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Updated May 17, 2021 Contents Introduction Background Definitions of Arctic Arctic Circle Definition Definition in Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA) of 1984 Other Definitions Population of Arctic Eight Arctic [...]

March 12, 2021 Contents Introduction Projects and Activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Western Water and the Bureau of Reclamation Drought in the Western United States Indian Water [...]

Updated July 11, 2019 The National Hurricane Center (NHC), part of the National Weather Service (NWS) within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is responsible for forecasting tropical cyclones, [...]

Updated May 28, 2019 Priority Volcanoes in the United States In 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS, a bureau within the Department of the Interior) published a volcanic threat assessment [...]

Contents Introduction Projects and Activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Western Water and the Bureau of Reclamation Indian Water Rights Settlements Waters Shared with Canada and Mexico United [...]

Contents Introduction Overarching S&T Policy Issues Federal Science and Technology Policymaking Enterprise Federal Funding for Research and Development Disruptive and Convergent Technology America COMPETES Act Reauthorization Technology Transfer from Federal [...]

Updated December 13, 2018 Contents Changes to NEHRP Since Its Inception A Shift in Program Emphasis to Hazard Reduction Responsibilities of NEHRP Agencies Under PL. 108-360 The NEHRP Reauthorization Act [...]

Updated August 23, 2018 Contents Forecasting Hurricanes: Role of the National Hurricane Center How the Process Works Approaching the Coast Analyzing the Data Hurricane Track and Intensity Forecasts: Improvements and [...]

Updated July 2, 2018 Carbon Capture and Sequestration Overview Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS, sometimes called carbon capture and storage) is a process that aims to capture man-made carbon dioxide [...]

May 7, 2018 Background The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) aims to provide unbiased scientific information to describe and understand the geological processes of the Earth; minimize loss of life and [...]

Updated May 22, 2018 Contents Introduction Overarching S&T Policy Issues Federal Science and Technology Policymaking Enterprise Federal Funding for Research and Development America COMPETES Act Reauthorization Regulations for Federally Funded [...]

February 8, 2018 Tribal rights to groundwater have not been legally established to the same extent as rights to other natural resources (e.g., surface water, timber, minerals). A March 2017 [...]

Updated November 9, 2017 Contents Drought in the United States--Overview What Is Drought? Drought Classification Drought Is Relative Drought Is Multifaceted What Causes Drought in the United States? Prehistorical and [...]

November 21, 2017 Title X of S. 1460 would authorize a national volcano early warning and monitoring system (Subtitle A) and a National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program (Subtitle B) within [...]

Updated May 10, 2017 Contents Introduction Title I: United States Weather Research and Forecasting Improvement Title II: Subseasonal and Seasonal Forecasting Innovation Title III: Weather Satellite and Data Innovation Title [...]

Updated May 3, 2017 Contents Introduction Tables Table 1. Comparison of P.L. 109-479, Title VIII, the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, with P.L. 115-25, Title V Contacts Author Information Introduction [...]

Updated September 12, 2016 Contents Introduction Sea-Level Rise Issues for Federal Policymakers Part I. What Is Sea-Level Rise? Global Sea Level Regional Variation in GSL Relative Sea Level Causes of [...]

Updated September 30, 2016 Contents Introduction Congressional Interest Current Understanding of Induced Seismicity in the United States A Historical Example: The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Deep-Well Injection of Oil and Natural [...]

September 12, 2016 Policymakers are interested in sea-level rise because of the risk to U.S. coastal populations and infrastructure and changes to coastal ecosystems. Some coastal states and U.S. territories [...]

Updated May 19, 2016 Contents Introduction What Are the Components of Seismic Risk? What About Human-Induced Earthquakes? How Vulnerable Is the U.S. Highway System? How Vulnerable Are Highway Bridges? How [...]

Updated January 7, 2016 Contents Background The Data Gap Robustness and Fragility: The NOAA NESDIS Independent Review Team Report NOAA Polar Follow On Proposal and Mitigating the Data Gap Polar [...]

Updated November 20, 2015 Contents Introduction: U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers Detecting Tsunamis and Issuing Warnings The DART Buoy Network The National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program Issues for Congress Reauthorization of [...]

Updated August 14, 2015 Introduction What Is Drought? California Drought and Hydrological Conditions Runoff and Storage Timing Nature of the California Drought: Possible Causes and Consequences Atmospheric Rivers Prospects for [...]

Updated April 7, 2015 Contents Introduction Overarching S&T Policy Issues The Federal Science and Technology Policymaking Enterprise Federal Funding for Research and Development America COMPETES Act Public Access to Federal [...]

Contents Most Recent Developments Status Overview The Budget Control Act and Energy and Water Development Appropriations for FY2015 The Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative Title I: Army Corps of Engineers [...]

The article presents a report of the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS), which reveals that the U.S. Congress engages in authorization and appropriations for water resource projects and activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and involvement in water resource activities by other agencies. It mentions droughts and floods, and climate change, have given rise to interest in federal financial assistance for water resource.

Summary On September 20, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) re-proposed standards for carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) emissions from new fossil-fueled power plants. On January 8, 2014, EPA published the [...]

Summary More than a decade after the George W. Bush Administration announced its signature clean coal power initiative--FutureGen--the program is still in early development. Since its inception in 2003, FutureGen [...]

The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region's future. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial interests in the region. The seven other Arctic states are Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), and Russia. The Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA) of 1984 (Title I of P.L. 98-373 of July 31, 1984) "provide[s] for a comprehensive national policy dealing with national research needs and objectives in the Arctic." The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the lead federal agency for implementing Arctic research policy. Key U.S. policy documents relating to the Arctic include National Security Presidential Directive 66/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 25 (NSPD 66/HSPD 25) of January 9, 2009; the National Strategy for the Arctic Region of May 10, 2013; the January 30, 2014, implementation plan for the 2013 national strategy; and Executive Order 13689 of January 21, 2015, on enhancing coordination of national efforts in the Arctic. On July 29, 2020, the Trump Administration announced that career diplomat James (Jim) DeHart would be the U.S. coordinator for the Arctic region. The Arctic Council, created in 1996, is the leading international forum for addressing issues relating to the Arctic. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets forth a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans, including the Arctic Ocean. The United States is not a party to UNCLOS. Record low extents of Arctic sea ice over the past decade have focused scientific and policy attention on links to global climate change and projected ice-free seasons in the Arctic within decades. These changes have potential consequences for weather in the United States, access to mineral and biological resources in the Arctic, the economies and cultures of peoples in the region, and national security. The geopolitical environment for the Arctic has been substantially affected by the renewal of great power competition. Although there continues to be significant international cooperation on Arctic issues, the Arctic is increasingly viewed as an arena for geopolitical competition among the United States, Russia, and China. Russia in recent years has enhanced its military presence and operations in the Arctic, and the United States, Canada, and the Nordic countries have responded with their own increased presence and operations. China's growing diplomatic, economic, and scientific activities in the Arctic have become a matter of increasing curiosity or concern among the Arctic states and other observers. The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Coast Guard are devoting increased attention to the Arctic in their planning and operations. Whether DOD and the Coast Guard are devoting sufficient resources to the Arctic and taking sufficient actions for defending U.S. interests in the region has emerged as a topic of congressional oversight. The Coast Guard has two operational polar icebreakers and has received funding for the procurement of the first of at least three planned new polar icebreakers. The diminishment of Arctic ice could lead in coming years to increased commercial shipping on two trans-Arctic sea routes--the Northern Sea Route close to Russia, and the Northwest Passage close to Alaska and through the Canadian archipelago--though the rate of increase in the use of these routes might not be as great as sometimes anticipated in press accounts. International guidelines for ships operating in Arctic waters have been recently updated. Changes to the Arctic brought about by warming temperatures will likely allow more exploration for oil, gas, and minerals. Warming that causes permafrost to melt could pose challenges to onshore exploration activities. Increased oil and gas exploration and tourism (cruise ships) in the Arctic increase the risk of pollution in the region. Cleaning up oil spills in ice-covered waters will be more difficult than in other areas, primarily because effective strategies for cleaning up oil spills in ice-covered waters have yet to be developed. Large commercial fisheries exist in the Arctic. The United States is working with other countries regarding the management of Arctic fish stocks. Changes in the Arctic could affect threatened and endangered species, and could result in migration of fish stocks to new waters. Under the Endangered Species Act, the polar bear was listed as threatened on May 15, 2008. Arctic climate change is also expected to affect the economies, health, and cultures of Arctic indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents Introduction Structure of the Report Other CRS Reports on CCS Technology Assessment Authorship Acknowledgment Chapter 1: Executive Summary Background Current Research and Development (R&D) Activities Future Outlook Chapter 2: [...]

Contents Overview Issues for Congress A Focus on Local Warnings and Forecasts for the National Weather Service A Shift in Direction? Mitigation The National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program Reauthorizing the [...]

Contents Introduction Drought in the United States--Overview Drought in North America: Summer 2012 into 2013 Origin of the 2012-2013 Drought What Is Drought? Drought Is Relative Drought Is Multifaceted Drought [...]

Contents Introduction Issues for Congress DOE CCS Programs Project Costs Public-Private Partnership Current Status of FutureGen Policy Challenges Outlook Timeline Contacts Author Contact Information Acknowledgments Contacts Author Contact Information Acknowledgments [...]

Contents Situation Concerns Are there implications for U.S. seafood safety? How likely is it that radiation will reach U.S. marine waters, either through ocean currents or atmospheric transport? What are [...]

Contents Introduction National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) A Shift in Program Emphasis to Hazard Reduction NEHRP Legislation in the 111th Congress Earthquake Hazards and Risk United States National Seismic [...]

Contents Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Tsunami Warning Centers The National Tsunami Hazards Mitigation Program Detecting Tsunamis and Issuing Warnings Warnings Triggered by the March 11, 2011, Tsunami The DART Buoy [...]

Summary Research on climate change has identified a wide array of sources that emit greenhouse gases (GHGs). Among the six gases that have generally been the primary focus of concern, [...]

Summary The 1994 Northridge (CA) earthquake caused as much as $26 billion (in 2005 dollars) in damage and was one of the costliest natural disasters to strike the United States. [...]

Contents Background Unconventional Gas Shale Resources in the United States Barnett Shale Formation Natural Gas Resource Potential Southwest Regional Gas Supply and Demand Groundwater Resource Issues Marcellus Shale Formation Natural […]

Contents Introduction Policy Options for Addressing Methane Capture Market-Based Emission Control Programs Carbon Offsets Emission Performance Standards Maintain Existing Programs/Incentives Legislative Proposals Concerning Methane Capture Methane: A Primer Global Warming […]

March 3, 2009 Summary The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) emphasizes jobs, economic recovery, and assistance to those most impacted by the recession. It also […]

Summary Recently projected climate changes could have widespread effects on wildlife species. These effects may include extinctions, changes in species' ranges, mismatches in their phenology (timing of pollination, flowering, etc.), […]