Archive for September, 2009

Ocean Observations and Critical Response: The Hudson River Story [What’s New]

This item was filled under News
Ocean observation data proved critical in the days and weeks following a tragic mid-air collision above the Hudson River....

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NOAA Offers Smart Growth Help for Coastal and Waterfront Communities [What’s New]

This item was filled under News
NOAA, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the International City/County Management Association, and Rhode Island Sea Grant, released a guide to bring smart growth to coastal and waterfront communities....

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Report Eases Contamination Concerns Over Reserve Ships in Suisun Bay [Feature]

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A NOAA report finds that contaminant levels in the vicinity of a fleet of over 70 aging ships moored in Suisun Bay, California, are similar to those found in other parts of San Francisco Bay....

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What is geodesy?

Many organizations use geodesy to map the U.S. shoreline, determine land boundaries, and improve transportation and navigation safety. To measure points on the Earth’s surface, geodesists assign coordinates (similar to a unique address) to points all over the Earth. In the past, geodesists determined the coordinates of points by using Earth-based surveying tools to measure the distances between points. Today, geodesists use space-based tools like the Global Positioning System (GPS) to measure points on the Earth’s surface....

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MEET: Mike Aslaksen [People of NOS]

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MEET: Mike Aslaksen, Remote Sensing Division Chief, National Geodetic Survey....

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What are PCBs?

This item was filled under Facts, Health
These chemicals were banned in the U.S. in 1979 amid suggestions that PCBs could have unintended impacts on human and environmental health. From the 1920s until their ban, an estimated 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were made for things such as microscope oils, electrical insulators, capacitors, and electric appliances such as television sets or refrigerators. PCBs were also sprayed on dirt roads to keep the dust down prior to knowing some of the unintended consequences from widespread use. ...

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Cleaning the Anacostia [What’s New]

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On September 12, at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Washington, DC, NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Howard University, the Anacostia Watershed Society, and others joined forces to clean up the Anacostia River and its watershed....

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MEET: Charles “Charly” Alexander [People of NOS]

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MEET: Charles "Charly" Alexander, Operations Division Chief, NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Program....

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What is the difference between land cover and land use?

This item was filled under Ecosystems, Facts, Health, Ocean Science
Land cover data documents how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, impervious surfaces, agriculture, and other land and water types. Water types include wetlands or open water. Land use shows how people use the landscape – whether for development, conservation, or mixed uses. The different types of land cover can be managed or used quite differently....

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NOAA Reports Elevated Sea Levels along Atlantic Coast [What’s New]

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n June and July, NOAA scientists discovered elevated sea levels along the entire U.S. East Coast. After observing water levels to 0.15 to 0.61 meters (six inches to two feet) higher than originally predicted, NOAA scientists from the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) began analyzing data from select tide stations and buoys from Maine to Florida....

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