Media invited: NOAA scientists to speak on Arctic, tsunamis, ocean observations at AGU

NOAA scientists will participate in press conferences at the American Geophysical Union Annual Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C., about the state of the Arctic and advancements in tsunami science since the devastating 2004 tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. NOAA will also hold a celebration of 25 years of revolutionizing oceanography through the development and expansion of the Argo program of global ocean observing robots.

• Tuesday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m. EST:
  NOAA 2024 Arctic Report Card 
  NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, kicks off a panel of experts to present the 2024 Arctic Report Card, an annual report authored by 97 scientists from 11 countries that documents new records showing how human-caused warming of air, ocean and land is affecting people, ecosystems and communities across the Arctic region, and beyond. This year’s report features updates on air temperature, sea ice extent, ocean temperature, plankton blooms, snow cover, tundra/forest greenness, Greenland Ice Sheet and precipitation. The report card also includes essays on caribou, ice seals, the storage and release of carbon and heat-trapping gases in the Arctic landscape and an Indigenous-led program to foster hunting, harvesting and research skills to support community resilience. 
  
  Panelists include Twila Moon, lead editor of the report card and deputy lead scientist and communication liaison at the National Snow and Ice Data Center; Brendan Rogers, Arctic climate scientist and co-lead of Permafrost Pathways offsite link, Woodwell Climate Research Center; Lori Quakenbush, Arctic Marine Mammal Program, Alaska Department of Fish and Game; and Lawrence R. Mudryk, Climate Research Division, Environment & Climate Change Canada.
   
• Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m. EST:
  The waves that changed the world: How the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami led to new science, better preparedness, international cooperation 
  December 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the devastating tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean and, after landfall, killed more than 227,000 people across 15 countries. The 2004 Tsunami changed our understanding of the science of tsunamis and how we prepare to face these natural disasters. This press conference will highlight the anniversary and also cover the current state of tsunami science and research. Panelists will discuss international partnerships that currently work to provide information on tsunamis, including the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC). 
  
  Panelists include Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the Indonesia Agency of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics; Laura Kong, Director of the International Tsunami Information Center; Vasily Titov, oceanographer, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; Nathan Wood, supervisory research geographer, U.S. Geological Survey.
• Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET:
  Celebration of Argo at 25 
  Since its inception 25 years ago in 1999, the Argo Program has revolutionized our ability to track changes in the ocean with a global array of autonomous profiling floats, providing nearly four times the ocean information as all other observing tools combined. The program achieved its 3 millionth data profile in the summer of 2024 — each profile is a snapshot of ocean information. Argo data improves weather forecasts, and the high-quality data feeds into climate forecasts through coupled ocean and atmosphere models. Argo is also the primary source of ocean data used to track physical ocean change and its role in sea level rise, making it a critical part of coastal climate preparedness. This event will be held at the NOAA exhibit booth, and will include remarks from NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D.

How media can attend press conferences in person or virtually

AGU’s Annual Meeting offers free offsite link registration for journalists to attend in person or virtually.

Reporters attending in person and remotely will have access to all press conferences and roundtables, but journalists must register in advance. To register, go to the Annual Meeting Press Site offsite link

Online registration (to attend in person and online) will be open throughout the week. Walk-in registration for press is also available on site at the press room in the Marriott Marquis Washington, level M3, Monday through Wednesday, 7 a.m to 5 p.m EST.

Reporters can access the press event live streams from the online press site with the press passcode (to obtain this contact news@agu.org or register for the meeting).

For in person attendance at press conferences, media should go to the press conference room, which will be at the Marriott Marquis Washington, 901 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, Meeting Level 3 (M3) in the Shaw Room. The Argo celebration will take place at the NOAA Booth in the Exhibits Hall.

Please go to the Press Center for a full list of all AGU press events offsite link.

Climate, weather and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.