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Environment

Climate Measurements

News and Updates

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Taking the Wraps off NISTAR

December 2, 2014

The NIST Advanced Radiometer (NISTAR), mothballed for more than a decade, is slated to make its space debut very soon about 1.5 million kilometers sunward of...

Earth Science: Seeing the Surface Clearly

November 24, 2014

Satellite observation has revolutionized our understanding of terrestrial conditions and climate dynamics. But the measurement science is extremely demanding...

Photo illustration of NIST experiment using a pair of laser frequency combs

NIST 'Combs' the Atmosphere to Measure Greenhouse Gases

October 29, 2014

By remotely "combing" the atmosphere with a custom laser-based instrument, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in...

NIST Megacities Carbon Project Named 'Project to Watch' by United Nations

September 15, 2014

A greenhouse gas field measurement research program developed by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and several...

EUV Calibrations for Satellite Sensors

August 25, 2014

Thanks to precision calibration measurements recently performed at NIST, satellites may soon be looking at sunlight with new and improved vision. On July 22...

Fill 'er Up: NIST Develops Prototype Meter Test for Hydrogen Refueling Stations

July 21, 2014

To support the fair sale of gaseous hydrogen as a vehicle fuel, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a...

NIST Test House Exceeds Goal; Ends Year with Energy to Spare

July 1, 2014

The net-zero energy test house at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in suburban Washington, D.C., not only absorbed winter's best shot...

High school student Jessica Young checking the packing density of random aggregates of plastic spheres in a cylinder.

Snowballs to Soot: The Clumping Density of Many Things Seems to Be a Standard

June 10, 2014

Particles of soot floating through the air and comets hurtling through space have at least one thing in common: 0.36. That, reports a research group at the...

Countdown to Net Zero: NIST Test House Pursues Energy Surplus in Final Month

June 2, 2014

Heading into the final stretch of a year-long trial run, the experimental net-zero energy house at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in...

World Metrology Day 2014: Measurements and the Global Energy Challenge

May 19, 2014

The theme of this year's World Metrology Day, " Measurements and the Global Energy Challenge," speaks to one of the defining issues of our time. One that is as...

NIST Investigation of Joplin, Mo., Tornado Details Proposed Measures for Saving Lives and Property

November 21, 2013

JOPLIN, Mo.—Nationally accepted standards for building design and construction, public shelters and emergency communications can significantly reduce deaths and...

NIST Carbon Nanotube Chips Go Ballooning for Climate Science

October 22, 2013

A huge plastic balloon floated high in the skies over New Mexico on Sept. 29, 2013, carrying instruments to collect climate-related test data with the help of...

Yuqin Zong with LED timetime test enclosure

LEDs Get a Life Sentence

August 15, 2013

The light-emitting diode (LED) appears on track to become the light of our lives. Switching to bright, energy-efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly...

The Witch fire, the largest of the fires that occurred during the 2007 California firestorm, burned 80,124 hectares and destroyed 1125 residential structures.

Workshop Identifies Research Priorities to Mitigate Fires in the Wildland-Urban Interface

May 28, 2013

Over 46 million residential structures in the United States are in areas at risk of wildfires. A new publication from the National Institute of Standards and...

Innovation in Spectroscopy Could Improve Greenhouse Gas Detection

May 14, 2013

Detecting greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could soon become far easier with the help of an innovative technique* developed by a team at the National...

Multiple views of NIST's photoelectrochemical hydrogen cell.

NIST Demonstrates Significant Improvement in the Performance of Solar-Powered Hydrogen Generation

May 14, 2013

Using a powerful combination of microanalytic techniques that simultaneously image photoelectric current and chemical reaction rates across a surface on a...

Seeing the Oceans in Their True Colors

April 3, 2013

Much of what is known about the state of the Earth's oceans, and how they change over time, comes from satellite monitoring of reflected and thermally emitted...

States Realize Big Benefits by Keeping Current with Energy Standards for Buildings

February 6, 2013

States that have not adopted the latest energy-efficiency standard for commercial buildings are foregoing an average reduction of almost 10 percent in energy...

New NIST Screening Method Identifies 1,200 Candidate Refrigerants to Combat Global Warming

September 18, 2012

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new computational method for identifying candidate refrigerant fluids...

Novel Filter Material Could Cut Natural Gas Refining Costs

March 29, 2012

Measurements taken by a team including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists show that a newly devised material has the ability to...

Greenhouse Gases: The Measurement Challenge

August 16, 2011

The continuing increase in the level of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" in the Earth's atmosphere has been identified as a cause for serious concern...

The first 10 miles of the McNary - John Day Transmission Line

NIST Contributions to Smart Grid Highlighted in White House Report, Event

June 13, 2011

A new White House policy document released today* highlights strategic roles that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plays in...

Smart Grid Panel Agrees on Standards for Wireless Communication, Meter Upgrades

April 26, 2011

The governing board of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has voted in favor of a new standard and a set of guidelines important for making the long...

The Heat Is On: NIST Zeroes In On Energy Consumption of Ice Makers

April 12, 2011

In tests of four different types of new refrigerators, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers found that ice makers increased rated...

Eggs Show Arctic Mercury Cycling May Be Linked to Ice Cover

January 19, 2011

An international research team working with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) in...

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