, R.G.; Krummel, P.B.; Fraser, P.J.; Dunse, B.; Porter, L.W.; Wang, R.H.J.; Greally, B.R.; Miller, B.R.; Salameh, P.; Weiss, R.F.; Prinn, R.G., Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres , September 21, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. D18, D18304, Paper No. 10.1029/2006JD007082)

Ozone-[CO] Correlations Determined by the TES Satellite Instrument in Continental Outflow Regions , Zhang, L.; Jacob, D.J.; Bowman, K.W.; Logan, J.A.; Turquety, S.; Hudman, R.C.; Li, Q.; Beer, R.; Worden, H.M.; Worden, J.R.; Rinsland, C.P.; Kulawik, S.S.; Lampel, M.C.; Shephard, M.W.; Fisher, B.M.; Eldering, A.; Avery, M.A., Geophysical Research Letters , September 21, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18804, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL026399)

Identification of the Temperature Gradient Instability as the Source of Decameter-Scale Ionospheric Irregularities on Plasmapause Field Lines , Greenwald, R.A.; Oksavik, K.; Erickson, P.J.; Lind, F.D.; Geophysical Research Letters , September 21, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18105, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL026581)

Recent Cooling of the Upper Ocean , Lyman, J.M.; Willis, J.K.; Johnson, G.C., Geophysical Research Letters , September 20, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18604, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL027033)

Spectral Dependency of Optical Backscattering by Marine Particles from Satellite Remote Sensing of the Global Ocean , Loisel, H.; Nicolas, J.-M.; Sciandra, A.; Stramski, D.; Poteau, A., Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans , September 20, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. C9, C09024, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JC003367)

Effects of Nonlinearity on the Structure of PSBL Beamlets , Zelenyi, L.M.; Dolgonosov, M.S.; Peroomian, V.; Ashour-Abdalla, M., Geophysical Research Letters , September 20, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18103, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL026176)

Flux Enhancement of Radiation Belt Electrons during Geomagnetic Storms Driven by Coronal Mass Ejections and Corotating Interaction Regions , Kataoka, R.; Miyoshi, Y., Space Weather , September 20, 2006 (Vol. 4, No. 9, S09004, Paper No. 10.1029/2005SW000211)

Calibration of Reflected GPS for Tropical Storm Wind Speed Retrievals , Katzberg, S.J.; Torres, O.; Ganoe, G., Geophysical Research Letters , September 19, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18602, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL026825)

Impact of Nonabsorbing Anthropogenic Aerosols on Clear-Sky Atmospheric Absorption , Stier, P.; Seinfeld, J.H.; Kinne, S.; Feichter, J.; Boucher, O., Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres , September 19, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. D18, D18201, Paper No. 10.1029/2006JD007147)

Forced Annular Variations in the 20th Century Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report Models , Miller, R.L.; Schmidt, G.A.; Shindell, D.T., Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres , September 19, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. D18, D18101, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JD006323)

Alkenone Producers Inferred from Well-Preserved 18S rDNA in Greenland Lake Sediments , D'Andrea, W.J.; Lage, M.; Martiny, J.B.H.; Laatsch, A.D.; Amaral-Zettler, L.A.; Sogin, M.L.; Huang, Y., Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences , September 19, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. G3, G03013, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JG000121)

Tropical Cyclone Triggering of Sediment Discharge in Taiwan , Galewsky, J.; Stark, C.P.; Dadson, S.; Wu, C.-C.; Sobel, A.H.; Horng, M.-J., Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface , September 19, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. F3, F03014, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JF000428)

The St. Lawrence Polynya and the Bering Shelf Circulation: New Observations and a Model Comparison , Danielson, S.; Aagaard, K.; Weingartner, T.; Martin, S.; Winsor, P.; Gawarkiewicz, G.; Quadfasel, D., Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans , September 19, 2006 (Vol. 111, No. C9, C09023, Paper No. 10.1029/2005JC003268)

Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes and Lightning Discharges , Inan, U.S.; Cohen, M.B.; Said, R.K.; Smith, D.M.; Lopez, L.I., Geophysical Research Letters , September 19, 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 18, L18802, Paper No. 10.1029/2006GL027085)

Research Highlights Archive

Media Alerts are press releases from different institutions, that either address climate research, or are NASA-funded.

New Research Detects Human-Induced Climate Change at a Regional Scale
September 21 — Using several computer model simulations, scientists have clearly detected human-induced climate change at a regional scale in Canada, southern Europe and China. (American Meteorological Society press release) More

Greenland Ice Sheet Still Losing Mass
September 20 — Data gathered by a pair of NASA satellites show Greenland continued to lose ice mass at a significant rate through April 2006, and that the rate of loss is accelerating. (University of Colorado press release) More

Arctic Summer Ice Anomaly Shocks Scientists
September 19 — Recent satellite images show for the first time dramatic and large openings in the Arctic?s perennial sea ice pack. (European Space Agency press release) More

New Technology Promises Answers to Historic Climate Change
September 19 — A new tool will provide answers to historic climate changes from earth and marine sediment core samples. (University of Miami press release) More

Team Describes Unique Cloud Forest
September 14 — Trees in a desert forest in Oman have an unusual way to water themselves by extracting moisture from low-lying clouds, scientists report. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology press release) More

New Launch Date for Europe's First Polar-Orbiting Weather Satellite
September 14 — The first in a new European series of three meteorological operational satellites is now scheduled to be launched October 7. (European Space Agency press release) More

Stratospheric Injections Could Help Cool Earth
September 14 — A scientist says that by periodically injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere, the timeline to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could be extended. (National Center for Atmospheric Research press release) More

Media Alerts Archive

These are resources to assist reporters in understanding NASA's missions and science.

Expanded 2001 Global Change Experts Directory
The NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Global Change Media Directory 2001 provides journalists with a ready source of international expertise on global climate change science and policy. The 343 scientists included in the updated and expanded directory represent over 50 scientific disciplines.

Science Writers' Guide to CloudSat-CALIPSO-GRACE (Oct. 2005)
Highlights of the earth science research planned with NASA's CloudSat, CALIPSO and GRACE spacecraft. Includes mission overview and media contacts and background science information.

Science Writers' Guide to Aura (May 2004)
Highlights of the earth science research planned with NASA's Aura spacecraft, launched in June 2004. Includes mission overview and media contact information.

Science Writers' Guide to SORCE (Jan. 2003)
Highlights of the earth science research planned with NASA's SORCE spacecraft, to be launched in January 2003. Includes mission overview and media contact information.

Science Writers' Guide to Aqua (Apr. 2002)
Highlights of the earth science research planned with NASA's Aqua spacecraft, launched in May 2002. Includes mission overview and media contact information.

SAFARI 2000 Media Guide (May 2000) [PDF]
The Southern African Regional Science Initiative brings together U.S., African, and international scientists in a multidisciplinary effort to study the sustainability of the region's sensitive and pressured ecosystems. An intensive field campaign begins this August in South Africa.

NASA's Earth Observing System
An overview of the EOS program, the centerpiece of NASA's Office of Earth Science, which includes multiple spacecraft missions and interdisciplinary science investigations to provide a data set of key parameters needed to understand global climate change.

• Overview of EOS Program
• NASA's Earth Science Enterprise
• EOS Project Scientists

Science Writers' Guide to Terra (Nov. 1999)
Highlights of the earth science research planned with NASA's Terra spacecraft, launched in December 1999. Includes mission overview and media contact information.

Science Writers' Guide to Landsat 7
Landsat 7 will advance several areas of Earth science, including monitoring croplands and mapping Antarctic ice streams. This guide profiles several Landsat 7 research projects and provides extensive background and contact information.

Terra Science Fact Sheets (pdf)
Overviews of the major science questions that NASA's Terra spacecraft (formerly EOS AM-1) will address.

• Aerosols
• Changing Global Cloudiness
• Changing Global Land Surface
• Earth's Energy Balance
• The Roles of the Ocean in Climate Changes

EOS Science Writer's Workshop, June 24, 1999
Topics at the workshop included global warming, the health of the oceans, and regional land and water impacts of climate change.

In Data & Images:

Updated Datasets:
Chlorophyll (April 11)
Biosphere (April 11)
Rainfall (April 11)
Sea Surface Temperature (April 11)

Latest Features:
Beating the Heat in the World's Big Cities (August 1)
Defying Dry: Amazon Greener in Dry Season than Wet (June 30)
Paleoclimatology: Explaining the Evidence (May 9)
Earth's Big Heat Bucket (April 24)
Forest on the Threshold (April 18)

New References:
Aura: A Mission Dedicated to the Health of Earth's Atmosphere (December 7)