climate change

Flood protection sandbags buffer waters around flooded homes with rescue team pushing boat through flooded streets.

In National Climate Assessment, NIST Offers New Insights on Community Resilience and Adaptation

December 4, 2023

NIST researchers contributed to chapters that explore how communities can adapt to climate change while promoting the fair treatment and meaningful involvement

Groups of people sit or lie in a parking lot surrounded by low buildings as fires burn in the forest beyond.

NIST Issues New Guidance for Emergency Response During Wildfires

August 23, 2023

Lessons learned from the 2018 Camp Fire in California include strategies for protecting lives when there is not enough time to safely evacuate all residents.

My Lab Helps People Breathe Easier All Over the World

July 19, 2023

My lab here in Gaithersburg, Maryland, helps agencies all over the world track their pollution levels by measuring them accurately.

Photo shows a NIST firefighter on standby watching a shed burn next to a target structure representing a wall of a residence during an experiment.

For Sheds in Wildfire Zones, NIST Researchers Determine How Close Is Too Close to Home

June 1, 2023

How far away do sheds need to be located to significantly limit fire spread to homes? New research led by NIST has begun to provide important answers.

Illustrated cube has crystal framework in gray with red balls interspersed in the open spaces.

To Remove CO₂ From the Atmosphere, Imagine the Possibilities

August 24, 2022

Computer simulation methods from NIST help speed up the search for carbon capture materials.

Flames rising from a burning fence are spreading to a tree above and a shed nearby.

NIST Study Finds Wildfire Hazards in Residential Fences and Mulch Beds

August 11, 2022

When building fences and landscaping their properties, homeowners should keep fire safety on the top of their minds.

Building in a Changing Climate: A Q&A With NIST’s Joannie Chin

July 27, 2022

The director of NIST’s Engineering Laboratory discusses the role of buildings in creating and mitigating climate change.

Detecting Methane Gas Leaks and Other Pollutants Using Frequency Combs: A Q&A With Sammie Finalists

May 4, 2022

The list of what is polluting our atmosphere and contributing to global warming is long and varied. And if we want to solve this problem, being able to

The sun rises over a green marsh with an open channel of water running through.

In a Changing Climate, Resilience Research Can Help Communities ‘Make Decisions for a Better Future’

March 8, 2022

Climate change keeps NIST economist Jennifer Helgeson up at night. Not with worry, but with work. For the last several weeks, Helgeson was working on the latest

Illustration shows two houses from above with distances marked between house, woodpile and shed for fire safety.

NIST Offers First-of-a-Kind Guidance for Holistic Home and Community Wildfire Protection

March 1, 2022

Once they have a foothold, severe wildfires can quickly overwhelm a community, particularly one that is densely packed. To shield houses against such a fierce

Carbon Dioxide Sensors in 2 Urban Areas Registered Big Drop in Emissions During COVID-19 Pandemic

June 7, 2021

Carbon dioxide emissions in Los Angeles fell 33% in April of 2020 compared with previous years, as roads emptied and economic activity slowed due to the COVID

Monitoring the Oceans’ Color for Clues to Climate Change

April 22, 2021

It is February 1994 and I am on the research vessel R/V Moana Wave off the coast of Lanai, Hawaii, with the team of the Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) project. The

A man faces away from the camera, taking a photo of a damaged storefront.

Natural Disaster Preparations May Aid Businesses’ Pandemic Response

October 19, 2020

The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 have battered small and medium-sized enterprises, putting millions of jobs in the U.S. at risk. And a year rife with

Insights Into Behavior During Chimney Tops 2 Fire Could Improve Evacuation Planning

September 2, 2020

As global temperatures continue to rise, cities and towns not historically prone to large wildfires may begin to face greater threats. An unsuspecting Tennessee

Andrei Kazakov and Mark McLinden of MML Awarded 2017 DoC Gold Medal

Mark O. McLinden and Andrei F. Kazakov of MML, along with Piotr A. Domanski of EL, were awarded a 2017 Department of Commerce Gold Medal

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

Toward Real-Time Measurements for Real-Time Decision Making

July 12, 2016

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) stream out of power plants, seep out of landfills, flow from vehicle traffic and rise from commercial buildings and homes. Emissions of

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

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

Assessing the Internal Structure and Composition of Climatically-Relevant Atmospheric Particles

Atmospheric particles with long atmospheric lifetimes affect Earth's radiative balance. These particles typically consist of multiple chemical species. The