Brigitta Rongstad Strong

Another fun story to write — researchers used noble gas isotopes from fossil groundwater to reconstruct past water table depths in the Western US.

My latest story about an incredible first — a CIRES and CU Boulder-led team captured tsunami waves caused by a landslide using satellite data from a ship. Read more ⬇️

In the bottom left, there is a blue box with the CIRES logo and white text: News. Pacific upwelling much faster at the equator than scientists thought. A map of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean showing chlorophyll concentrations — chlorophyll concentrations are high along the equator because upwelling brings more nutrients to the surface, enhancing productivity.

New research from CIRES Fellow Kris Karnauskas found that widely-used estimates of upwelling along the equator in the Pacific Ocean are far off — the water is rising much faster. @oceansclimatecu.bsky.social @colorado.edu @ametsoc.org

Read the story: cires.colorado.edu/news/pacific...

This is a good read to learn about the importance of NOAA and it's Cooperative Institutes (including @cires.colorado.edu !) the US has invested so much!!

Stand Up for NOAA Research – The Time to Act is Now The AMS is a global community committed to advancing weather, water, and climate science and service.

This administration plans to eliminate NOAA Research, which costs every American citizen less than a cup of coffee a year. Do you like knowing the weather forecast? Being warned of hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis? It will all go away if the public does not act.

www.ametsoc.org/ams/about-am...

Image showing smog hanging over a large city. In the top left corner, there is a blue box with the CIRES logo and white text: News. Zero-emission vehicle adoption reduces air pollution, climate impact from transportation.

California’s “Going Zero” policy, which strives for 100 percent zero-emission passenger vehicle sales by 2035, will reduce ozone pollution and carbon dioxide emissions in Los Angeles, according to recent CIRES-led work.

Read the story: cires.colorado.edu/news/zero-em...

Arctic sea ice hits record low maximum extent for the year Arctic sea ice has likely reached its maximum extent for the year, at 14.33 million square kilometers (5.53 million square miles) on March 22, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data...

Arctic sea ice likely reached its maximum extent for the year at 14.33 MM sq km (5.53 MM sq mi) on 3/22. The 2025 maximum sea ice extent is the lowest in the 47-year satellite record.

Learn more: nsidc.org/news-analyse...

Where do weather forecasts come from? #NOAA’s satellites, radar, and experts work behind the scenes to track storms, predict weather, and send out critical alerts. Without them, forecasting would be a lot less reliable, atmospheric scientist Kari Bowen @cires.colorado.edu explains:

As my friend @drshepherd2013.bsky.social says, asking why we need a National Weather Service when we have apps and the Weather Channel is like asking why we need potato farmers when we can buy fries at McDonalds.

The official AMS logo.

Statement: U.S. leadership in scientific innovation is at risk, with wide-ranging consequences for public safety and the economy. The AMS urges strong support for NOAA & other federal scientific agencies working in weather and climate.

Read the rest of our latest statement: bit.ly/3DhfegUI

A brick wall with "NOAA" and the NOAA logo surrounded by snow-covered bushes.

An open letter to our federal colleagues and collaborators from CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati: cires.colorado.edu/news/cires-s...

"While the value of what you do may not be obvious to some, it benefits all. Your work is so important, and it is a true privilege being on the same team as you."

The mass firing of both new hires and recently promoted senior staff within #NOAA, including mission-critical and life-saving roles at the National Weather Service (#NWS), is profoundly alarming.
1/11

I want to be clear: the private sector, as it presently exists, *cannot* quickly spin up to fill any void left by substantial dismantling of #NOAA. Full stop. If that were to happen, people would die in extreme weather events who would not have otherwise, & economy would suffer.

I can’t even begin to express how angry this makes me. To all my colleagues at NOAA — your work matters and you deserve better. This country deserves better.

For the love of NOAA🩵 and EPA💚 A Valentine’s Day note to my favorite federal agencies.

Happy Valentine’s Day to the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 🥰

And to those messing with the agencies I love, jeopardizing the critical services they provide to us all, I hope Cupid pus you on his shit list. open.substack.com/pub/ayanaeli...

NOAA’s vast public weather data powers the local forecasts on your phone and TV – a private company alone couldn’t match it NOAA operates fleets of satellites, sensors on airplanes and ocean-going buoys, as well as radar, providing the data used by weather forecasters nationwide – and freely available to anyone.

"NOAA is taxpayer-funded, so it is a public good – its services provide safety and security for everyone, not just those who can pay for it." CIRES' @cwiedinm.bsky.social and Kari Bowen explain @noaa.gov's role in U.S. weather forecasts. @us.theconversation.com @colorado.edu

A tree that a beaver has cut many branches off of that has lots of new sprouts coming out of it.

A beaver chewed stump surrounded by new shoots and branches.

A lot of folks think when #beavers cut trees down or clip off branches then the tree just dies.

But actually, many of the trees beavers like to cut have evolved to re-sprout from the stump and grow back even stronger.

Trying to channel my inner beaver-chewed-tree, today.

In case you missed it: 2024 was the world's warmest year since @noaa.gov records began in 1850.

Global surface temperature was 2.32°F (1.29°C) above the 20th-century average. The 10 warmest years since 1850 have all occurred in the past decade.

You can say, “gravity isn’t real,” but if you step off the cliff, you’re still going down.

And if you convince other people it’s not real, you are responsible for what happens if they make decisions based on the information you withheld.

How to mitigate post-fire smoke impacts in your home

How to mitigate post-fire smoke impacts in your home — tips from experts at CIRES, CU Boulder, and CDPHE ⬇️
cires.colorado.edu/news/how-mit...

A group of people stand together in a field surrounded by pine trees

RECCS is a paid summer research internship program open to community college students in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, and Kansas. Applications for Summer 2025 are due by Feb. 9, 2025: https://buff.ly/3DOY0Y7

@ciresceee.bsky.social @colorado.edu

Wildfire smoke inside homes can create health risks that linger for months − tips for cleaning and staying safe The chemicals emitted when buildings and vehicles burn can find their way into nearby homes. Studies show the health risks can stick around.

Wildfire smoke inside homes can create health risks that linger for months − tips for cleaning and staying safe

Fire and air quality resources Get up-to-date information on active fires, smoke, wind, and air quality

Fire experts at CIRES and @colorado.edu compiled a list of resources with up-to-date information about how wildfires are progressing, smoke transport in the atmosphere, and impacts on air quality:

Arctic has changed dramatically in just a couple of decades – 2024 report card shows worrying trends in snow, ice, wildfire and more Rapid changes underway in the Arctic affect the region’s people and wildlife, and the entire planet.

The #Arctic has undergone dramatic changes in just a few decades. The 2024 Arctic Report Card, compiled by a team of 97 scientists, highlights alarming trends in snow, ice, wildfires, and more. https://buff.ly/41tc17I 🌎 @ciresnews.bsky.social @colorado.edu

It’s always a treat when I get to “come back” to the Pacific Ocean with my writing. The Galápagos Cold Pool is getting colder — and new CIRES-led research shows that cold pool will persist even if CO2 in the atmosphere rises to 550 ppm. Read more ⬇️

I won’t be at AGU this year, but two of my CIRES Communications colleagues will be — reach out if you want to connect. And check out some of the cool science CIRES researchers are presenting this year ⬇️

Looking for a postdoctoral or sabbatical research opportunity? CIRES invites scientists to join the thriving community of researchers in Boulder, Colorado through our prestigious Visiting Fellows Program. Image of three people wearing safety glasses while working with a laser instrument.

Join the thriving community of researchers in Boulder, Colorado, as a CIRES Visiting Fellow! Work alongside stellar scientists and staff at world-class CU Boulder and Boulder’s NOAA Laboratories. Apply by Jan 2, 2025: cires.colorado.edu/award-progra...