The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a United States scientific agency whose observations and research cover the atmosphere and oceans. Its measurement products connect meteorology, climatology and ocean circulation, with a stated observing method and reference period needed to interpret each product.
For example, its Arctic Oscillation index projects a measured atmospheric field onto a specified spatial pattern, while a climatological normal summarizes a different kind of information: statistics over a defined reference interval.[ref]
Arctic Oscillation monitoring by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Current Conditions: index construction
[ref] Neither product is a direct measurement of one universal scalar called climate. Articles by others on the same topic
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce. Its mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the oceans and atmosphere to the land and the living resources within these systems.