http://www.pnnl.gov/science/ Fundamental and Computational Sciences Directorate en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss suraiya.farukhi@pnnl.gov christine.sharp@pnnl.gov http://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1457Results: By the end of the century, an increased demand for fresh water will hit certain regions harder than others, according to new research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Projections analyzed by the team show that the Middle East and India, already dealing with water scarcity, will face even more water stress. ]]>Tue, 17 Sep 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1455Dr. L. Ruby Leung, atmospheric scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, wrote a feature article for EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), published August 20. The report describes recent advancements in regional climate modeling through a project called Development of Frameworks for Robust Regional Climate Modeling. Leung describes a hierarchical framework to systematically evaluate climate simulations at regional scales and insights from several studies that analyzed simulations generated as part of the hierarchy to understand discrete challenges in regional climate simulations. Leung is a world-renowned leader in regional climate modeling, is co-principal investigator of the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program, and is a designated fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Meteorological Society, the AGU and a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences. Read the full article. ]]>Fri, 13 Sep 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1454Meredydd Evans, energy efficiency expert and scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was quoted in CSP Today, an online trade publication reaching professionals and researchers interested in new technologies and research for the concentrated solar power industry. The article explores how China might use clean energy options for district heating. Evans has worked extensively in China and collaborated with researchers, engineers, government and policy offices in the region. She is internationally known for her work in building energy codes, energy efficiency and clean energy policy and conducts research at the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI) in Maryland. JGCRI is a partnership between PNNL and the University of Maryland. Read the full article. ]]>Fri, 13 Sep 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=14522013 Key Scientific Accomplishments report is now available as a downloadable PDF. This 32-page full-color brochure highlights some of the year's most noteworthy achievements by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists, all of which have impacted science and some of the most important global challenges in energy, security, and environmental sustainability. ]]>Wed, 11 Sep 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1450Results: A large international research team from centers around the world, led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, for the first time used 12 climate models to show basic climate responses to geoengineering—theoretical techniques to purposefully alter the climate. As simulated, all models showed that uniform solar geoengineering cannot simultaneously return regional and global temperature and water cycle changes to preindustrial levels. This is the first paper resulting from the highly anticipated Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) using the full suite of models. ]]>Tue, 10 Sep 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1444Results: A research team led by scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory identified specific strengths and weaknesses of four different ice cloud retrieval algorithms. Their comparisons tested the ability of the algorithms to obtain cloud properties from radar and lidar observational measurements. The team noted the sometimes large variances in heating/cooling measurements compared to the observed data. Identifying specific weaknesses will help scientists improve our understanding of cloud properties in the atmosphere, which can be used for climate model development and evaluation. ]]>Wed, 04 Sep 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1442Results: Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory uncovered another clue as to how tropical clouds live long and prosper. Moisture from the middle layer of the atmosphere, both before and after the clouds begin forming, is the determining factor for the lifetime of these cloud systems. When the researchers compared clouds of equal lifetime that initiate over land and over water, those over land were more intense than those beginning over the ocean, especially during the early stages. Contrary to previous studies, they found that wind shear-the change in wind speed and direction-has no discernible effect on the lifetime of the tropical cloud systems. ]]>Fri, 30 Aug 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1443Robust Results from Climate Model Simulations of Geoengineering" published in the August 13 edition of EOS. The publication is a summary report from the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) meeting held in April 2013. Solar geoengineering—deliberate reduction in the amount of solar radiation retained by the Earth—is a proposed temporary way of reducing some of the effects of greenhouse gases while mitigation is in progress. GeoMIP uses climate models developed around the world to simulate the effects of solar geoengineering in response to greenhouse gas emissions. ]]>Fri, 30 Aug 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1439Dr. Ben Bond-Lamberty authored an introduction to the Ecological Impact of Climate Change Collection for the Public Library of Science (PLOS) journals. As an editor for PLOS ONE, Bond-Lamberty curated a list of publications in conjunction with the 2013 Ecological Society of America meeting. His article presents the broad range of research within the Collection that reveals the multi-faceted impacts of climate change on ecological and human systems. The article is published in PLOS Collections and on the PLOS EveryONE blog.  ]]>Thu, 22 Aug 2013 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1437Washington State Academy of Sciences in September. The academy recognizes scientists and engineers from across the state for outstanding scientific achievement and leadership. Academy members provide expert scientific and engineering analysis to inform public policy-making, and work to increase the role and visibility of science in Washington state. ]]>Mon, 19 Aug 2013 00:00:00 PST