National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

United States agency
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Also known as: NOAA
Quick Facts
Date:
October 3, 1970 - present
Areas Of Involvement:
climate
atmosphere
weather forecasting
ocean
scientific research
Related People:
Kathryn Sullivan

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. governmental agency established in 1970 within the Department of Commerce to study Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and coastal areas insofar as they affect the land surface and coastal regions of the United States. The organization is composed of six offices: NOAA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and manages seven research laboratories—including the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington, and Newport, Oregon, and the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado—and several dozen offices throughout the United States and its territories and possessions. In addition, NOAA ...(100 of 398 words)