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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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oceanic research Pacific Ocean map showing 2011 Japan tsunami wave heights, with red and purple areas indicating highest waves spreading from Japan across the ocean toward the Americas, labeled with NOAA logo. Satellite image of Hurricane Katrina as a large, well-defined spiral with a clear eye over the Gulf of Mexico, approaching the southern United States coastline.
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oceanic research National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel Miller Freeman.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

United States agency
Also known as: NOAA
Written by
John P. Rafferty
John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to...
John P. Rafferty
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

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,...

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