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USGCRP-Affiliated US Agencies Agency for International Development Dept. of Commerce, Natl. Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin. Dept. of Health and Human Services Environmental Protection Agency National Aeronautics & Space Administration
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Principal Areas of FocusNOAA’s climate mission is: “To understand and describe climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan and respond.” The long-term climate efforts of NOAA are designed to develop a predictive understanding of variability and change in the global climate system, and to advance the application of this information in climate-sensitive sectors through a suite of process research, observations and modeling, and application and assessment activities. Climate activities in NOAA range significantly in terms of time and space scales for both research and services. Products are developed to support a range of international, national, regional, and local users. Specifically, NOAA’s research program includes ongoing efforts in observations, with an emphasis on oceanic and atmospheric dynamics, circulation, and chemistry; understanding and predicting ocean-land-atmosphere interactions, the global water cycle, and the role of global transfers of carbon dioxide among the atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial biosphere in climate change; improvements in climate modeling, prediction, and information management capabilities; the projection and assessment of variability across multiple time scales; the study of the relationship between the natural climate system and society, and the development of methodologies for applying climate information to problems of social and economic consequences; the relationship of climate to coastal and marine ecosystems; and archiving, managing, and disseminating data and information useful for global change research. Program Highlights for Fiscal Year 2006Observations and AnalysisThe goal of NOAA’s Climate Observations and Analysis effort is an integrated ocean and atmosphere observing system in support of a predictive understanding of the global climate system. The NOAA observing system will be fully integrated into the U.S. Integrated Earth Observing System (IEOS). This will be implemented through a tiered and integrated observational network that provides sustained global and U.S. monitoring of key climate-related parameters; an end-to-end data management system to provide climate-quality information and respond to the projected data growth rates; and sophisticated analyses to differentiate climate variability and change as a result of natural processes and human activities. Activities in FY 2006 will:
Climate ForcingThe goal of NOAA’s Climate Forcing activities is to provide the understanding needed to link emissions to the radiative forcing of climate change. The specific aim is to attain a timely understanding of atmospheric carbon dioxide trends—both natural and human-produced—and to provide timely information on the climate roles of the radiatively important trace atmospheric species (e.g., fine particle aerosols and ozone) needed to broaden the suite of non-carbon options available for climate change policy support. A quantitative characterization of climate change forcing from greenhouse gas species is needed for input to global climate models to optimize predictions of what climate changes could result from policy decisions. Activities in FY 2006 will:
Predictions and ProjectionsThe goal of NOAA’s Climate Predictions and Projections component is to provide a seamless suite of climate outlooks and projections on intraseasonal, seasonal, interannual, and multi-decadal time scales to facilitate management of risks and opportunities related to climate variability and change. Activities in FY 2006 will:
Regional Decision SupportNOAA’s Regional Decision Support effort aims to help society mitigate climate-related risks by translating the results of climate research into usable products for policymakers and decisionmakers, and by delivering that climate information operationally. The activities address an increase in the demand for traditional services (like routine seasonal forecasts and data products), accompanied by new requirements for expanded drought information and an increased emphasis on forecasts of risks of high-impact weather events associated with El Niño and La Niña, as well as sea-level inundation. Activities in FY 2006 will:
Related ResearchIn addition to focused CCSP efforts, related activities include developing forecasts of changes in fishery, coastal, and coral-reef resources in response to climatic changes in oceanic water mass distributions, sea-surface temperature, sea-level rise, and coastal runoff; developing a prototype Arctic observing system for monitoring sea ice, heat content, freshwater, and ecosystem indicators; enhancing prediction and observation systems in support of weather and seasonal to interannual climate forecasts; determining actual long-term changes in temperature and precipitation over the United States through long-term (50+ years) operation of the U. S. Climate Reference Network; continuing to build out the Comprehensive Large-Array Storage System (CLASS) to meet the growth in observational data from satellite and radar systems; and facilitating the dissemination of global change information. DOC’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides measurements and standards that support accurate and reliable climate observations. NIST also performs calibrations and special tests of a wide range of instruments and techniques for accurate measurements. NIST provides a wide array of data and modeling tools that provide key support to developers and users of complex prediction models. NOAA Fiscal Years 2004-2006 budget table
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