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Since the mid 1990s, GISS scientists have prepared a series of short articles about their research, often in connection with recent journal publications, with the aim of briefly communicating to the public the relevance and even the excitement of our research.
Listed below are science briefs written since 2000. These summaries are shorn of most technical language and may be thought of as "popular science" discussions of selected GISS research topics. Summaries of 1990s research are available on a separate page.
News releases about recent GISS research achievements may be found in the Research News pages. For a thematically organized discussion of research at GISS, please visit our main research topics page.
Getting a Grip on Ice Sheet Changes
To better understand how climate change will affect the Greenland ice sheet, scientists modeled the melting Laurentide ice sheet of 9000 years ago.
(Oct '08)
+ ReadScience Brief
How Will Global Peak Oil Affect Climate?
Researchers have identified feasible emission scenarios that could keep carbon dioxide below levels that some scientists have called dangerous for climate.
(Sep '08)
+ ReadScience Brief
Uncertainties Limit Climate Predictions
Gaps in our understanding of climate response in the tropics and polar regions limit our ability to predict future climate change impacts in all areas.
(Aug '08)
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Climate Change From Short-Lived Emissions
Three climate models were used to study the climatic effects through the year 2050 of short-lived atmospheric species such as sulfates, aerosols, and tropospheric ozone.
(Jul '08)
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Modeling the Dust Bowl Climate Forcings
A series of climate model simulations studied how dust storms altered precipitation during the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s.
(Jun '08)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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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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)
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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)
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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)
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Observing and Modeling African Storms
Regional climate models give more detailed structure to the spatial distributions of weather variables. After a few days of initial tuning, one GISS model simulates realistic weather scenarios such as summer storms over West Africa.
(July '04/May '06)
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Interaction of Ozone and Sulfate Pollution
A recent GISS study of the cross influences of ozone and sulfate "precursor" gases over the next 25 years has revealed surprising effects relevant to air quality management.
(Mar. '06)
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Trial of the Century: Act II
Evidence regarding the response of polar ice sheets and sea level rise to rising temperatures is considered in the trial of carbon dioxide and co-conspirators.
(Feb. '06/Feb. '07)
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Modeling Abrupt Climate Change
To test how well a climate model predicts possible changes in ocean circulation due to climate change, GISS scientists have simulated the effects of a massive flood of fresh water some 8000 years ago.
(Jan. '06)
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Tracing the Water Cycle, Isotopically
Tracking the movements of water through the climate system is a primary concern of climatologists. How do we follow water's path from a particular source? How well do climate models agree with observations?
(Dec. '05)
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Mineral Clues to Past Climates
How do we know what Earth's climate was in the ancient past? Scientists can use a wide variety of geologic evidence as indirect "proxies" to reconstruct the record of past temperature, rainfall and wind.
(Nov. '05)
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Trial of the Century: Co-Conspirators Convicted
Although greenhouse gases haven't been caught "red-handed", circumstantial evidence is overwhelming that carbon dioxide and its co-conspirators methane and nitrous oxide are creating a predicament for Earth's climate.
(Feb. '05)
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Cassini Encounters Titan
Cassini entered Saturn orbit in June 2004 and has already made exciting observations of the moon Titan. GISS scientists Anthony Del Genio and Michael Allison are involved in three of the instrument teams.
(Dec. '04)
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Mars: Signs of a Watery Past
"Follow the water" has been NASA's chief guideline for the exploration of Mars. Evidence is rapidly accumulating from satellites and roving landers that the Red Planet was once much wetter, with a more clement climate.
(Oct. '04)
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The Sun vs. the Volcano
Over the past 150 years, human activities have changed many aspects of the atmosphere that influence climate. Before then, climate change was simpler; decadal and centennial variations were driven only by volcanic eruptions and solar variability.
(Jan. '04)
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Clouds and Sulfate Aerosols
Our ability to predict future climate change hinges on our understanding of aerosols. One of the most important aerosol, sulfate, cools the climate by reflecting sunlight and by serving as condensation points for clouds which also reflect sunlight.
(Jan. '04)
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As Pure as Snow
An electron microscope reveals that the typical snowflake contains thousands of aerosols, including soot. The effect of soot on snow reflectivity is important and contributes to global warming and melting of glaciers and the polar icecaps.
(Dec. '03)
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Radiative Instability of a Star
A star goes through most of its life cycle in a placid, sedate way, radiating its luminous smile for eons. But its birth and death pangs are traumatic, and muscular contractions and expansions shake up its body during middle age as well.
(Dec. '03)
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Summaries of 1990s research are available on a separate page.
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