NOAA Research
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Environmental Information Resource Page
NOAA Research has 12 laboratories located in six cities. In addition to the 12 laboratories, there are four associated Joint Institutes that connect NOAA Research Laboratories with the University community. The research activity in these laboratories and joint institutes includes weather, water, climate, ecosystems, and oceans applied research. NOAA Research Headquarters has eight program offices that help direct the research activities of the laboratories and joint institutes and conduct headquarters related managerial activities.
NOAA Research Organizations (alphabetical order)
- Aeronomy Laboratory: The Aeronomy Lab has approximately one hundred scientists, engineers, students, postdoctoral researchers, and support staff are engaged in research that provides a sound scientific basis for decisions made in industry and government related to climate change understanding, air quality improvement, and ozone layer protection.
- Air Resources Laboratory: ARL conducts research on processes that relate to air quality and climate, concentrating on the transport, dispersion, transformation, and removal of trace gases and aerosols, their climatic and ecological influences, and exchange between the atmosphere and biological and non-biological surfaces. ARL provides scientific and technical advice to elements of NOAA and other Government agencies on atmospheric science, environmental problems, emergency assistance (Homeland Security), and climate change.
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory: AOML conducts basic and applied research in oceanography, tropical meteorology, atmospheric and oceanic chemistry, and acoustics. The research seeks to understand the physical characteristics and processes of the ocean and the atmosphere, both separately and as a coupled system.
- Climate Monitoring & Diagnostics Laboratory: Atmospheric gases and small particles from both natural and human sources influence the Earth's climate, the thickness of the ozone layer and the quality of the air we breathe. CMDL's five research groups have been conducting sustained measurements for research related to climate, the ozone layer, and air quality at global Baseline Observatories and other locations for over 40 years in search of the answers which are needed to project the environmental future of the planet.
- Environmental Technology Laboratory: ETL conducts regionally specific research efforts in weather, climate, and air quality that exploit the Laboratory's unique expertise in remote sensing of the geophysical environment.
- Forecast Systems Laboratory: FSL conducts applied meteorological research and development to improve and create short-term warning and weather forecast systems, models, and observing technology. Supercomputing and other leading-edge technology are used in these applications. FSL transfers new scientific and technological advances to the NWS, commercial and general aviation communities, the U.S. Air Force, many foreign weather forecasting services, and various private interests.
- Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory: GFDL's mission is to be a world leader in the production of timely and reliable knowledge and assessments on natural climate variability and anthropogenic changes and in the development of the required earth system models. GFDL works cooperatively in NOAA to advance its expert assessments of changes in national and global climate through research, improved models, and products.
- Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory: GLERL is a multi-disciplinary environmental research laboratory that provides a solid scientific understanding, as well as, the leadership necessary for the wise use and management of Great Lakes and coastal marine environments.
- National Severe Storms Laboratory: NSSL is an internationally known research laboratory leading the way in investigations of all aspects of severe weather. NSSL, in partnership with the NWS, is dedicated to improving severe weather warnings and forecasts in order to save lives and reduce property damage.
- NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostic Center: CDC develops national capabilities to analyze, interpret, and forecast important climate variations on time scales ranging from a few weeks to centuries. Short-term climate variations include major droughts and floods over the continental U.S. and the global anomalies associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation. On longer time scales, basic research goals include identifying the causes of decadal to centennial climate variations and separating natural variability from human-induced climate changes to provide an improved scientific basis for planning and decision-making.
- Office of Global Programs: OGP leads the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program. OGP sponsors scientific research aimed at understanding climate variability and its predictability. Through studies in these areas, researchers coordinate activities that jointly contribute to improved predictions and assessments of climate variability over a continuum of timescales from season to season, year to year, and over the course of a decade and beyond.
- Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory: PMEL carries out interdisciplinary scientific investigations in oceanography and atmospheric science. Current PMEL programs focus on open ocean observations in support of long-term monitoring and prediction of the ocean environment on time scales from hours to decades.
- Sea Grant: Sea Grant is a nationwide network of 30 university-based programs that work with coastal communities. The National Sea Grant College Program engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training, and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.
- Space Environment Center: The SEC is now one of nine NCEP Centers. SEC provides official space weather alerts, warnings, and forecasts.
- Undersea Research Program: NURP is a national service that provides undersea scientists with tools and expertise that they need to work in the undersea environment. NURP research programs cover many undersea environments from the shoreline to the deep sea, capturing nearly all the scientific disciplines.
NOAA Research Joint and Cooperative Institutes: The JI/CI plays an important role as "Centers of Excellence" for the NOAA/University Research Institutions program. They are the focal points for facilitating and enhancing scientific research between the federal government, various universities, and non-profit research institutions through a collaborative national and international network of scientists. There are 13 institutes in 12 States. National Point of Contact:
NOAA Research Public Relations
Jana Goldman, Public Affairs Officer
Phone: (301) 713-2483 x181
Internet: Jana.Goldman@noaa.gov
Regional/Local Points of Contact:
Weather Research Information:
Roger Pierce, Senior Meteorologist
Phone: (301) 713-2465 x194
Internet: Roger.Pierce@noaa.gov
Climate Research Information:
Dr. Krisa Arzayus, Climate Team Lead
Phone: (301) 713-2465 x121
Internet: Krisa.Arzayus@noaa.gov
Oceans / Ecosystems Research:
Dr. Holly Bamford, Oceanographer
Phone: (301) 713-2465 x163
Internet: Holly.Bamford@noaa.gov
|
www.nws.noaa.gov 
