Using historical data from tide gauges that line U.S. coasts, researchers funded by CPO's Climate Observations and Monitoring Program created an extreme sea level indicator that identifies how much of a role different major weather and ocean forces have played in affecting extreme sea levels in coastal areas around the country.
New research, funded by CPO's Climate Variability and Predictability Program, shows that warming of the Indo-Pacific Ocean is altering rainfall patterns from the tropics to the United States, contributing to declines in rainfall on the United States west and east coasts.
Flash drought can quickly deplete soil moisture and dramatically increase evaporative stress on the environment, leading to significant impacts on agriculture. A recently completed study, supported by CPO's Sectoral Applications Research Program, performed a regional analysis across the United States to explore geographic differences of flash droughts.
The outcomes of the team’s research will protect public safety and enhance community resilience by helping dam owners and regulators in Colorado and New Mexico make better decisions.
This CPO-supported dataset has resulted in new ways in which the community can examine low frequency climate and it is now in a reliable public data repository for years to come.
Americans’ health, security and economic wellbeing are tied to climate and weather. Every day, we see communities grappling with environmental challenges due to unusual or extreme events related to climate and weather.