Climate and Earth Systems Science Research Area
How do human activities and natural systems interact to affect the Earth's climate? Ultimately, that is the question challenging scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We are expanding knowledge of fundamental atmospheric processes, developing state-of-the-art modeling capabilities, and improving understanding of how climate, energy, water, and land systems interact. This requires working across disciplines and integrating theory, measurements, and modeling at scales ranging from molecular to global.
Our internationally recognized Climate & Earth Systems Science research tackles key questions and delivers decision-relevant results related to
- Atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and precipitation
- Human systems such as agriculture and energy
- Cycling of water, carbon, and other important constituents
- The impacts of, and potential responses to, climate change.
This research area also includes scientific leadership and collaboration through
- The ARM Climate Research Facility, a DOE Office of Science national user facility, where PNNL scientists manage and contribute to a wide range of atmospheric research and develop cutting edge technologies and data products, with an overarching goal of improving representations of clouds, aerosols, precipitation, and radiation in climate models.
- The Atmospheric Measurements Laboratory, an innovative research facility with unique equipment where PNNL and other researchers advance knowledge of clouds, the aerosol lifecycle, and other climate-relevant atmospheric processes.
- The Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI), a partnership between PNNL and the University of Maryland, conducting world-renowned research on the interactions of climate, economic activities, energy production and use, and the environment.
- The Platform for Regional Integrated Modeling and Analysis (PRIMA) initiative, a PNNL-wide research initiative focused on developing an integrated, modular framework for simulating the complex interactions among human and natural systems at regional scales to inform decision making.
Related Highlights
- Water-stressed Globe Will Face Increased Thirst, Study Finds
- Computer Simulations Show Effects of Engineering the Climate
- Nailing Down Ice in a Cloud Model
- The Long and Rich Life of Tropical Clouds
- Ruby Leung Joins Washington State Academy of Sciences
- Alex Guenther, International Leader in Atmospheric and Ecosystem Research, Joins PNNL
- Catch-24: Reflecting on Pollution Particles
- Soot, Methane Reduction Benefit Smaller Than Thought
- The Changing Face of Aerosols
- Ahoy Aquaplanet: Identifying Model Resolution Shortcomings
- The Brass Ring of Climate Modeling
- Irrigation's Impact on Clouds and Climate
- Phil Rasch Recipient of Climate Modeling Distinguished Achievement Award
- Ghan, Wang Contribute Expertise in a Community Atmosphere Model
- Crossing the Atmosphere's Next Frontier
- At the Junction of Humid and Sticky
- Rain and Cloud Resistance
- Fires, Hurricanes and the Climate
- Wind and Cold Carry Dust to New Heights
- Fair-Weather Clouds Hold Dirty Secret
- Atmospheric Bit Players Take Stage
- When Pollution Gets a Whiff of Trees
- Reining in Rain's Reign
- Making the Case for Regional Modeling
- Clouds Pull Rank in the Tropical Atmosphere
- A New Method for Measuring the Viscosity of Nanoparticles
- Water for Power
- Rivers Run Right Through It...The Model
- Jim Dooley to Serve on the Technical Program Committee for GHGT12
- Reaching Ambitious Greenhouse Gas Concentration Goals
- Water Supply and Demand
- A Long Way from Home: Saharan and Asian Dust and Particles End Journey in California
- A Decade and Counting
- Xiaohong Liu, Editor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- 20 Years Serving Science
- The Short and the Long of Storms
- Dust Dries Clouds by Gobbling Up Water Vapor
- Jim Dooley Authored Thoughtful Editorial on Avoiding Scientific Plagiarism
- Chun Zhao Served as Guest Editor of Aeolian Research
- Extraterrestrial Effects on Climate? Not So Much.
- Steven Smith Contributes Expertise for Concentrating Solar Power Technology
- Feng Receives Thesis Award from Chinese-American Ocean-Atmosphere Association
- Visiting Postdoc Fellow Receives Young Scientist Paper Award
- Soot is Warming the Planet
- Marginal Lands Are Prime Fuel Source for Alternative Energy
- Cotton-Ball Clouds Contained
- Richard Moss Authors Report for NOAA
- Slow Trumps Fast in Changing the Summer Monsoon
- Lord of the Wings: Elevated Particles a Rising Star
- PNNL to Map the Wind as Part of DOE Offshore Wind Demonstration Project
- A Shortcut to Aerosol Signatures
- The Middle Child of Tropical Clouds
- Pollution Hitches Ride to Arctic
- Tropical Clouds: From Jekyll to Hyde
- Invisible Giants in the Sky
- When Clouds Hang Out with Pollution
- Connections for the Building Energy Efficiency Community
- Getting Collaborative About Climate
- Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Aerosol
- Dimming the Sun's Light
- 2012 Fundamental & Computational Sciences Accomplishments Report Now Available
- PNNL Scientists Involved in Producing Reports by the National Academies
- Project Won to Lead Black Carbon Research in Russian Arctic
- Steven Ghan Editor-in-Chief for JGR-Atmospheres
- A-Tisket, A-Tasket, The Greenhouse Gas Basket
- Caught in the Act: Atmospheric Organic Particles' MO Revealed
- Dust Achieves Lofty Aspirations
- L. Ruby Leung Appointed Editor of Journal of Hydrometeorology
- Charles Long Receives 2012 World Meteorological Organization Väisälä Award for Research on Fractional Cloudiness
- How to Catch Aerosols in the Act
- A Chemistry Tale of Two Carbons
- Fresh Water Feeds Hurricanes' Fury
- Pollution Weakens Monsoon's Might
- Bytes for Bits
- Pollution + Storm Clouds = Warmer Atmosphere
- Desert Dust Intensifies Summer Rainfall in U.S. Southwest
