Research at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies emphasizes a broad study of global change, an interdisciplinary research initiative addressing natural and man-made changes in our environment which occur on various time scales from decades to millennia and which affect the habitability of our planet. The research combines analysis of comprehensive global datasets with global models of atmospheric, land surface, and oceanic processes and includes study of past events on Earth such as paleoclimate change and the study of other planets as an aid to prediction of future evolution of Earth on a planetary scale.
2007-08 News, Briefs, and Features
This page lists news releases and science briefs for the current year.
Archives are also available for
2006,
2005,
2004
and
2003.
Dr. Robert Jastrow, 1925-2008
The founder of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and its director for two decades recently passed away at the age of 82.
(Mar '08)
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NASA scientists have determined that 2007 tied with 1998 for Earth's second warmest year in a century.
(Jan '08)
+ Read News Release and
Data Update
NASA Climate Experts Aided Nobel Effort
NASA scientists made important contributions to the International Panel on Climate Change's studies of global warming, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
(Dec '07)
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Earth's Temperature Tracker
After tracking Earth temperature for decades, scientist James Hansen is confident the global warming trend is mainly the result of human-produced greenhouse gases.
(Nov. '07)
+ Read Research Feature
Wetlands' Outsize Influence on Climate
The role of wetlands in the climate system is twofold because of their important part in the hydrologic cycle and in the methane that they emit.
(Oct '07)
+ Read Science Brief
Global Warming and Violent Weather
GISS scientists have developed a new climate model that indicates that the most violent severe storms and tornadoes may become more common as Earth's climate warms.
(Aug '07)
+ Read News Release
Climate Approaches Dangerous "Tipping" Point
GISS research finds that human-made greenhouse gases have brought the Earth's climate close to potentially dangerous consequences for the planet.
(May '07)
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Climate Change and Summer Heat Waves
A NASA study suggests that greenhouse-gas warming may raise average summer temperatures in the eastern U.S. nearly 10°F by the 2080s.
(May '07)
+ Read News Release and
Science Brief
Storms Power Saturn's Jet Streams
New Cassini mission research suggests eddies, or giant rotating storms, are the "engine" powering Saturn's jet stream winds.
(May '07)
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The Color of Life, Here and Out There
NASA scientists believe they have found a way to predict the color of plants on planets in other solar systems.
(Apr '07)
+ Read News Release and
Science Brief
Particulate Consequences
Changes over the next few decades in the types of aerosol pollutants and where they are emitted will affect how climate changes. GISS scientists recently looked at two possible scenarios.
(Mar '07)
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Global "Sunscreen" Has Likely Thinned
A new NASA study has found that an important counter-balance to the warming of our planet by greenhouse gases appears to have lost ground.
(Mar '07)
+ Read News Release
Warmer Future Could Bring Droughts
GISS scientists may have discovered how a warmer climate in the future could increase droughts in certain parts of the world.
(Feb '07)
+ Read News Release
2006 Was Earth's Fifth Warmest Year
Climatologists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies have found that 2006 was the fifth warmest year in the past century.
(Feb '07)
+ Read News Release
Modeling Carbon Monoxide
Scientists from ten countries recently studied how well we understand the spread of the pollutant carbon monoxide
through the atmosphere and its interaction with important greenhouse gases.
(Feb '07)
+ Read Science Brief
Searching for Sources of Tiny Pollutants
Locating pollutant sources is important to improving air quality and understanding their impact on climate. NASA scientists are tracking the path and distribution of aerosols to link their origin with their warming and cooling effects.
(Jan '07)
+ Read News Release
Sea Level Rise, Then and Now
A warming climate is expected to cause sea level rise, leading to coastal flooding and other undesirable effects. Examining past episodes of rising oceans allows us to anticipate the future.
(Jan '07)
+ Read Science Brief
The Physics of Climate Modeling
Climate is a large-scale phenomenon that emerges from complicated interactions among small-scale physical systems. Yet despite this complexity, climate models have demonstrated impressive successes.
(Jan '07)
+ Read Science Brief
News release and science briefs archives are also available for
2006,
2005,
2004,
and
2003.
