The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii is located at the 11,200 feet level of Mauna Loa. volcano. The mountain in the background is Mauna Kea, home for many major astronomical observatories. The Keeling Building, the original building at the observatory, can be seen at the end of the boardwalk.

This fisheye image of the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii was taken from the instrument desk atop the NDSC building. The observatory is located at the 11,200 feet level of Hawaii's Mauna Loa. volcano. The Keeling Building, the original building at Mauna Loa Observatory, can be seen at the right side of the small blue building at far left.

Looking down the Mauna Loa Observatory Road. This section of the long road to the Mauna Loa Observatory is closest to the observatory and the safest portion.

Ultraviolet Instruments at the Mauna Loa Observatory. Three GLOBE ultraviolet instruments are busily making unattended measurements from the instrument desk over the NDSC Building at Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory. These instruments were built by Dr. David Brooks of Drexel, using light-emitting diodes to detect and measure sunlight, a technique developed by Forest M. Mims III.

A cloudy morning at the Mauna Loa Observatory. No sunlight measurements today. Morning clouds usually indicate a cloudy day at the Mauna Loa Observatory .

Mornings at the Mauna Loa Observatory are usually cloud free. The Keeling Building is at center. The dome at lower right houses the Dobson spectroradiometer that measures the ozone layer. The thin dark layer over the horizon has the appearance of Asian dust.

Mornings at the Mauna Loa Observatory are usually cloud free. The Keeling Building is at center. The dome houses the Dobson spectroradiometer that measures the ozone layer. Hilo is below the clouds over the horizon.

The venerable restroom facility at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory. The structures at each corner keeps the facility from blowing away.

The brilliant green beam of the lidar at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) pierces up to the stratosphere to measure aerosols and water vapor. MLO Station Chief Dr. John Barnes can be seen through the window as he studies data returned by his powerful lidar.

The brilliant green beam of the lidar at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) pierces up to the stratosphere to measure aerosols and water vapor.

The brilliant green beam of the lidar at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) measures aerosols and water vapor high in the stratosphere. This unretouched image was made when fog briefly formed during an observing session. The camera The camera was leaned against the side of the dome that houses the Dobson spectroradiometer that measures the ozone layer.

This full solar halo formed by the refraction of sunlight from ice crystals in cirrus clouds.

Thick fog often cloaks the lonely road to Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory.

The sun drops between layers of clouds as another day of measurements ends at the Mauna Loa Observatory.

A brilliant twilight glow signals the ending of another day of measurements at Mauna Loa Observatory. The red twilight is caused by Asian dust, which forms layers that are visible in the twilight glow.

The late Leslie Pajo measures the ozone layer from inside the Dobson spectrophotometer dome at the Mauna Loa Observatory.

The late Leslie Pajo checks a sunlight measuring instrument at Mauna Loa Observatory. Mauna Kea rises above the Keeling Building behind Leslie.

Dr. John Barnes, Station Chief of NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory, measures stratospheric aerosols using a powerful laser lidar. Data from the lidar are displayed on the computer monitor at right.

Brooke Walsh measures the ozone layer using world standard Dobson instrument number 83. The calibration of most ozone instruments made from the Earth and from space are traceable to Dobson 83.

Brooke Walsh measures the ozone layer using Dobson spectrophotometer number 76 shown in this fisheye view inside the Dobson dome at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory.

Brooke Walsh explains how the ozone layer is measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory to a group of international students from the University of the Nations.

Steve Ryan points to an instrument that measures the intensity of sunlight at the Mauna Loa Observatory.

Steve Ryan explains some of the measurements made at the Mauna Loa Observatory to a group of international students from the University of the Nations.

Paul Fukumura-Sawada cleans a sunlight monitoring instrument at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory.

Paul Fukumura-Sawada glances at the sky near the sun to check for the presence of aerosols in the sky over NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory.

Scientists repair an instrument adjacent to a dome that houses an ultraviolet spectroradiometer at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory.

Cirrus clouds over NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory. Mare's tail cirrus provide a spectacular backdrop to the 40-meter instrumentation tower at the Mauna Loa Observatory.

These unusual wave clouds were photographed from the Saddle Road a few miles from the road to the Mauna Loa Observatory.

This thunderstorm over the Kona side of Hawaii was photographed from the Mauna Loa Observatory. When such storms occur over the observatory, their lightning can damage equipment and power poles.

Fisheye view of the sky over NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory as seen from the instrument deck over the NDSC Building. South is down and East is left. The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory is south (bottom). The 40-meter meteorological tower is West (right). The spike at upper right is a nearby lightning rod.

The Mauna Loa Observatory sign.

The Dobson spectrophotometer housed inside this dome provides daily measurements of the ozone layer.

The Dobson spectrophotometer housed inside this dome provides daily measurements of the ozone layer.

Meteorologist Daniel Noah, NWS Tampa Bay Area, provides a weather briefing to the Lee County Emergency Operations Center just before Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in southwest Florida.

American flag hanging proudly from the porch of a home during a devastating ice storm. This storm produced between 1/2 and 1 inch thick ice glazing over a wide area resulting in power outages to over 1 million North Carolina customers.

North Carolina was prepared for this snowstorm as the NWS had prepared accurate forecasts and warnings prior to its striking. The contrast between the old and the new in downtown Raleigh is highlighted in this image as the old North Carolina capitol building is in the foreground with the new 30-story First Union Tower looming behind.

Several state museums are visible in this image of Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh during a January snow in North Carolina.

Sioux Falls meteorologist Todd Heitkamp throwing out ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game with the Detroit Tigers. This was in recognition of the partnership he established with the Minnesota Twins to help promote lightning safety. To throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game probably marks an NWS and NOAA first.

School buses along the Mississippi River re-positioned by Hurricane Katrina.

Sunset.

Sunset.

Sunset.

A thunderstorm approaching Chesapeake Bay entrance.

NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON seen from survey launch at the tail end of a squall. .

NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON seen from survey launch 3102 as squall approaches off the Virginia Capes.

View of the north end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel from survey launch 3102 while in the midst of a thunderstorm.

Survey launch 3102 following NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON into safer water in Chesapeake Bay during a heavy thunderstorm off the Virginia Capes

On board NOAA Launch 3102 entering Chesapeake Bay during a thunderstorm. Always wondered what it was like on the inside of a washing machine...

NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON seen through the rain and mist from NOAA Survey Launch 3102 during a spring thunderstorm.

Launch 3102 following NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON into safer waters as a heavy thunderstorm bears down. The south end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is seen between the TJ and the blue car carrier which is outbound with Pilot Boat by stern.