en-us https://csl.noaa.gov/news/ NOAA CSL News feed Wednesday, 16 June 2026 12:00:00 MST https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/445_0616.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20260616.png Reanalysis of stratospheric air samples provides compelling evidence that stratospheric circulation has accelerated in recent decades, helping to resolve a long-standing debate about the strength of the stratospheric circulation. June 3, 2026 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/445_0616.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/444_0603.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20260603.png Satellite data unveil an east-west albedo symmetry that sheds light on how Earth's climate system is connected and informs climate intervention risks. June 3, 2026 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/444_0603.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/443_0513.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/images/443_0513.jpg New aircraft research finds that declining nitrogen oxide emissions are unlocking an understudied atmospheric chemistry pathway, quietly adding particle-forming compounds to urban skies. May 13, 2026 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/443_0513.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/442_0423.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20260423.png Scientists have uncovered a previously overlooked, but widespread, class of organic-rich, ultrafine particles high up in the Earth's atmosphere. April 23, 2026 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/442_0423.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/441_0423.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20260423.jpg Satellite observations reveal enhanced low-level, reflective clouds over deforested regions of the rainforest. April 23, 2026 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/441_0423.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/437_0120.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20180621.jpg A new study takes a different approach to unraveling the methane mystery, by focusing not just on methane's shifting sources, but more comprehensively on the chemistry of the atmosphere itself. January 20, 2026 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/437_0120.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/436_1218.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20251218.jpg The Hunga Volcanic Eruption Atmospheric Impacts Report, a landmark international scientific assessment, has been released under the Atmospheric Processes and their Role in Climate (APARC) project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). December 18, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/436_1218.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/432_0728.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20250728.png New research has confirmed a surprisingly high altitude source of groundwater contamination from perchlorates - a class of toxic chlorine-based chemicals known to disrupt thyroid function in humans. July 28, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/432_0728.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/428_0514.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20200602.png Research shows that a proposed climate intervention method could unexpectedly alter the atmosphere's ozone layer, with potential global effects. May 14, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/428_0514.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/429_0514.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20250514.jpg NOAA's Climate Program Office is focused on advancing understanding of what is in the air we breathe. May 14, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/429_0514.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/427_0428.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20250428.png Estimates suggest that by 2040, there would be enough satellite debris in the stratosphere to alter wind speeds and temperatures at the poles and impact Earth's climate in ways scientists don't fully understand. April 28, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/427_0428.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/426_0324.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/images/426_0324.jpg Over the past decade, there has been increasing scientific discussion about the risks and benefits of intentionally cooling Earth's surface temperature by increasing the reflectivity of the atmosphere. Two methods have emerged as the most potentially viable. March 24, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/426_0324.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/425_0313.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/images/425_0313.jpg As the adoption of cleaner-burning engines and electric vehicles drives fossil fuel emissions lower, scientists have discovered that a surprising pollution source is playing a significant role in cooking up ozone in the air over Los Angeles. March 13, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/425_0313.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/423_0113.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/images/400_0320/shiptracks.png A global reduction in sulfur pollution from shipping that has inadvertently contributed to recent warming of the Earth is providing insights into the challenge of evaluating one of two major proposed solar climate intervention approaches, marine cloud brightening. January 13, 2025 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/423_0113.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/418_1126.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20241126.png During the summer of 2023, Canada experienced its most intense wildfire season on record. A new analysis by NOAA CSL found that ozone pollution readings in the Upper Midwest caused by these massive fires were the worst in decades. November 26, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/418_1126.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/416_0925.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20240925.jpg GReenhouse gas And Air Pollutants Emissions System (GRA2PES) combines information on greenhouse gas and air quality pollutant sources into a single national database, offering innovative interactive map displays and new benefits for both climate and public health solutions. September 25, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/416_0925.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/417_0826.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20211012.jpg Organic contributions from ocean organisms are sparse in sea spray, helping to clarify predictions of its impact on the climate. August 26, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/417_0826.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/412_0822.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20210615.png A new paper focuses on feasibility and impacts of Earth-cooling stratospheric aerosol injection. August 22, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/412_0822.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/411_0725.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20240725.jpg New findings will help make climate models more accurate as massive wildfires become more common. July 25, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/411_0725.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/410_0712.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/images/410_0712.jpg Researchers have discovered something new in the sky, a mechanism that produces a large portion of particles in Earth's atmosphere. July 12, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/410_0712.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/409_0708.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20240708.png NOAA scientists and several partners are taking a fresh look at persistent air pollution problems bedeviling the nation's two largest Mountain West metro regions, Denver and Salt Lake City, from the ground, in the air and from space, during new research projects. July 8, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/409_0708.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/406_0613.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/images/406_0613.jpg New research has shown that atmospheric concentrations of a class of ozone-depleting chemicals peaked in 2021 and are now beginning to decline as nations comply with restrictions called for by the Montreal Protocol. June 13, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/406_0613.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/403_0506.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20240506.jpg A new study finds that air pollutants emitted from food cooking can account for nearly a quarter of human-caused volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in dense urban areas. May 6, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/403_0506.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/401_0401.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230822.jpg According to researchers, California Fire Dynamics Experiment (CalFiDE) results could ultimately provide better forecasts for first responders on the ground who need to make quick decisions about firefighting strategy and evacuations. April 1, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/401_0401.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/400_0320.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/images/400_0320/shiptracks.png As the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to increase and climate change impacts become more costly, the scientific community is redoubling efforts to investigate the potential risks and benefits of artificially shading Earth's surface to slow global warming. March 20, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/400_0320.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/399_0228.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20240228.jpg Yes, but only to a small degree. While human-caused carbon dioxide emissions are by far the most important driver of climate change, water vapor is actually the most abundant greenhouse gas, and is responsible for about half of Earth's natural greenhouse effect - the one that keeps our planet habitable. February 28, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/399_0228.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/398_0221.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20240221.png History determines who gets to breathe fresh air according to a new study, finding that historic, discriminatory lending practices known as redlining in the city are linked to inequities in air quality today. February 21, 2024 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2024/398_0221.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/388_1220.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220120.png The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano on 15 January 2022 produced the largest underwater explosion ever recorded by modern scientific instruments, blasting an enormous amount of water and volcanic gases higher than any other eruption in the satellite era. December 20, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/388_1220.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/390_1107.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20231013.jpg A new study finds that injecting SO2 at higher latitudes, rather than in the tropics, could mitigate some undesirable side effects of SAI - but all options come with trade-offs. November 7, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/390_1107.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/388_1016.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20210615.png NOAA scientists investigating the stratosphere have found that in addition to meteoric 'space dust,' the atmosphere more than seven miles above the surface is peppered with particles containing a variety of metals from satellites and spent rocket boosters vaporized by the intense heat of re-entry. October 16, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/388_1016.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/389_1013.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20231013.jpg A summer spent measuring air pollutants at street level promises to show how air quality varies among New York City neighborhoods. October 13, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/389_1013.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/384_0822.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230822.jpg Through the smoke of record-setting Canadian wildfires - which continue to burn millions of acres in the north - the importance of understanding huge, landscape-scale fires has never been clearer. August 22, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/384_0822.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/382_0803.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230803.png Scientists from NOAA, NASA and 21 universities from three countries are deploying state-of-the-art instruments in multiple, coordinated research campaigns this month to investigate how air pollution sources have shifted over recent decades. August 3, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/382_0803.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/383_0726.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230726.png Stratospheric aerosols from volcanoes and wildfires slow down the rate of global warming, a new study finds. July 26, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/383_0726.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/381_0629.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230629.png Those fluffy, white clouds over the ocean play a big role in moderating global climate by controlling how much sunlight reaches the sea surface below them. June 29, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/381_0629.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/380_0626.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230626.jpg New research reduces uncertainty in future climate change linked to the stratosphere, with important implications for life on Earth. June 26, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/380_0626.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/379_0621.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230621.jpg Researchers have begun a coordinated set of nationwide, atmospheric field campaigns that will span the summer of 2023. June 21, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/379_0621.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/378_0620.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230620.png The summer of 2021 was a smoky one for Denver and northeastern Colorado. June 20, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/378_0620.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/377_0601.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230410.png Dr. Daniel L. Albrittonhas been awarded a 2022 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award for his air quality improvement achievements in the category of policy. June 1, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/377_0601.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/375_0503.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230503.png The United Nations Environment Program released the third component of the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2022, the Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer: 2022 Update. May 3, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/375_0503.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/374_0410.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230410.png Dr. Daniel L. Albritton, a founding member of our laboratory peacefully passed away April 1, 2023. April 10, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/374_0410.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/373_0309.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230309.jpg New study shows the Australian wildfires widened the ozone hole by 10 percent in 2020. March 9, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/373_0309.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/372_0309.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230309.png Dr. Andrew Rollins' breakthrough design measures levels of NO with greater precision at levels 10 to hundreds of times lower than the standard instrument, is much smaller, lighter, and easier to operate. March 9, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/372_0309.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/371_0302.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230302.jpg Flying out of Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska, a NASA WB-57 research aircraft is investigating atmospheric chemistry and aerosols over the Arctic in a NOAA airborne stratospheric research mission. March 2, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/371_0302.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/370_0223.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20190808.jpg Big vertical plumes of wildfire smoke have a major long term impact on the stratosphere - and climate. February 23, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/370_0223.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/369_0202.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230202.jpg Researchers develop a new analysis method scientists can use to assess the influence of nighttime atmospheric chemistry on air quality around the world. February 2, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/369_0202.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/368_0125.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20230125.png Analysis of measurements taken during NOAA research flights indicates that emissions from a single source may be responsible for a significant fraction of the fine particles that form the dense winter brown clouds that hang over Salt Lake City. January 25, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/368_0125.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/367_0111.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20221017.jpg The United Nations report, 2022 Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, confirms that the recovery of Earth's protective ozone layer is on track, and that the Montreal Protocol has had the additional benefit of slowing global warming. January 11, 2023 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/367_0111.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/364_1116.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220113.png 2022 Governor's Award for High-Impact Research for Pathfinding Partnerships goes to forecasters and scientists at NOAA and CIRES for rapid-response science in service to communities after the Marshall Fire. November 16, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/364_1116.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/362_1104.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20221104.png The 34th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP34) held in Montreal, Canada, marks the 35th anniversary of this groundbreaking international treaty. November 4, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/362_1104.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/361_1026.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20210212.png The hole in the ozone layer - the portion of the stratosphere that protects our planet from the sun's ultraviolet rays - is continuing to decrease. October 26, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/361_1026.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/360_1017.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20221017.jpg The United Nations Environment Program releases the Executive Summary of the 2022 scientific assessment of the stratospheric ozone layer. October 17, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/360_1017.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/359_1005.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/marshallfire.jpg Boulder County Public Health recognizes NOAA for their work in supporting our communities impacted by the Marshall Fire. October 5, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/359_1005.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/357_0907.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220907.png WMO's 2022 Air Quality and Climate Bulletin documents the connections between air quality and climate change, including how the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires led to increased particulate matter pollution in 2021. September 7, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/357_0907.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/356_0831.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220831.png The international annual review of the world's climate report provides the most comprehensive update on Earth's climate indicators, notable weather events and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments located on land, water, ice and in space. August 31, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/356_0831.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/355_0818.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220818.png As wildfires cause increasing devastation worldwide, dozens of fire experts across the nation are joining together in calling for a more strategic and interdisciplinary approach to pursuing wildfire research and protecting vulnerable communities. August 18, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/355_0818.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/352_0621.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/202280621.jpg Increasing numbers of space launches will emit more black carbon high in the atmosphere, and could have a growing effect on Earth's atmosphere and weather systems. June 21, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/352_0621.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/351_0601.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/202280601.png The new Hilo site joins Boulder, Colorado and Lauder, New Zealand as part of the Balloon Baseline Stratospheric Aerosol Profiles (B2SAP) project for routine balloon-sonde measurements. June 1, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/351_0601.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/349_0516.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20180621.jpg The United States is not effectively monitoring methane emissions from oil and gas operations, but the federal government could take specific actions to remedy the situation, helping to address climate change. May 16, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/349_0516.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/347_0314.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220314.jpg A decrease in emissions of ozone precursor gases during the COVID-19 economic downturn likely explains the unusual reduction in ozone concentrations observed during the spring and summer of 2020. March 14, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/347_0314.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/345_0224.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220224.jpg Airborne study reveals surprisingly large role of desert dust in forming cirrus clouds. February 24, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/345_0224.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/344_0211.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220211.jpg Results from an in-depth study of ozone production and transport in the greater Las Vegas area reveal just how much of the city's ground-level ozone may be coming from non-local and non-controllable sources. February 11, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/344_0211.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/343_0120.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220120.jpg Scientists are traveling to La Reunion to intercept the plume from the Tonga volcano eruption. January 20, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/343_0120.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/341_0119.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20200218.jpg As research into engineering techniques that might one day be employed to artificially cool the planet advances, some scientists are calling for adoption of an oversight framework to guide what to study... and when to stop. January 19, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/341_0119.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/340_0113.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220113.png CSL and CIRES scientists move fast to understand the impacts of post-fire smoke on indoor and outdoor air quality. January 13, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/340_0113.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/339_0106.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/images/20220106.png Wildfire smoke is much more widespread and plays a much bigger role in contributing to ozone pollution than previously thought. January 6, 2022 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2022/339_0106.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2021/337_1208.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2021/images/337_1208.png Using data gathered from a specially equipped jet that spent a month flying through and studying wildfire plumes, scientists have a better understanding now of how wildfire smoke impacts air quality. December 8, 2021 https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2021/337_1208.html