Cyclical and Natural Changes | NOAA Climate.gov

Extreme event attribution: the climate versus weather blame game

December 15, 2016

A Q & A about the science of detecting the influence of global warming on hurricanes, fires, and other extreme events.

Climate & Lobsters

October 6, 2016

For New Englanders, the saying “as American as apple pie” may as well be “as New England as lobster,” but warming sea surface temperatures from climate change are forcing populations of the American lobster to higher latitudes than ever before—and upending fishing communities on the New England coast.

El Niño warmth continued during January 2016

February 2, 2016

As they were in December, waters across the tropical Pacific Ocean continued to be much warmer than average in January 2016, suggesting* that El Niño still had a grip on the basin.

Map of sea surface temperature anomalies, highlighting the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Warmth in the tropical Pacific in December 2015

January 21, 2016

A strong El Niño continued during December 2015 with well above average sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, according to NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s monthly El Niño advisory update.

El Niño, East Africa, and Rift Valley Fever

December 31, 2015

With this year's ongoing El Niño event, parts of East Africa may be ripe for a potential outbreak of Rift Valley Fever. See how government agencies are using climate data to help predict, and hopefully prevent, an outbreak of this deadly mosquito-borne virus that affects both people and valuable livestock.

What's the hottest Earth's ever been?

August 12, 2014

Earth’s hottest periods occurred before humans existed. Those ancient climates would have been like nothing our species has ever seen.

Climate at the Core: how scientists study ice cores to reveal Earth’s climate history

May 1, 2014

Like a prehistoric fly trapped in amber during dinosaurs' days, airborne relics of Earth's earlier climate can end up trapped in glacial ice for eons. How do climate scientists turn those tiny relics into a story about Earth's ancient climate?

Slow slosh of warm water across Pacific hints El Niño is brewing

April 25, 2014

A pool of warm water lurking beneath the surface of the western Pacific has been slowly sloshing eastward in the past few months. This traveling wave of warm water is one of the signs that climate conditions are favorable for the emergence of El Niño later this year.

Why did Earth’s surface temperature stop rising in the past decade?

November 8, 2013

The most likely explanation for the lack of significant warming at the Earth’s surface in the past decade or so is that natural climate cycles caused shifts in ocean circulation patterns that moved some excess heat into the deep ocean.

The world of tropical cyclones: Western Hemisphere

September 11, 2013

Where are the best places to live if you are looking to avoid tropical cyclones? By mapping out data from the IBTrACS historical storm database, we can see where tropical cyclones make landfall most frequently and where the most intense storms tend to gravitate in the western hemisphere.

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