The American Meteorological Society (AMS), a leading organization dedicated to the advancement of atmospheric and related sciences, continues to spearhead critical research that illuminates the complexities of climate, weather, and water systems. Through its twelve prestigious journals, AMS disseminates pioneering studies that regularly push the boundaries of knowledge in atmospheric science and allied fields. These peer-reviewed works, often accessible via early online publication, serve as essential resources for researchers, policymakers, and the broader scientific community seeking to understand both the present-day variability and the long-term transformation of Earth’s environment.
An intriguing recent investigation revisits the atmospheric and ecological dynamics observed during the total solar eclipse of 2017 in the United States. By employing the University of Alabama’s Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM), scientists captured unprecedented instrument-based measurements revealing rapid shifts in atmospheric parameters and insect behavior. The study documents a significant wind shift at low altitudes, paired with a collective descent and subsequent ascent of airborne insects coinciding with the eclipse’s totality phase. These findings underscore the eclipse’s capacity to disrupt environmental conditions and biological activity within moments, marking a breakthrough in understanding the atmospheric and ecological coupling during such rare events.
Heat stress in urban environments presents another mounting concern, particularly as global temperatures escalate and extreme heat events become more frequent. A detailed examination of wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) at differing vertical strata in two urban sites in Charleston, South Carolina, reveals pronounced height-dependent thermal exposure. The data indicate that WBGT at a mere 0.5 meters above the ground—an elevation corresponding closely to that of children and pets—is substantially higher than at 1.5 meters, especially during severe heat days. Given that WBGT integrates both heat and humidity metrics, this study holds profound implications for public health advisories and urban planning, emphasizing the vulnerability of short-stature residents to intensified heat stress in paved urban areas.
Adding to the growing body of literature on anthropogenic warming, an extensive analysis of U.S. summer surface temperature data from 1895 to 2023 explores the urban heat island (UHI) effect’s role in amplifying temperature records at many weather stations. Recognizing that many instrumental records originate from urban and suburban locations subject to localized warming, the study endeavors to isolate UHI contributions from broader climatological trends. The results suggest a nuanced but non-negligible influence of urbanization on observed temperature statistics, including record highs, thereby advocating for a more judicious interpretation of climate data that accounts for land use changes in conjunction with global climate drivers.
In a noteworthy testament to advances in meteorological forecasting, research on India’s cyclone warning system examines the considerable strides made over a quarter-century. Case studies of Tropical Cyclones Kandla (1998) and Biparjoy (2023) reveal that while Kandla resulted in over a thousand fatalities, Biparjoy caused no deaths despite comparable meteorological characteristics. This stark contrast is largely attributed to the India Meteorological Department’s improved predictive capabilities encompassing cyclone genesis, track, intensity, and associated extreme weather phenomena such as storm surges, complemented by proactive emergency management strategies. The study not only highlights technological progress but also emphasizes the socio-institutional frameworks critical to disaster risk reduction.
One of the most visually compelling tools for communicating climate change—warming stripes—has been extended beyond surface temperatures to encompass the ocean depths and various atmospheric layers, including the stratosphere. This novel representation, developed by a collaborative team from the United Kingdom and the United States, integrates extensive datasets to depict how temperature changes at the Earth’s surface interrelate with those in the oceanic and upper atmospheric reservoirs. By doing so, the research enriches the warming stripes narrative, enabling a more holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of Earth’s climate system and offering a powerful visual cue to engage public discourse on climate dynamics.
The strategic importance of NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and NASA’s research efforts is underscored within this body of work, especially in light of proposed budgetary cuts threatening their scientific programs. NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, along with NASA’s atmospheric studies, are pivotal sources of continuous innovation. Efforts such as the development of the Winter’s Storm Severity Index (WSSI) in Alaska illustrate how stakeholder collaboration and emerging technologies can produce highly localized, impactful forecasts for severe winter weather, a vital service in a state where such information has historically been sparse or unavailable.
Further extending NOAA’s contributions, recent workshops have sought to improve seasonal and subseasonal forecasting systems, which currently rely on physical models over a decade old. These forecasts, essential for projecting weather and climate trends weeks to months in advance, play an integral role in safeguarding economic stability and public welfare. The 2024 workshop represents a milestone in initiating upgrades to these models, promising enhanced predictive reliability that can better support decision-making amid an increasingly variable climate.
Innovative interdisciplinary research has also unveiled new insights into atmospheric radiation phenomena. The ALOFT airborne campaign, conducted in July 2023, revealed that thunderstorms near Florida and Central America emit gamma rays far more consistently than previously recognized. These high-energy emissions serve as potential indicators of thunderstorm evolution, suggesting novel applications for severe weather prediction and highlighting unforeseen aviation hazards. The campaign’s results open fresh avenues for understanding the interactions between atmospheric electrical processes and the generation of ionizing radiation within storm systems.
Earth’s planetary boundary layer (PBL)—the lowest atmospheric strata directly influenced by the Earth’s surface—remains a critical frontier in atmospheric research. A NASA-led study emphasizes the urgent need for a globally coordinated PBL observing system, which would significantly enhance comprehension of its complex structure, dynamics, and interaction with human activities. Improving PBL observations is crucial for refining climate models, weather forecasts, and air quality predictions, carrying profound implications for environmental management and public health, especially as urbanization and climate change intensify.
Collectively, these publications exemplify the breadth and depth of AMS’s commitment to atmospheric sciences, ranging from micro-scale biological responses during eclipses to macro-scale ocean-atmosphere climatic interactions. The continually evolving research agenda reflects not only advances in observational capabilities and modeling techniques but also an urgent response to the societal challenges posed by climate variability and extreme weather events. The intersection of technology, policy, and science within these studies highlights the crucial role AMS plays in bridging foundational research and practical applications.
For media professionals and researchers, AMS journals provide unparalleled access to cutting-edge studies, fostering informed dialogue across sectors addressing climate adaptation, public health, disaster resilience, and environmental sustainability. This extensive portfolio of peer-reviewed articles nurtures a scientific ecosystem conducive to innovation and societal benefit, continually driving forward humanity’s understanding and stewardship of the Earth system.
As the global community grapples with multifaceted environmental challenges, the insights emanating from AMS’s prolific research platform signify more than academic milestones—they underscore vital knowledge infrastructures essential for crafting evidence-based strategies to navigate and mitigate the impacts of a rapidly changing atmosphere.
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Web References:
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0165.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-24-0122.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-23-0199.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-23-0188.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0212.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-24-0108.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-25-0060.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0060.1
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-23-0228.1
References:
Hawkins et al. (2025), Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0212.1
Image Credits:
Hawkins et al. (2025), Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Creative Commons License CC BY 4.0
Keywords:
Atmospheric science, Environmental health, Public health, Urban populations, Heat waves, Tropical cyclones, Cyclones, Storms, Weather, Extreme weather events, Weather forecasting, Meteorology, Atmosphere, Troposphere, Lightning, Gamma radiation, Eclipses, Insects, Ethology, Foraging behavior, Heat radiation, Earth sciences, Climatology, Climate change, Anthropogenic climate change, Climate data, Stratosphere, Atmospheric physics, Oceanography, Scientific community, Government research, Science budgets, Earth observations
