Atmosphere with Emily Gracey

What if simply looking up at the clouds could help NASA?
Satellites can observe Earth in extraordinary detail, but there's something they can't do: stand on the ground and look up with the human eye. And that human perspective turns out to be incredibly valuable to scientists.
In this episode of Atmosphere, meteorologist Emily Gracey talks with Dr. Andy Sayer, an atmospheric scientist working with NASA's PACE satellite, and Jessica Taylor from NASA's GLOBE Clouds program about the surprising limitations of satellite technology and how everyday people can help fill in the gaps.
Through NASA's free GLOBE Observer app, anyone with a smartphone can collect cloud observations that contribute to real scientific research. No scientific background required!
But there's another benefit to all this cloud watching. Taking a few minutes to look up can reconnect us with nature, help us appreciate the world around us, and maybe even bring a little peace to our busy lives.

Become a cloud observer:

NASA GLOBE Observer app: https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app

PACE Clouds Challenge: https://www.globe.gov/do-globe/measurement-campaigns/field-measurement-campaigns/pace-clouds-challenge

Atmosphere is supported by founding sponsor Weather100. Learn more at https://weather100.com and use code EMILY20 for 20% off your purchase.

What happens when ocean science meets an '80s power ballad?

Oceanographer and coastal scientist Dr. Greg Dusek created Kelvin Wave, an AI-generated song and music video that tells the story of Kelvin waves, El Niño, coastal flooding, and rising seas.

The project was created by Dr. Dusek using Claude.ai for the lyrics and visuals, Suno for the music, and real NOAA water level data to help tell the scientific story.

It's catchy, dramatic, and packed with real science.

We're sharing the complete song as a special bonus episode of Atmosphere.

Want to understand the science behind the lyrics? Listen to this week's full episode, "Ocean Science Gets an '80s Power Ballad," where meteorologist Emily Gracey talks with Dr. Dusek about how he made the video, what Kelvin waves actually are, and why they matter for coastal flooding and sea level rise.

Created by: Dr. Greg Dusek
AI tools: Claude.ai and Suno
Scientific data: NOAA

Atmosphere is hosted and produced by meteorologist Emily Gracey.

What happens when an oceanographer uses artificial intelligence to turn a complicated scientific phenomenon into an '80s power ballad? You get soaring vocals, dramatic lyrics, a saxophone solo... and some surprisingly serious science.
In this episode of Atmosphere, meteorologist Emily Gracey sits down with Dr. Greg Dusek, a coastal scientist and former NOAA oceanographer, to talk about his AI-generated music video, Kelvin Wave. Created in just half a day, the song tells the story of an ocean phenomenon that plays an important role in El Niño and can have major consequences for coastal communities.
Greg breaks down the science behind the lyrics, explaining how Kelvin waves travel across the Pacific, why they matter for sea levels and winter storms, and what they could mean for coastal flooding along the West Coast in the months ahead.
We also explore the creative possibilities of AI in science communication, and how something as unexpected as a power ballad might help people understand the changing world around them.
It's a little rock and roll, a little ocean physics, and a reminder that science doesn't always have to be serious to tell an important story.

Thanks to our founding sponsor, Weather100, for supporting independent science storytelling. Learn more at Weather100 and use code EMILY20 for 20% off.

Watch Greg's full Kelvin Wave music video: https://youtu.be/qAYF63a67MI?si=fBkUUiiYwNHD6_os
Lyrics and video are by Claude
Music by Suno
Generated by Greg Dusek, with data provided by NOAA

Subscribe to Atmosphere on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts, and find more science stories at Atmosphere on Substack.

Artificial intelligence is already changing the way meteorologists forecast and communicate the weather. But how much of the job should we actually hand over?
Meteorologist and weather communications coach Tim Heller joins Atmosphere to talk about the AI weather tools he’s building, how meteorologists are using AI to analyze data and create content, and why simply avoiding the technology isn’t the answer.
We also get into AI-generated weather graphics and avatars, whether these tools could eventually be used to replace meteorologists, the environmental cost of AI, and what consumers should know when scrolling through weather information online.
For Tim, the question isn't whether we use AI. It's where we draw the line and why context, community, empathy and a "human in the loop" may become even more important as the technology gets better.

Tim's Website: https://hellerweather.com/

This episode is sponsored by Weather100
Weather100 puts today’s weather into historical context, showing you how your local temperature, rainfall, wind and more compare with the last 100 years.
Atmosphere listeners can save 20% on any Weather100 device with code EMILY20 at checkout.
Learn more at Weather100.com

What happens when weather becomes evidence?
Forensic meteorologist Rob Perillo has spent decades reconstructing the atmosphere to help answer that question. Using radar, satellite imagery, weather observations and even a little geometry, he pieces together what happened at a specific place and time—and sometimes takes those findings into a courtroom.
In this episode of Atmosphere, Rob shares some of his most fascinating cases, from hurricane-damaged ships and deadly lightning strikes to extreme heat, icy parking lots and investigations where a few degrees or a single weather observation can change the story.
He also takes us back to the morning the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart over Texas and Louisiana, when he went from watching the shuttle from his backyard to helping national news networks track its debris on Doppler radar.
It's part meteorology, part detective work and, as Rob calls it, “CSI meteorology.”

Sources Rob uses in his forensic work:
Archived Radar and Satellite
NWS/SPC Text Forecasts and Severe Weather Graphics
Weather Prediction Center Archives
Storm Prediction Center Archives
National Hurricane Center Archives

What if science didn't have to feel like science class?

Maynard Okereke — better known as Hip Hop Science — has built an audience of more than 100,000 followers by blending science with entertainment, pop culture and curiosity.

But before Hip Hop Science, Maynard was a civil engineer who also happened to be a hip-hop artist and performer — two sides of himself he once felt he had to keep separate. Eventually, he stopped trying to fit into one box and built a career that brought them together.

In this episode of Atmosphere, Maynard talks with meteorologist Emily Gracey about making the leap from engineering to entertainment, how Hip Hop Science grew from a sketch comedy idea into a platform for science communication, and the work that goes into making complicated science accurate, accessible and fun.

They also dig into a bigger question: kids are naturally curious about science, so why does that curiosity so often fade as they get older? Maynard shares why representation and confidence matter, why science and creativity aren't opposites, and why we might want to stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up — and start asking what problems they want to solve.

Plus, wildlife, quantum computing, the Amazon rainforest, wrestling, Shark Tank — and how to turn doom scrolling into learn scrolling.

Links:

HipHopScienceShow.com

Hip Hop Science on Instagram

Dr. Dakotah Tyler

Justin Shaifer aka Mr. Fascinate

Dr. Alex Dainis

What if the biggest obstacle to tackling climate change isn’t finding the solutions... but actually using them?

Dr. Jonathan Foley, climate scientist and Executive Director of Project Drawdown, joins Atmosphere for a candid conversation about where we really stand on climate change, the solutions already within reach, and why he has little patience for the idea that our individual actions don’t matter.

We talk about the growing pull of climate doomerism, why Foley believes both despair and blind optimism can get in the way of progress, and what it means to choose action when there’s no guarantee of success.

Jonathan also shares his own path from atmospheric science to becoming one of the world’s most highly cited environmental scientists and an award-winning science communicator, plus what Project Drawdown is doing to make climate science and solutions easier for all of us to understand.

This isn’t a conversation about pretending everything is going to be okay. It’s about recognizing what we already know, what we can already do, and deciding what comes next.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Project Drawdown

Join the Shift

Hope in the Dark, Rebecca Solnit

Fork Ranger on Instagram

The Garbage Queen on Instagram

Simon Clark on YouTube

Halfway through the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, the biggest story may be what hasn’t happened. The Atlantic has been exceptionally quiet — but does that mean we can relax?

Hurricane expert Michael Lowry joins Atmosphere to explain what’s behind the unusual season, what he’s watching as we head into the fall, and why the Gulf could still play an important role.

Michael also shares the fascinating path that has taken him from the National Hurricane Center and FEMA to The Weather Channel and South Florida television. We talk about how hurricane forecasting and communication have changed, the growing role of AI, and why he believes authenticity still matters in a world of algorithms and clickbait.

And Michael opens up about the very personal reason he draws a firm line between hurricane season and family life — and why stepping away from the weather is essential to doing his job well.

Links:

Michael's Substack

Atmosphere Substack

Why do sunsets move us so much?

In this episode of Atmosphere, we're exploring the science, stories and emotions behind one of nature's most beautiful daily spectacles.

Cameron Hewitt, director of content at Rick Steves Europe, has traveled the world chasing and photographing sunsets. He'll share what makes a truly spectacular sunset, where he's found the most memorable ones, and why a sunset can mean something completely different depending on where you are — and what is happening in your life.

Then certified consulting meteorologist and green flash photographer Jan Null takes us into the atmosphere to explain what's really happening as the sun drops toward the horizon. Why do sunsets turn red and orange? How do clouds and atmospheric particles shape the colors? And what creates that fleeting, elusive green flash?

It's a conversation about travel, memory, physics, perspective and the simple act of stopping to look up.

Links from the Show:

Jan Null's Green Flash Photography
Cameron Hewitt's Website

Cameron on Instagram

Cameron on Facebook

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Atmosphere on Instagram

The OTUS Project is a family-run team flying custom-built drones directly into tornadoes — including the first-ever drone flight inside a tornado's eye, captured in May 2024. Co-founder Louis Tucker joins us to talk about how he and his brother Nelson build drones tough enough to survive tornado wind speeds, how they forecast and chase storms in real time, and the near-surface wind data they're collecting for organizations like NIST — data that could directly shape future building codes. We also cover the near-misses, including a tornado that crossed their exact location two minutes after they left, and what it's actually like to pilot a drone into a tornado while your team protects you from the very phenomenon you are documenting.