National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration

Logo of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Flag of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Agency overview

Formed February 10, 1807

Reestablished:
October 3, 1970

Preceding United States Survey of the Coast

agency

Jurisdiction US Federal Government

Headquarters Silver Spring, Maryland, US

38°59′32.1″N 77°01′50.3″W

Employees 321 NOAA Commissioned Corps (2018)

c.11,000 civilian employees (2015)

Annual US$5.6 billion (est. 2011)

budget

Agency Neil Jacobs, PhD, NOAA Administrator & Under Secretary of

executive Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (acting)

Parent US Department of Commerce

agency
 Website NOAA.gov

Footnotes
[1][2][3][4]

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, like Noah) is an American
scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce that focuses on the
conditions of the oceans, major waterways, and the atmosphere.

NOAA warns of dangerous weather, charts seas, guides the use and protection of ocean and
coastal resources, and conducts research to provide understanding and improve
stewardship of the environment.

NOAA was officially formed in 1970 [5] and in 2017 had over 11,000 civilian employees.[3] Its
research and operations are further supported by 321 uniformed service members who
make up the NOAA Commissioned Corps.[6]

Since October 2017, NOAA has been headed by Timothy Gallaudet, as acting Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA interim administrator.

NOAA's specific roles include:

Supplying Environmental Information

Products. NOAA supplies to its customers and
partners information pertaining to the state of
the oceans and the atmosphere. This is clear
through the production of weather warnings
and forecasts via the National Weather
Service, but NOAA's information products
extend to climate, ecosystems and commerce
as well. Two NOAA WP-3D Orions

Providing Environmental Stewardship

Services. NOAA is a steward of U.S. coastal
and marine environments. In coordination with federal, state, local, tribal and
international authorities, NOAA manages the use of these environments, regulating
fisheries and marine sanctuaries as well as protecting threatened and endangered
marine species.
Conducting Applied Scientific Research. NOAA is intended to be a source of accurate
and objective scientific information in the four particular areas of national and global
importance identified above: ecosystems, climate, weather and water, and commerce
and transportation.[7]

The five "fundamental activities" are:

Monitoring and observing Earth systems with instruments and data collection
networks.
Understanding and describing Earth systems through research and analysis of that
d t
 Engaging, advising, and informing the public and partner organizations with important
information.
Managing resources for the betterment of society, economy and environment.[8]

NOAA traces its history back to multiple agencies,[9] some of which were among the oldest
in the federal government:[10]

Another direct predecessor of NOAA was the Environmental Science Services Administration
(ESSA), into which several existing scientific agencies such as the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey, the Weather Bureau and the uniformed Corps were absorbed in 1965.[11]

NOAA was established within the Department of Commerce via the Reorganization Plan No.
4 [12] and formed on October 3, 1970 after U.S. President Richard Nixon proposed creating a
new agency to serve a national need for "better protection of life and property from natural
hazards …for a better understanding of the total environment…[and] for exploration and
development leading to the intelligent use of our marine resources."

In 2007, NOAA celebrated 200 years of service in its role as successor to the United States
Survey of the Coast.[13] In 2013, NOAA closed 600 weather stations.[14]

NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring,

Maryland

Since October 25, 2017 Timothy Gallaudet, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
and Atmosphere, has served as acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere at the US Department of Commerce and NOAA's interim administrator.

Gallaudet succeeded Benjamin Friedman, who served as NOAA's interim administrator

since the end of the Obama Administration on January 20, 2017.[15] In October 2017, Barry
Lee Myers, CEO of AccuWeather, was proposed to be the agency's administrator by the
Trump Administration.[16]

NOAA works toward its mission through six major line offices, the National Environmental
Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS), the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS), the National Ocean Service (NOS), the National Weather Service (NWS), the Office of
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and the Office of Marine & Aviation Operations
(OMAO).[17] and in addition more than a dozen staff offices, including the Office of the
Federal Coordinator for Meteorology, the NOAA Central Library, the Office of Program
Planning and Integration (PPI) [17]
The National Weather Service (NWS) is tasked with
providing "weather, hydrologic and climate forecasts and
warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent
waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and
property and the enhancement of the national economy."
This is done through a collection of national and regional
centers, 13 river forecast centers (RFCs), and more than
120 local weather forecast offices (WFOs). They are charged
with issuing weather and river forecasts, advisories,
watches, and warnings on a daily basis. They issue more
Seal of the National Weather
than 734,000 weather and 850,000 river forecasts, and Service
more than 45,000 severe weather warnings annually.
NOAA data is also relevant to the issues of global warming
and ozone depletion.

The NWS operates NEXRAD, a nationwide network of Doppler weather radars which can
detect precipitation and their velocities. Many of their products are broadcast on NOAA
Weather Radio, a network of radio transmitters that broadcasts weather forecasts, severe
weather statements, watches and warnings 24 hours a day.[18]

The National Ocean Service (NOS) focuses on ensuring that ocean and coastal areas are safe,
healthy, and productive. NOS scientists, natural resource managers, and specialists serve
America by ensuring safe and efficient marine transportation, promoting innovative
solutions to protect coastal communities, and conserving marine and coastal places.

The National Ocean Service is composed of eight program offices: the Center for
Operational Oceanographic Products and Services,[19] the Coastal Services Center,[20] the
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science,[21] the Office of Coast Survey,[22] the Office of
National Geodetic Survey,[23] the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries[24] the Office of
Ocean
[26] and Coastal Resource Management[25] and the Office of Response and Restoration.

There are two NOS programs, namely the Mussel Watch Contaminant Monitoring Program
and the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and two staff offices, the
International Program Office and the Management and Budget Office.

The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information

Service (NESDIS) was created by NOAA to operate and manage
the US environmental satellite programs, and manage NWS
data and those of other government agencies and departments.
NESDIS's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
archives data collected by the NOAA, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force,
the Federal Aviation Administration, and meteorological
services around the world and comprises the Center for
Weather and Climate (previously NOAA's National Climatic Data
Center) and the Center for Coasts, Oceans, and Geophysics
(created by a merger of NOAA's National Coastal Data
Development Center (NCDDC), National Oceanographic Data
NOAA engineer at work
Center (NODC) and the National Geophysical Data Center
In 1960 TIROS-1, NOAA's first owned and operated geostationary satellite was launched.
Since 1966 NESDIS has managed polar orbiting satellites (POES) and since 1974 it has
operated geosynchronous satellites (GOES) . In 1979 NOAA's first polar-orbiting
environmental satellite was launched. Current operational satellites include NOAA-15,
NOAA-18, NOAA-19, GOES 13, GOES 14, GOES 15, Jason-2 and DSCOVR. In 1983, NOAA
assumed operational responsibility for Landsat satellite system.[27] Since May 1998, NESIDS
has operated the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites on behalf of
the Air Force Weather Agency.[28]

New generations of satellites are developed to succeed the current polar orbiting and
geosynchronous satellites, the Joint Polar Satellite System) and GOES-R, which is scheduled
for launch in March 2017.[29]

NESDIS runs the Office of Projects, Planning, and Analysis (OPPA)] formerly the Office of
Systems Development,[30] the Office of Satellite Ground Systems (formerly the Office of
Satellite Operations)[31] the Office of Satellite and Project Operations,[32] the Center for
Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)],[33] the Joint Polar Satellite System Program
Office[34] the GOES-R Program Office, the International & Interagency Affairs Office, the
Office of Space Commercialization[35] and the Office of System Architecture and Advanced
Planning.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), also known as NOAA Fisheries, was initiated
in 1871 with a primary goal of the research, protection, management, and restoration of
commercial and recreational fisheries and their habitat, and protected species. NMFS
operates twelve headquarters offices, five regional offices, six fisheries science centers, and
more than 20 laboratories throughout the United States and U.S. territories, which are the
sites of research and management of marine resources. NMFS also operates the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement in Silver
Spring, Maryland, which is the primary site of marine resource law enforcement.

Main article: Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

NOAA's research, conducted through the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR),
is the driving force behind NOAA environmental products and services that protect life and
property and promote economic growth. Research, conducted in OAR laboratories and by
extramural programs, focuses on enhancing our understanding of environmental
phenomena such as tornadoes, hurricanes, climate variability, solar flares, changes in the
ozone, air pollution transport and dispersion,[36][37] El Niño/La Niña events, fisheries
productivity, ocean currents, deep sea thermal vents, and coastal ecosystem health. NOAA
research also develops innovative technologies and observing systems.

The NOAA Research network consists of seven internal research laboratories, extramural
research at 30 Sea Grant university and research programs, six undersea research centers, a
research grants program through the Climate Program Office, and 13 cooperative institutes
with academia. Through NOAA and its academic partners, thousands of scientists,
engineers, technicians, and graduate students participate in furthering our knowledge of
natural phenomena that affect the lives of us all.[38]

The Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) is one of the laboratories in the Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research It studies processes and develops models relating to climate and air
technology development and transfer. The specific goal of ARL research is to improve and
eventually to institutionalize prediction of trends, dispersion of air pollutant plumes, air
quality, atmospheric deposition, and related variables.[39]

The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), is part of NOAA's Office
of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, located in Miami, Florida. AOML's research spans
hurricanes, coastal ecosystems, oceans and human health, climate studies, global carbon
systems, and ocean observations. AOML's organizational structure consists of an Office of
the Director and three scientific research divisions (Physical Oceanography, Ocean
Chemistry and Ecosystems, and Hurricane Research). The Office of the Director oversees the
Laboratory's scientific programs, as well as its financial, administrative, computer,
outreach/education, and facility management services. Research programs are augmented
by the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), a joint enterprise
with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. CIMAS
enables AOML and university scientists to collaborate on research areas of mutual interest
and facilitates the participation of students and visiting scientists. AOML is a member of a
unique community of marine research and educational institutions located on Virginia Key
in Miami, Florida.

In 1977 the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) deployed the first successful
moored equatorial current meter – the beginning of the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean, TAO,
array. In 1984 the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere program (TOGA) program began.

The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations is responsible for the fleet of NOAA ships,
aircraft, and diving operations. It has the largest research fleet of the Federal government.
Its personnel is made up of civilians and the NOAA Commissioned Corps.[40] The office is
headed by a NOAA Corps two-star rear admiral, who also commands the Corps.[41]

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is the primary surveying organization in the United
States.

The National Integrated Drought Information System is a program within NOAA with an
interagency mandate to coordinate and integrate drought research, building upon existing
federal, tribal, state, and local partnerships in support of creating a national drought early
warning information system.[42]

The NOAA Commissioned Corps is a uniformed

service of men and women who operate NOAA
ships and aircraft, and serve in scientific and
administrative posts.
Since 2001, the organization has hosted the senior staff and recent chair, Susan Solomon, of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's working group on climate science.[43]

The NOAA flag is a modification of the flag of one

of its predecessor organizations, the United States
Coast and Geodetic Survey. The Coast and
Geodetic Survey's flag, authorized in 1899 and in
use until 1970, was blue, with a white circle
centered in it and a red triangle centered within
the circle. It symbolized the use of triangulation in
surveying, and was flown by ships of the Survey.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
When NOAA was established in 1970 and the Administration flag, flown as a distinguishing
mark by all commissioned NOAA ships.
Coast and Geodetic Survey's assets became a part
of NOAA, NOAA based its own flag on that of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey. The NOAA flag is in
essence the Coast and Geodetic Survey flag, with the NOAA logo—a circle divided by the
silhouette of a seabird into an upper dark blue and a lower light blue section, but with the
"NOAA" legend omitted—centered within the red triangle. NOAA ships in commission
display the NOAA flag; those with only one mast fly it immediately beneath the ship's
commissioning pennant or the personal flag of a civilian official or flag officer if one is
aboard the ship, while multimasted vessels fly it at the masthead of the forwardmost mast.
[44] NOAA ships fly the same ensign as United States Navy ships but fly the NOAA flag as a

distinguishing mark to differentiate themselves from Navy ships.

1. ^ Celebrating 200 Years NOAA website, 2007.

2. ^ "Organizational Structure | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration".
NOAA.gov. 5 March 2018. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13
July 2018.
3. ^ "New Priorities for the 21st Century NOAA STRATEGIC PLAN FY 2005 – FY 2010"
(PDF). oceanservice.noaa.gov. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Office of Program Planning and Integration, NOAA
Strategic Planning. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 30
May 2013.
4. ^ "Reorganization Plan 4 - 197 - NOAA Central Library". Lib.noaa.gov. Archived from
the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
5. ^ "Reorganization Plan 4 - 197 - NOAA Central Library". Lib.noaa.gov. Archived from
the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
6. ^ "Reorganization Plan 4 - 197 - NOAA Central Library". Lib.noaa.gov. Archived from
the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
7. ^ Shea, Eileen. "A History of NOAA". Department of Commerce Historical Council.
Retrieved 30 May 2013.
8. ^ Lott, Maxim (13 August 2013). "Distorted data? Feds close 600 weather stations
amid criticism they're situated to report warming". Fox News. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
9 ^S i US D t t fC NOAA N ti l W th "NOAA W th
11. ^ NOAA Office for Coastal Management ADS Group. "NOAA Office for Coastal
Management". Csc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
12. ^ "Nautical Charts & Pubs". Nauticalcharts.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 27, 2006. Retrieved October
25, 2006.
14. ^ "Department of Commerce". history.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
15. ^ "NOAA/NESDIS Office of Systems Development Homepage". Osd.noaa.gov. Archived
from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved July
22, 2015.
17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved July 22,
2015.
18. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved July 22,
2015.
19. ^ Office of Space Commerce. "Office of Space Commerce | Helping U.S. businesses
use the unique medium of space to benefit our economy". Space.commerce.gov.
Retrieved 2016-04-03.
20. ^ Turner, D.B. (1994). Workbook of atmospheric dispersion estimates: an introduction
to dispersion modeling (2nd ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-023-X. CRCpress.com
Archived 2007-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
21. ^ Beychok, M.R. (2005). Fundamentals Of Stack Gas Dispersion (4th ed.). author-
published. ISBN 0-9644588-0-2. www.air-dispersion.com
22. ^ Pan, Jock (2010). The United States Outer Executive Departments and Independent
Establishments & Government Corporations. Xlibris. ISBN 1450086748.
23. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved
January 10, 2009.

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