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Environment

News and Updates

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Keeping a Sharp Eye on the Environment from Space

December 7, 2016

On Nov. 19, 2016, America’s most advanced weather satellite rocketed into orbit carrying six new, state-of-the-art instruments, dramatically enhanced...

NIST Standard Story: A Fish Story

November 18, 2016

NIST scientists have thoroughly measured and characterized more than 1,300 physical products, NIST Standard Reference Materials ®, to help people in industry...

NIST Community Resilience Group Strengthened by New Team Members

November 2, 2016

The Community Resilience Group, part of the Engineering Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has announced the addition of...

JILA Team Spots Elusive Intermediate Compound in Atmospheric Chemistry

October 27, 2016

BOULDER, Colo.-- JILA physicists and colleagues have identified a long-missing piece in the puzzle of exactly how fossil fuel combustion contributes to air...

Five Universities Receive NIST Funding to Develop Standards Curricula

October 27, 2016

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded five grants totaling more than $350,000 to support standards...

‘Built Environment’ Portal Now Part of Climate Resilience Toolkit

October 3, 2016

As part of the ongoing collaborative federal effort to strengthen the resilience of the nation’s cities, towns and other inhabited areas, the Community...

NIST-Made ‘Sun and Rain’ Detail How Nanoparticles Can Escape from Plastic Coatings into the Environment

September 30, 2016

If the 1967 film “The Graduate” were remade today, Mr. McGuire’s famous advice to young Benjamin Braddock would probably be updated to “Plastics … with...

Supported by Granite, New SURF Beamline Is Real Heavyweight

September 21, 2016

If your work involves sensing, measuring or using ultraviolet light, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has great news for you: Granite...

NIST Patents Single-Photon Detector for Potential Encryption and Sensing Apps

September 15, 2016

Individual photons of light now can be detected far more efficiently using a device patented by a team including the National Institute of Standards and...

Image of a wheelchair in front of an elevator

NIST Study Provides Voice for Evacuation Needs of Mobility Impaired

August 26, 2016

A fire alarm sounds. An announcement comes over the office public address system: "A fire has been reported in the building. This is not a drill. Please move to...

Perfluorinated Compounds Found in African Crocodiles, American Alligators

August 25, 2016

American alligators and South African crocodiles populate waterways a third of the globe apart, and yet both have detectable levels of long-lived industrial and...

An Optical Method of Sorting Nanoparticles by Size

August 17, 2016

NIST scientists have devised and modeled a unique optical method of sorting microscopic and nanoscopic particles by size, with a resolution as fine as 1...

Let’s Roll: Material for Polymer Solar Cells May Lend Itself to Large-Area Processing

August 12, 2016

For all the promise they have shown in the lab, polymer solar cells still need to “get on a roll” like the ones employed in printing newspapers so that large...

SF6 Shows Promise as Mercury Substitute

May 27, 2016

Elemental mercury – which is being phased out of commercial thermometers worldwide due to safety concerns – may also be replaced as a temperature reference...

New Chip-Based Sensor Finds Power in Versatility

April 26, 2016

Whether you're using a landline or cell phone, there's a good chance that the signal spends at least some time traveling over fiber-optic cables. To ensure that...

NIST Could Help Keep Sequestered Carbon From Blowin' in the Wind

April 20, 2016

Capturing carbon dioxide gas and storing it underground is a promising strategy for reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientists at the National...

Getting Hyperspectral Imaging Ready for the Rain Forest

February 24, 2016

Hyperspectral images allow humans to see what otherwise might be invisible. Unlike ordinary cameras, which record information in each of three broad color bands...

NIST Report: Science-Based Data Collection Key to Better Wildland Fire Defense

February 24, 2016

A new report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes how researchers analyzed a major 2011 Texas wildland fire using a rigorous...

How Refreshing: NIST's Natural Air Standards Support Accurate Greenhouse Gas Measurements

February 19, 2016

When it comes to tallying emissions of greenhouse gases, there is no better substitute than directly measuring the atmosphere. But this important accounting can...

Robot Adds New Twist to NIST Antenna Measurements and Calibrations

November 30, 2015

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been pioneering antenna measurement methods for decades, but a new robot may be the ultimate...

Small Business Have a Role in Community Resilience

November 24, 2015

Guest blog post by Stephen A. Cauffman, Manager, NIST Community Resilience Program Keep the doors open, equipment running and orders coming in. That's what...

Measuring Smokestack Emissions Accurately

November 23, 2015

Society is increasingly concerned about exactly how much carbon dioxide and other pollutants are coming out of smokestacks. But current measurements are clouded...

NIST Study of Colorado Wildfire Shows Actions Can Change Outcomes

November 9, 2015

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—A new study of Colorado's devastating 2012 Waldo Canyon wildfire demonstrates that prompt and effective action can significantly change the...

Hazards Shouldn't Lead to Disasters: NIST Releases New Community Resilience Planning Guide

October 29, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today issued the Community Resilience Planning Guide for...

Top-of-the-Atmosphere Sunlight — As Seen from Earth

October 22, 2015

It may seem hard to believe, but we still don't know nearly enough about sunlight. Although people have been splitting the sun's rays into a spectrum and...

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