For the first time, scientists have the tools and expertise to measure changes in global sea level and understand the mechanisms that contribute to those changes. Scientists from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other respected climate research institutions will address factors that lead to sea level change at a NASA Science Update on Thursday, July 7 at 1 p.m. EDT.

Taking wireless technology to the next level, NASA is leading the way in the field of Software Defined Radio, or SDR, a wireless technology that gives an electronic device the ability to quickly and easily perform new functions on demand.

NASA hurricane researchers are deploying to Costa Rica next month to investigate the birthplace of eastern Pacific tropical cyclones. They will be searching for clues that could lead to a greater understanding and better predictability of one of the world�s most significant weather events � the hurricane.

Turns out that the old cliche, "it's the little things that make a difference," is especially true when it comes to our atmosphere and oceans. Tiny ocean plants, or phytoplankton, help regulate the Earth's climate by accounting for about half of the carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, absorbed annually from the atmosphere by plants.

Summertime arrives officially on June 21 in the northern hemisphere, and with it comes thunderstorms. As a result, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration named the week of June 19-25 National Lightning Safety Awareness Week.

NASA hurricane researchers are available for a media teleconference at noon EDT, Thursday, June 23 to discuss the month-long Tropical Cloud Systems and Processes (TCSP) mission to Costa Rica.

Scientists are continually exploring different aspects of hurricanes to increase the understanding of how they behave. Recently, NASA-funded scientists from Florida State University looked at ozone around hurricanes and found that ozone levels drop as a hurricane is intensifying.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate has selected 23 projects that will harness Earth science data to improve decision-making processes. NASA will contribute approximately $22 million over the three-year life of these projects with national organizations that include water management, public health, air quality, ecosystem stewardship and disaster management.

Giant red blobs, picket fences, upward branching carrots, and tentacled octopi - these are just a few of the phrases used to describe sprites - spectacular, eerie flashes of colored light high above the tops of powerful thunderstorms that can travel up to 50 miles high in the atmosphere.

NASA has signed a cooperative agreement with the University of North Dakota (UND), Grand Forks, to house and operate the agency's DC-8 jet aircraft.