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Operational Changes Took Effect on May 1
The Lighthouse Visitor Center is now only open Fridays through Mondays. The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center will be closed through late December 2013. More »
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2013 Harbor Seal Pupping Season Closures
From March 1 through June 30, the park implements closures of certain Tomales Bay beaches and Drakes Estero to water-based recreation to protect harbor seals during the pupping season. Please avoid disturbing seals to ensure a successful pupping season. More »
Point Reyes National Seashore is Site for National Climate Research Project
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Contact: Dr. Ben Becker, 415-464-5247 Contact: Dr. Sarah Allen, 415-464-5187
Between March and September 2005, marine stratus clouds and coastal drizzle are the subject of a national climate research project at Point Reyes National Seashore in western Marin County, California. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program are conducting the research and have chosen Point Reyes because it is known for its marine location and tremendous stratus development. Marine stratus clouds are some of the most prevalent clouds on earth. They exert a large-scale cooling effect on the ocean surface, representing an important component of the earth’s total energy budget. Marine stratus clouds are known to be susceptible to the aerosol byproducts of fossil fuel consumption, but a thorough understanding of the cloud processes leading to this susceptibility requires that they be observed in a range of aerosol conditions. Despite their known importance to the earth-ocean-atmosphere system, relatively few detailed and comprehensive data sets of marine stratus clouds are available. This work will help to understand impacts of fossil fuel consumption on cloud cover and climatic change. During the 6-month deployment, the ARM Mobile Facility will use state-of-the-art active and passive remote sensors to measure the detailed microphysical structure of drizzle patches and the associated clouds as they move onshore. This includes daily releases of weather balloons to record atmospheric data at various altitudes. The work is based in the north district of Point Reyes National Seashore. Point Reyes National Seashore was chosen for this work because of its support for scientific research endeavors. Other regions where ARM facilities collect atmospheric data include the Great Plains Region of the United States, the North Slope of Alaska, and the Tropical Western Pacific. The ARM Program greatly appreciates the cooperation of the National Park Service during this field campaign. For Additional Information Contact:
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Did You Know?
According to a 2009 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, climate change will likely lead to an increase in extreme weather in the USA. Fortunately, there is still time to limit climate change by reducing emissions of heat-trapping pollution and taking other actions. More...