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119-610: The first U.S. Government organization with the word "environment" in its title, ESSA was the first such organization chartered to study the global natural environment as whole, bringing together the study of the oceans with that of both the lower atmosphere and the ionosphere . This allowed the U.S. Government for the first time to take a comprehensive approach to studying the oceans and the atmosphere, also bringing together various technologies – ships, aircraft, satellites , radar , and communications systems – that could operate together in gathering data for scientific study. In May 1964,

238-529: A Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources – which came to be known informally as the "Stratton Commission" – and gave it the responsibility to review ongoing and planned U.S. Government marine science activities and recommend a national oceanographic program and a reorganization of the U.S. Government to carry out the program. President Lyndon Johnson appointed 15 members to the commission; Ford Foundation chairman Julius A. Stratton chaired it, and its members included attorney Leon Jaworski , Dean of

357-622: A Historic Preservation Code was passed. In 1976, a residential-growth management ordinance, the Danish Plan, was passed. The city of Boulder is located in the Boulder Valley, where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains . The Flatirons , slabs of sedimentary stone tilted up on the foothills, are located west of the city and are a widely recognized symbol of Boulder. Boulder Creek

476-441: A capacity to grow , respond to stimuli , reproduce and, through natural selection , adapt to their environment in successive generations. More complex living organisms can communicate through various means. An ecosystem (also called an environment) is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals, and micro-organisms ( biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( abiotic ) factors of

595-637: A decreased food supply for the wildlife in an area. The atmosphere of the Earth serves as a key factor in sustaining the planetary ecosystem. The thin layer of gases that envelops the Earth is held in place by the planet's gravity. Dry air consists of 78% nitrogen , 21% oxygen , 1% argon , inert gases and carbon dioxide . The remaining gases are often referred to as trace gases. The atmosphere includes greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Filtered air includes trace amounts of many other chemical compounds . Air also contains

714-466: A few naked runners were observed by locals. Several illegal attempts, resulting in arrests, have been made to restart the run, but no serious effort has been mounted. For several years on April 20, thousands of people gathered on the CU Boulder campus to celebrate 420 and smoke marijuana at and before 4:20 pm. The 2010 head count was officially between 8,000 and 15,000 with some discrepancy between

833-466: A group of friends and friends of friends in the early 90's riding bicycles around Boulder into the social cycling event it is today. Some enthusiasts gather wearing costumes and decorating their bikes; themes are an integral part of the cruiser tradition. Boulder Police began following the cruiser ride as it gained in popularity in the early 2000s. Issues with underage drinking, reckless bicycle riding, and other nuisance complaints led organizers to drop

952-455: A mud hut or a photovoltaic system in the desert , the modified environment becomes an artificial one. Though many animals build things to provide a better environment for themselves, they are not human, hence beaver dams and the works of mound-building termites are thought of as natural. People cannot find absolutely natural environments on Earth,naturalness usually varies in a continuum, from 100% natural in one extreme to 0% natural in

1071-561: A number from 1 to 9, beginning with the launch of ESSA-1 on 3 February 1966. The last of these satellites was decommissioned in 1977, but ESSA's work with NASA laid the foundation for the deployment of the first geostationary weather satellites, the Synchronous Meteorological Satellites of 1974 and 1975. Under the 1965 reorganization, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey , whose history dated to 1807,

1190-454: A pond from many other aquatic terrain features, such as stream pools and tide pools . Humans impact the water in different ways such as modifying rivers (through dams and stream channelization ), urbanization and deforestation . These impact lake levels, groundwater conditions, water pollution, thermal pollution, and marine pollution . Humans modify rivers by using direct channel manipulation. We build dams and reservoirs and manipulate

1309-400: A qualitative and quantitative understanding of the principal areas or spheres of Earth. The Earth's crust or lithosphere , is the outermost solid surface of the planet and is chemically, physically and mechanically different from underlying mantle . It has been generated greatly by igneous processes in which magma cools and solidifies to form solid rock. Beneath the lithosphere lies

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1428-430: A river is usually in a channel , made up of a stream bed between banks . In larger rivers there is often also a wider floodplain shaped by waters over-topping the channel. Flood plains may be very wide in relation to the size of the river channel. Rivers are a part of the hydrological cycle . Water within a river is generally collected from precipitation through surface runoff , groundwater recharge , springs and

1547-520: A single national focus for our efforts to describe, understand, and predict the state of the oceans, the state of the lower and upper atmosphere , and the size and shape of the earth. The Director of the Weather Bureau, Dr. Robert M. White, explained that the creation of ESSA: ESSA was established on 13 July 1965 under the Department of Commerce's Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1965. Its creation brought

1666-507: A variable amount of water vapor and suspensions of water droplets and ice crystals seen as clouds . Many natural substances may be present in tiny amounts in an unfiltered air sample, including dust , pollen and spores , sea spray , volcanic ash and meteoroids . Various industrial pollutants also may be present, such as chlorine (elementary or in compounds), fluorine compounds, elemental mercury , and sulphur compounds such as sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ). The ozone layer of

1785-436: Is a terrain feature , a body of water that is localized to the bottom of basin . A body of water is considered a lake when it is inland, is not part of an ocean and is larger and deeper than a pond . Natural lakes on Earth are generally found in mountainous areas, rift zones and areas with ongoing or recent glaciation . Other lakes are found in endorheic basins or along the courses of mature rivers. In some parts of

1904-461: Is a tributary of the South Platte River . At the 2020 United States Census , the city had a total area of 17,514 acres (70.877 km ), including 664 acres (2.689 km ) of water. The 40th parallel , 40 degrees north latitude, runs through Boulder and can be easily recognized as Baseline Road today. Boulder lies in a wide basin beneath Flagstaff Mountain just a few miles east of

2023-483: Is an annual one-week conference featuring dozens of discussion panels on contemporary issues. The internationally syndicated radio program eTown has its headquarters at eTown Hall , at the intersection of 16th and Spruce Streets, in downtown Boulder. Most tapings of this weekly show are done at eTown Hall. Beginning in 1983, hundreds of people head to the Boulder Reservoir on New Year's Day to take part in

2142-516: Is around 35 parts per thousand (ppt) (3.5%), and nearly all seawater has a salinity in the range of 30 to 38 ppt. Though generally recognized as several separate oceans, these waters comprise one global, interconnected body of salt water often referred to as the World Ocean or global ocean. The deep seabeds are more than half the Earth's surface, and are among the least-modified natural environments. The major oceanic divisions are defined in part by

2261-455: Is found in various kinds of natural body of water . An ocean is a major body of saline water and a component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the surface of the Earth (an area of some 362 million square kilometers) is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas . More than half of this area is over 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) deep. Average oceanic salinity

2380-785: Is from the Old English wildeornes , which in turn derives from wildeor meaning wild beast (wild + deor = beast, deer). From this point of view, it is the wildness of a place that makes it a wilderness. The mere presence or activity of people does not disqualify an area from being "wilderness". Many ecosystems that are, or have been, inhabited or influenced by activities of people may still be considered "wild". This way of looking at wilderness includes areas within which natural processes operate without very noticeable human interference. Wildlife includes all non- domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over

2499-538: Is home to multiple dance companies and establishments. Boulder Ballet was founded by former American Ballet Theatre dancer Larry Boyette in the 1970s as part of the Ballet Arts Studios. Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2004 by Robert Sher-Machherndl, former principal dancer of the Dutch National Ballet and Bavarian State Ballet . The Conference on World Affairs , started in 1948,

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2618-440: Is increasingly rare, wild nature (e.g., unmanaged forests , uncultivated grasslands , wildlife , wildflowers ) can be found in many locations previously inhabited by humans. Goals for the benefit of people and natural systems, commonly expressed by environmental scientists and environmentalists include: In some cultures the term environment is meaningless because there is no separation between people and what they view as

2737-671: Is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future time and a given location. The atmosphere is a chaotic system , and small changes to one part of the system can grow to have large effects on the system as a whole. Human attempts to control the weather have occurred throughout human history, and there is evidence that civilized human activity such as agriculture and industry has inadvertently modified weather patterns. Evidence suggests that life on Earth has existed for about 3.7 billion years. All known life forms share fundamental molecular mechanisms, and based on these observations, theories on

2856-430: Is the one originally developed by Wladimir Köppen . The Thornthwaite system , in use since 1948, uses evapotranspiration as well as temperature and precipitation information to study animal species diversity and the potential impacts of climate changes . Weather is a set of all the phenomena occurring in a given atmospheric area at a given time . Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere , just below

2975-481: Is the primary flow of water through Boulder. The creek was named before the city's founding for all of the large granite boulders that have cascaded into the creek over the eons. It is from Boulder Creek that the city is believed to have taken its name. Boulder Creek has significant water flow, derived primarily from snow melt and minor springs west of the city. The creek flows into St. Vrain Creek east of Longmont , which

3094-575: Is usually shallow. Due to the high elevation, a strong warming sun can quickly melt snow cover during the day and Chinook winds bring rapid warm-ups throughout the winter months. Summers are warm, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. There are roughly 30 days of 90 °F (32 °C) or above each year. Diurnal temperature variation is typically large due to the high elevation and semi-arid climate. Daytime highs are generally cooler than those of most Colorado cities with similar elevations. The highest recorded temperature of 104 °F (40 °C)

3213-591: The National Ocean Service ). The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries of the United States Department of the Interior ′s United States Fish and Wildlife Service was transferred to NOAA, and its fisheries science and oceanographic research ships joined the hydrographic survey ships of the former Coast and Geodetic Survey fleet to form the new NOAA fleet . In the 1970 reorganization that created NOAA,

3332-708: The National Oceanographic Data Center from the United States Department of the Navy . Soon after the Commission published the report, the U.S. Congress began to deliberate action on it, as did the Advisory Council on Executive Organization created by President Richard Nixon in 1969. Among the Advisory Council's proposals for reorganization of the executive branch of the United States Government

3451-508: The Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Program. These satellites, launched between 1960 and 1965 and known as TIROS 1 through 10, were the first generation of American weather satellites. These early satellites carried low-resolution television and infrared cameras . Designed mainly to test the feasibility of weather satellites, TIROS proved to be extremely successful. Four were still operating when ESSA

3570-507: The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps ; the Director of the National Bureau of Standards , Allen V. Astin (1904–1984); and a panel of scientists from industry and academia. The committee's goal was to consider ways of improving the Department of Commerce's environmental science efforts by improving management efficiency and making the provision of environmental science services to

3689-742: The continents , various archipelagos and other criteria, these divisions are : (in descending order of size) the Pacific Ocean , the Atlantic Ocean , the Indian Ocean , the Southern Ocean and the Arctic Ocean . A river is a natural watercourse , usually freshwater , flowing toward an ocean , a lake , a sea or another river. A few rivers simply flow into the ground and dry up completely without reaching another body of water. The water in

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3808-601: The cryosphere (corresponding to ice ) as a distinct portion of the hydrosphere, as well as the pedosphere (to soil ) as an active and intermixed sphere. Earth science (also known as geoscience, the geographical sciences or the Earth Sciences), is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth . There are four major disciplines in earth sciences, namely geography , geology , geophysics and geodesy . These major disciplines use physics , chemistry , biology , chronology and mathematics to build

3927-566: The flag of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey , modified by the addition of a blue circle to the center of the red triangle, within which was a stylized, diamond-shaped map of the world. Because the Coast and Geodetic Survey retained its identity after it was placed under ESSA in 1965, ships of the Survey's fleet continued to fly the Coast and Geodetic Survey flag as a distinctive mark while

4046-408: The mineralogic composition and the structure of its soil are similar to those of an undisturbed forest soil, but the structure is quite different. Earth science generally recognizes four spheres, the lithosphere , the hydrosphere , the atmosphere and the biosphere as correspondent to rocks , water , air and life respectively. Some scientists include as part of the spheres of the Earth,

4165-408: The mitigation of greenhouse gases that are causing climatic changes, on developing adaptative strategies to global warming, to assist humans, other animal, and plant species, ecosystems, regions and nations in adjusting to the effects of global warming . Some examples of recent collaboration to address climate change and global warming include: A significantly profound challenge is to identify

4284-399: The natural environment can be distinguished as components: In contrast to the natural environment is the built environment . Built environments are where humans have fundamentally transformed landscapes such as urban settings and agricultural land conversion , the natural environment is greatly changed into a simplified human environment. Even acts which seem less extreme, such as building

4403-421: The stratosphere . Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. When used without qualification, "weather" is understood to be the weather of Earth. Weather occurs due to density (temperature and moisture) differences between one place and another. These differences can occur due to

4522-570: The 1800s, Euro-American settlers colonized the area. Modern Boulder was founded in late 1858 when prospectors led by Thomas Aikins arrived at Boulder Canyon during the Colorado Gold Rush. Arapaho leader Niwot allowed them to stay for the winter, but the settlers abused this peaceful approach, and some later took part in the Sand Creek massacre of Arapaho. In early 1859, gold was discovered along Boulder Creek, drawing more miners and merchants to

4641-616: The 1965 reorganization, the commissioned officers of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps , a component of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey with a history dating back to 1917, were transferred to the control of the United States Secretary of Commerce . This created the United States Environmental Science Services Commissioned Officer Corps , known informally as the "ESSA Corps," whose director reported directly to

4760-564: The Boulder Bach Festival is an annual festival celebrating the life, legacy, and music of J.S. Bach . The festival is led by Executive Director Zachary Carrettin and Artistic Director Mina Gajic. Founded in 1988, Colorado MahlerFest celebrates the legacy of composer Gustav Mahler through an annual festival. Under Artistic Director Kenneth Woods , The Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra draws together young professionals, conservatory and university students, and advanced amateurs. Boulder

4879-705: The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and the functions of the Bureau of Sport Fisheres and Wildlife dealing with marine and migratory fishes from the United States Department of the Interior ′s United States Fish and Wildlife Service ; the National Sea Grant Program from the National Science Foundation ; elements of the United States Lake Survey from the United States Department of the Army ; and

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4998-869: The Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation. By 1862, the creek had yielded $ 100,000 in gold, and Boulder's population exceeded 300. On November 7, 1861, the Colorado General Assembly passed legislation to locate the University of Colorado in Boulder. On September 20, 1875, the first cornerstone was laid for the first building (Old Main) on the CU campus. The university officially opened on September 5, 1877. In 1907, Boulder adopted an anti- saloon ordinance. In 1916, statewide prohibition started in Colorado, and ended with

5117-649: The Coast and Geodetic Survey were abolished. These offices were replaced by a new Administrator and Deputy Administrator of ESSA. ESSA was headquartered in Rockville , Maryland , with the ESSA Administrator as its senior executive. It consisted of five principal service and research elements, each of which reported directly to the ESSA Administrator: the Institutes for Environmental Research, reorganized in 1967 as

5236-463: The Colorado state capital of Denver . Boulder is a college town , hosting the University of Colorado Boulder , the flagship and largest campus of the University of Colorado system as well as numerous research institutes . Archaeological evidence shows that Boulder Valley has been continuously inhabited by Native American tribes for over 13,000 years, beginning in the late Pleistocene era. Throughout

5355-539: The ESSA Administrator. Like the Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps before it, the ESSA Corps was responsible for providing commissioned officers to operate the Coast and Geodetic Survey's ships, fly aircraft, support peacetime defense requirements and purely civilian scientific projects, and provide a ready source of technically skilled officers which could be incorporated into the United States armed forces in time of war, and

5474-707: The ESSA Corps was resubordinated to NOAA, becoming the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps , known informally as the "NOAA Corps." Like its predecessors, the Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps and ESSA Corps, the NOAA Corps became one of the then-seven (now eight) uniformed services of the United States , and carries out responsibilities similar to those of the ESSA Corps. The first U.S. Government organization to address environmental science and earth sciences holistically, ESSA pioneered

5593-770: The ESSA Research Laboratories; the Environmental Data Service; the United States Weather Bureau; the National Environmental Satellite Center; and the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. Various other headquarters staff elements also reported directly to the Administrator, including the U.S. ESSA Commissioned Officer Corps (or "ESSA Corps"). To tackle scientific and technological problems related to understanding

5712-518: The Earth's atmosphere plays an important role in reducing the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches the surface. As DNA is readily damaged by UV light, this serves to protect life at the surface. The atmosphere also retains heat during the night, thereby reducing the daily temperature extremes. Earth's atmosphere can be divided into five main layers. These layers are mainly determined by whether temperature increases or decreases with altitude. From highest to lowest, these layers are: Within

5831-603: The Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island John Knauss , ESSA Administrator Robert M. White, and other representatives of U.S. Government agencies, U.S. state governments, industry, academia, and other institutions with programs or interest in marine science and technology; it also included four U.S. Congressional advisors, including former U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson of Washington . The commission began its work in early 1967, and on 9 January 1969 it issued its final report, entitled Our Nation and

5950-524: The Norlin Quad, and having out-of-town law enforcement agencies help secure the campus. In 2013, April 20 fell on a Saturday. The university continued the 420 party ban and closed the campus to visitors. In 2015 the government conceded and once again opened the park to visitors on April 20. The Happy Thursday Cruiser Ride is a weekly bicycle ride in Boulder Colorado. The Boulder Cruiser Ride grew from

6069-671: The Office of Sea Grant Programs from the National Science Foundation; the mapping, charting, and research functions of the U.S. Army's U.S. Lake Survey; the U.S. Navy's National Oceanographic Data Center; the Marine Minerals Technology Center from the Department of the Interior's United States Bureau of Mines ; the U.S. Navy's National Oceanographic Instrumentation Center ; and the Department of Transportation's National Data Buoy Project , although it did not follow

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6188-638: The Paleo-Indian, Archaic, and Late Prehistoric periods, Indigenous peoples moved seasonally between the mountains and plains, taking shelter in winter along the Front Range trough where Boulder now lies. By the 1500s, the area was occupied by Ute tribes, joined by Arapaho tribes in the early 1800s. The Indigenous Nations who have ties to the Boulder Valley include the Apache , Arapaho , Cheyenne , Comanche , Kiowa , Pawnee , Shoshone , Sioux , and Ute peoples. In

6307-498: The Sea: A Plan For National Action . The Commission determined that "because of the importance of the seas to this Nation and the world, our Federal organization of marine affairs must be put in order," and that fulfilling the U.S. ocean policy declared in the 1966 act and making "full and wise use of the marine environment" required the study of both the ocean and the atmosphere and their interactions with one another. Accordingly, it recommended

6426-488: The Stratton Commission's and Advisory Council's recommendations, and in early July 1970 submitted Department of Commerce Reorganization Plan No. 4. It proposed the creation in 90 days within the Department of Commerce of the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), consisting of ESSA; the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and the marine sport fishing program of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife;

6545-584: The Stratton Commission's recommendation to include the U.S. Coast Guard in NOAA. Accordingly, on 3 October 1970, ESSA was abolished as part of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, and it was replaced by NOAA. Under NOAA, the National Weather Service continued to operate as such, while the Coast and Geodetic Survey was disestablished and its functions were divided under various new NOAA offices, all of which fell under NOAA's new National Ocean Survey (later renamed

6664-624: The Survey was subordinate to ESSA. In June 1966, the U.S. Congress passed the Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act, which declared that it was U.S. Government policy to: ...develop, encourage, and maintain a coordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national program in marine science for the benefit of mankind, to assist in protection of health and property, enhancement of commerce, transportation, and national security , rehabilitation of our commercial fisheries , and increased utilization of these and other resources. The act created

6783-546: The U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Science and Technology, Dr. Herbert Holloman , established a special committee to review the environmental science service activities and responsibilities of the United States Department of Commerce . Committee members included the Director of the United States Weather Bureau , Dr. Robert M. White (1923–2015); the Director of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey , Rear Admiral Henry Arnold Karo (1903–1986) of

6902-534: The U.S. Weather Bureau while under ESSA. It was renamed the National Weather Service (NWS) in 1970. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began weather satellite programs in 1958, and ESSA inherited these upon its creation in 1965. ESSA's National Environmental Satellite Center worked jointly with NASA to develop weather satellite capabilities. It managed the first operational U.S. polar orbiting weather satellite system, known as

7021-558: The Weather Bureau and the Coast and Geodetic Survey, as well as the Central Radio Propagation Laboratory that had been part of the National Bureau of Standards, together under a single parent scientific agency for the first time. Although the Weather Bureau and Coast and Geodetic Survey retained their independent identities under ESSA, the offices of Director of the Weather Bureau and Director and Deputy Director of

7140-415: The abiotic constituents of their biotope . A more significant number or variety of species or biological diversity of an ecosystem may contribute to greater resilience of an ecosystem because there are more species present at a location to respond to change and thus "absorb" or reduce its effects. This reduces the effect before the ecosystem's structure changes to a different state. This is not universally

7259-633: The allocation of 1,800 acres (7.3 km ) of mountain backdrop/watershed extending from South Boulder Creek to Sunshine Canyon. Boulder has created an Urban Wildlife Management Plan which sets policies for managing and protecting urban wildlife. The city's Parks and Recreation and Open Space and Mountain Parks departments have volunteers who monitor parks, including wetlands, lakes, etc., to protect ecosystems. From time to time, parks and hiking trails are closed to conserve or restore ecosystems. Traditionally, Boulder has avoided using chemical pesticides to control

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7378-583: The annual polar bear plunge . With rescue teams standing by, participants use a variety of techniques to plunge themselves into the freezing reservoir. Once the plunge is complete, swimmers retreat to hot tubs on the reservoir beach to revive themselves from the cold. Starting in 1998, dozens of people have taken part in a Halloween run down the city's streets wearing only shoes and a hollowed-out pumpkin on their heads. In 2009, local police threatened participants with charges of indecent exposure , and no naked runners were reported in official newscasts, although

7497-585: The area. The Boulder City Town Company was formed in February 1859 to establish a settlement at the canyon mouth. By 1860, it had 70 cabins, occupied mainly by Anglo families. Non-whites like Chinese miners and black residents were part of early Boulder but rarely pictured. In 1861, Boulder County was created, and the Arapaho were forced to relocate per the Treaty of Fort Wise. With declining numbers, Niwot's band soon moved to

7616-425: The biological manifestation of life is characterized by organization , metabolism , growth , adaptation , response to stimuli and reproduction . Life may also be said to be simply the characteristic state of organisms . In biology , the science of living organisms, "life" is the condition which distinguishes active organisms from inorganic matter , including the capacity for growth, functional activity and

7735-407: The case and there is no proven relationship between the species diversity of an ecosystem and its ability to provide goods and services on a sustainable level. The term ecosystem can also pertain to human-made environments, such as human ecosystems and human-influenced ecosystems. It can describe any situation where there is relationship between living organisms and their environment. Fewer areas on

7854-399: The city. The population density was 3,942.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,522.3/km ). There were 43,479 housing units at an average density of 1,760.3 units per square mile (679.7 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 88.0% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.2% some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races. 8.7% of

7973-453: The continental divide and about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Denver. Arapahoe Glacier provides water for the city, along with Boulder Creek, which flows through the center of the city. Denver International Airport is located 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Boulder. In 1899, government preservation of open space around Boulder began, with the Congress of the United States approving

8092-425: The continual change preceding death. A diverse variety of living organisms (life forms) can be found in the biosphere on Earth, and properties common to these organisms—plants, animals , fungi , protists , archaea , and bacteria —are a carbon - and water-based cellular form with complex organization and heritable genetic information. Living organisms undergo metabolism , maintain homeostasis , possess

8211-477: The county and the 12th-most populous city in Colorado. Boulder is the principal city of the Boulder metropolitan statistical area , which had 330,758 residents in 2020, and is part of the Front Range Urban Corridor . Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains , at an elevation of 5,430 feet (1,655 m) above sea level. The city is 25 miles (40 km) northwest of

8330-406: The creation of a new Department of Natural Resources. Noting that two-thirds of the new Administration would be made up of ESSA personnel and funding, United States Secretary of Commerce Maurice Stans (1908–1998) proposed instead that the new Administration become part of the Department of Commerce, where ESSA already was in place. Nixon decided to side with Stans, as well as to incorporate some of

8449-483: The creation of an independent "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency" to administer the principal civil marine and atmospheric programs of the United States, and that the new agency be composed of the United States Coast Guard from the United States Department of Transportation ; ESSA and its subordinates, the National Weather Service and U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, from the U.S. Department of Commerce;

8568-559: The cruiser ride as a public event. Returning to an underground format, where enthusiasts must become part of the social network before gaining access to event sites, the Boulder Cruiser Ride has continued as a local tradition. On May 30, 2013, over 400 riders attended the Thursday-night Cruiser Ride in honor of "Big Boy", an elk that was shot and killed on New Year's Day by an on-duty Boulder Police officer. Boulder

8687-624: The direction of the rivers and water path. Dams can usefully create reservoirs and hydroelectric power. However, reservoirs and dams may negatively impact the environment and wildlife. Dams stop fish migration and the movement of organisms downstream. Urbanization affects the environment because of deforestation and changing lake levels, groundwater conditions, etc. Deforestation and urbanization go hand in hand. Deforestation may cause flooding, declining stream flow and changes in riverside vegetation. The changing vegetation occurs because when trees cannot get adequate water they start to deteriorate, leading to

8806-586: The ecological processes that sustain them and to reduce the wildfire risk to forest and human communities. Boulder has a temperate climate typical for much of the state and receives many sunny or mostly sunny days each year. Boulder is considered semi-arid (Köppen: BSk ) or humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa ) within the Köppen climate classification due to its relatively high yearly precipitation and average temperatures remaining above 32 °F (0 °C) year-round. Winter conditions range from generally mild to

8925-409: The environment. Central to the ecosystem concept is the idea that living organisms are continually engaged in a highly interrelated set of relationships with every other element constituting the environment in which they exist. Eugene Odum , one of the founders of the science of ecology , stated: "Any unit that includes all of the organisms (i.e.: the "community") in a given area interacting with

9044-410: The estimated median household income in Boulder was $ 57,112, and the median family income was $ 113,681. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 71,993 versus $ 47,574 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 37,600. 24.8% of the population and 7.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.4% of those under 18 and 6.0% of those 65 and older were living below

9163-527: The exploration of their use, playing a major role in the development of modern weather satellites. Natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all biotic and abiotic things occurring naturally , meaning in this case not artificial . The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts of Earth. This environment encompasses the interaction of all living species , climate , weather and natural resources that affect human survival and economic activity. The concept of

9282-472: The extinction of natural habitats, which in turn leads to a reduction in wildlife population. The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the group of the leading climate scientists in the world) concluded that the earth will warm anywhere from 2.7 to almost 11 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 to 6 degrees Celsius) between 1990 and 2100. Efforts have been increasingly focused on

9401-586: The five principal layers determined by temperature there are several layers determined by other properties. The dangers of global warming are being increasingly studied by a wide global consortium of scientists. These scientists are increasingly concerned about the potential long-term effects of global warming on our natural environment and on the planet. Of particular concern is how climate change and global warming caused by anthropogenic , or human-made releases of greenhouse gases , most notably carbon dioxide , can act interactively and have adverse effects upon

9520-650: The global environment, ESSA created the Institutes for Environmental Research , based in Boulder , Colorado . The four institutes were: To more precisely reflect the scope and mission of the individual elements of the Institutes for Environmental Research, ESSA reorganized them into the ESSA Research Laboratories in 1967. The ESSA Research Laboratories were made up of: Under ESSA, the National Data Center

9639-539: The insect population. However, with the threat of West Nile virus , the city began an integrative plan to control the mosquito population in 2003 that includes chemical pesticides. Residents can opt out of the program by contacting the city and asking that their areas not be sprayed. Under Boulder law, exterminating prairie dogs requires a permit. In 2005, the city experimented with using goats for weed control in environmentally sensitive areas. Goats naturally consume diffuse knapweed and Canada thistle , and although

9758-656: The largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race in the world. Founded in 1958, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra under the leadership of its Music Director Michael Butterman. Founded in 1976 by Giora Bernstein , the Colorado Music Festival presents a summer series of concerts in Chautauqua Auditorium . Founded in 1981,

9877-426: The local papers and the university administrators, who have been thought to have been attempting to downplay the event. Eleven citations were given out whereas the year before there were only two. 2011 was the last year of mass 420 partying at CU as the university, in 2012, took a hard stance against 420 activities, closing the campus to visitors for the day, using smelly fish fertilizer to discourage gathering at

9996-415: The mantle which is heated by the decay of radioactive elements . The mantle though solid is in a state of rheic convection . This convection process causes the lithospheric plates to move, albeit slowly. The resulting process is known as plate tectonics . Volcanoes result primarily from the melting of subducted crust material or of rising mantle at mid-ocean ridges and mantle plumes . Most water

10115-414: The mountain backdrop from development. In 1967, city voters approved a dedicated sales tax to acquire open space to contain urban sprawl . In 1970, Boulder created a "comprehensive plan" to dictate future zoning, transportation, and urban planning decisions. Hoping to preserve residents' views of the mountains, in 1972, the city enacted an ordinance limiting the height of newly constructed buildings. In 1974,

10234-410: The natural environmental dynamics in contrast to environmental changes not within natural variances. A common solution is to adapt a static view neglecting natural variances to exist. Methodologically, this view could be defended when looking at processes which change slowly and short time series, while the problem arrives when fast processes turns essential in the object of the study. Climate looks at

10353-415: The natural world, or their surroundings. Specifically in the United States and Arabian countries many native cultures do not recognize the "environment", or see themselves as environmentalists. Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city in and the county seat of Boulder County, Colorado , United States. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 census , it is the most populous city in

10472-482: The occasional bitterly cold. Highs average in the mid to upper 40s °F (7–9 °C). There are 4.6 nights annually where the temperature drops to 0 °F (−18 °C). Because of orographic lift , the mountains to the west often dry out the air passing over the Front Range , shielding the city from precipitation in winter, though heavy snowfalls may occur. Snowfall averages 88 inches (220 cm) per season. Snow depth

10591-571: The oceans and atmosphere alongside the earth sciences subordinated to ESSA. ESSA served as the prototype not only for NOAA but also for the United States Environmental Protection Agency , which was established two months after NOAA, on 2 December 1970. ESSA's work in designing weather satellites and managing their missions was a major step forward both technologically and in terms of weather monitoring and prediction. It prompted further development of weather satellites in

10710-409: The origin of life attempt to find a mechanism explaining the formation of a primordial single cell organism from which all life originates. There are many different hypotheses regarding the path that might have been taken from simple organic molecules via pre-cellular life to protocells and metabolism. Although there is no universal agreement on the definition of life, scientists generally accept that

10829-500: The other. The massive environmental changes of humanity in the Anthropocene have fundamentally effected all natural environments including: climate change , biodiversity loss and pollution from plastic and other chemicals in the air and water . More precisely, we can consider the different aspects or components of an environment, and see that their degree of naturalness is not uniform. If, for instance, in an agricultural field,

10948-438: The physical environment so that a flow of energy leads to clearly defined trophic structure, biotic diversity, and material cycles (i.e.: exchange of materials between living and nonliving parts) within the system is an ecosystem." The human ecosystem concept is then grounded in the deconstruction of the human/nature dichotomy , and the emergent premise that all species are ecologically integrated with each other, as well as with

11067-400: The planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative. Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems. Deserts, rain forests, plains, and other areas—including the most developed urban sites—all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to animals that are untouched by civilized human factors, most scientists agree that wildlife around

11186-415: The planet, its natural environment and humans' existence. It is clear the planet is warming, and warming rapidly. This is due to the greenhouse effect , which is caused by greenhouse gases, which trap heat inside the Earth's atmosphere because of their more complex molecular structure which allows them to vibrate and in turn trap heat and release it back towards the Earth. This warming is also responsible for

11305-409: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 41,302 households, of which 19.1% had children under 18 living with them, 32.2% were headed by married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.6% were non-families. 35.8% of all households comprised individuals, and 7.1% were someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size

11424-459: The poverty line. In 2010, the Boulder MSA had a gross metropolitan product of $ 18.3 billion, the 110th largest metropolitan economy in the United States. In 2007, Boulder became the first city in the United States to levy a carbon tax . In 2013, Boulder appeared on Forbes magazine's list of Best Places for Business and Careers. In the city's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,

11543-547: The program was not as effective as it was hoped, goats will still be considered in future weed control projects. In 2010, goats were used to keep weeds under control at the Boulder Reservoir. The city's Open Space and Mountain Parks department manages approximately 8,000 acres (32 km ) of protected forest land west of the city, in accordance with a 1999 Forest Ecosystem Management Plan. The plan aims to maintain or enhance native plant and animal species, their communities,

11662-594: The public more effective. The committee's work resulted in its recommendation that the Department of Commerce consolidate various scientific efforts scattered within and between the Weather Bureau, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and National Bureau of Standards by establishing a new parent agency – the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) – which would coordinate the activities of the Weather Bureau and Coast and Geodetic Survey and bring at least some of their efforts, along with some of

11781-443: The release of water stored in glaciers and snowpacks. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including stream , creek and brook. Their current is confined within a bed and stream banks . Streams play an important corridor role in connecting fragmented habitats and thus in conserving biodiversity . The study of streams and waterways in general is known as surface hydrology . A lake (from Latin lacus )

11900-481: The repeal of national prohibition in 1933. Median home prices rose 60% from 2010 to 2015 to $ 648,200. In 2024, the City Council of Boulder repealed a long-standing law that prevented Boulder from increasing new residential units by more than 1% in a year. In 1959, city voters approved the "Blue Line" city-charter amendment, which restricted city water service to altitudes below 5,750 feet (1,750 m), to protect

12019-410: The revolutionary organizational concept of uniting scientific and engineering activities that had been scattered among its subordinate agencies so as to establish unified mission support to meet environmental science and technology objectives. ESSA's successor, NOAA, continued and broadened the application of this organizational concept by adding marine life sciences to its portfolio of holistic study of

12138-495: The statistics of temperature , humidity , atmospheric pressure , wind , rainfall , atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time. Weather , on the other hand, is the present condition of these same elements over periods up to two weeks. Climates can be classified according to the average and typical ranges of different variables, most commonly temperature and precipitation. The most commonly used classification scheme

12257-434: The sun angle at any particular spot, which varies by latitude from the tropics. The strong temperature contrast between polar and tropical air gives rise to the jet stream . Weather systems in the mid-latitudes , such as extratropical cyclones , are caused by instabilities of the jet stream flow. Because the Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane, sunlight is incident at different angles at different times of

12376-775: The surface of the earth today exist free from human contact, although some genuine wilderness areas continue to exist without any forms of human intervention. Global biogeochemical cycles are critical to life, most notably those of water , oxygen , carbon , nitrogen and phosphorus . Wilderness is generally defined as a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. The WILD Foundation goes into more detail, defining wilderness as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet – those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with roads, pipelines or other industrial infrastructure." Wilderness areas and protected parks are considered important for

12495-420: The survival of certain species , ecological studies, conservation , solitude, and recreation . Wilderness is deeply valued for cultural, spiritual, moral , and aesthetic reasons. Some nature writers believe wilderness areas are vital for the human spirit and creativity. The word, "wilderness", derives from the notion of wildness ; in other words that which is not controllable by humans. The word etymology

12614-530: The time the highest-ranking officer in the combined history of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps and ESSA Corps, Vice Admiral Karo served as Deputy Administrator of ESSA from 1965 to 1967. He was the only officer in the combined history of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps, ESSA Corps, and the ESSA Corps′ successor, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps (NOAA Corps), to reach that rank until NOAA Corps Rear Admiral Michael S. Devany

12733-538: The top employers are: Boulder has hosted a 10 km road run , the Bolder Boulder , on Memorial Day every year since 1979. The race involves over 50,000 runners, joggers, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it one of the largest road races in the world. It has the largest non- marathon prize purse in road racing. The race culminates at Folsom Field with a Memorial Day Tribute. The 2007 race featured over 54,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it

12852-463: The work done in the National Bureau of Standards, together into new organizations that focused scientific and engineering mission support for shared areas of inquiry. In a message to the United States Congress dated 13 May 1965 in which he formally proposed the creation of ESSA, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson described ESSA's mission in this way: The new Administration will then provide

12971-411: The world is (now) impacted by human activities. It is the common understanding of natural environment that underlies environmentalism — a broad political , social and philosophical movement that advocates various actions and policies in the interest of protecting what nature remains in the natural environment, or restoring or expanding the role of nature in this environment. While true wilderness

13090-826: The world, there are many lakes because of chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last ice age . All lakes are temporary over geologic time scales, as they will slowly fill in with sediments or spill out of the basin containing them. A pond is a body of standing water , either natural or human-made, that is usually smaller than a lake . A wide variety of human-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens designed for aesthetic ornamentation, fish ponds designed for commercial fish breeding and solar ponds designed to store thermal energy. Ponds and lakes are distinguished from streams by their current speed . While currents in streams are easily observed, ponds and lakes possess thermally driven micro-currents and moderate wind-driven currents. These features distinguish

13209-465: The year. On the Earth's surface, temperatures usually range ±40 °C (100 °F to −40 °F) annually. Over thousands of years, changes in the Earth's orbit have affected the amount and distribution of solar energy received by the Earth and influenced long-term climate. Surface temperature differences in turn cause pressure differences. Higher altitudes are cooler than lower altitudes due to differences in compressional heating. Weather forecasting

13328-523: Was 2.16, and the average family size was 2.84. Boulder's population is younger than the national average, largely due to the presence of university students. The median age at the 2010 census was 28.7 years compared to the U.S. median of 37.2 years. In Boulder, 13.9% of the residents were younger than 18, 29.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and older, there were 106.2 males. In 2011,

13447-492: Was established in 1965. TIROS paved the way for the more advanced weather satellites of the TIROS Operational System (TOS). The ESSA National Environmental Satellite Center worked jointly with NASA to deploy the new TOS satellites, which constituted an operational experiment with early imaging and weather broadcast systems. Nine of ESSA's TOS satellites were launched between 1966 and 1969, each named "ESSA" followed by

13566-439: Was on June 25, 2012. The record low was −33 °F (−36 °C) on January 17, 1930. The coldest high temperature, −12 °F (−24 °C), was on February 4, 1989. The warmest overnight low was on July 20, 1998, with a temperature of 82 °F (28 °C) Boulder is the principal city of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . In the 2010 census, there were 97,385 people, 41,302 households, and 16,694 families in

13685-408: Was one of the uniformed services of the United States . Robert M. White (1923–2015) served as the Administrator of ESSA throughout its existence. On the day ESSA and the ESSA Corps were created, Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps Rear Admiral Henry Arnold Karo (1903–1986) simultaneously became an ESSA Corps officer and was promoted to vice admiral to serve as ESSA's first deputy administrator. At

13804-471: Was one that proposed the replacement of the U.S. Department of the Interior with a new U.S. Department of Natural Resources, and that this new department include a "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration" which combined ESSA with some elements of the Department of the Interior; the Nixon administration considered placing the new Administration within the Department of the Interior as an interim measure pending

13923-403: Was promoted to vice admiral on 2 January 2014. The first Director of the ESSA Corps was Rear Admiral James C. Tison, Jr. (1908–1991), who served in this capacity from 1965 to 1968. He was succeeded by the second and last Director of the ESSA Corps, Rear Admiral Don A. Jones (1912–2000), who served from 1968 to 1970. The flag of the Environmental Science Services Administration was in essence

14042-421: Was renamed the Environmental Data Service (EDS). In 1966, ESSA transferred the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's Seismology Data Centers to Asheville , North Carolina , where they merged with the U.S. Weather Bureau's National Weather Records Center to create ESSA's Environmental Data Center. Under the 1965 reorganization, the United States Weather Bureau became subordinate to ESSA. It retained its identity as

14161-423: Was subordinated to ESSA. While under ESSA, it retained its distinct identity and continued to carry out its responsibilities for coastal and oceanic hydrographic surveys , geodetic work in the interior of the United States and at sea, and other scientific work, such as in seismology. The Coast and Geodetic Survey also continued to operate its fleet of survey ships and research ships while subordinate to ESSA. In

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