PMEL in the News
Two autonomous Saildrone Explorers will launch from Jacksonville
In partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Saildrone will go storm chasing in the Atlantic. The Saildrone 2021 Atlantic Hurricane research mission launch is featured.
As Arctic warms, scientists wrestle with its climate ‘tipping point’
For Arctic scientists, the summer of 2007 changed everything. That’s when, for the first time in history, record warmth melted the Northwest Passage, nearly opening it to shipping; turned a portion of the East Siberian Sea the size of Mexico into open ocean; and shrank the polar ice cap to a size never before reached so early in the March-to-September melt season, as documented by satellite since 1979. Jim Overland is interviewed.
'Most fundamental' climate metric takes a worrying turn
The miracle of life on Earth hinges on a delicate balance. The sun's rays enter the Earth's atmosphere, warming the planet. At the same time, some of that solar energy is reflected back out to space, ensuring the planet doesn't heat up too much.
Earth is now trapping an ‘unprecedented’ amount of heat, NASA says
"The amount of heat Earth traps has roughly doubled since 2005, contributing to more rapidly warming oceans, air and land, according to new research from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration". Greg Johnson is quoted.
Storm experts will send tough robots directly into hurricanes
A seafaring drone can sail where people can't: straight into a hurricane. During the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season (it's predicted to be busy), that's exactly what scientists will do: send marine robots into the heart of churning cyclones. The unprecedented mission aims to improve researchers' understanding of how hurricanes rapidly intensify into monstrous storms with destructive winds and deadly flooding. If all goes as planned, the drones will venture through the storm's most violent winds, which circle the eye of a cyclone, called an eyewall.