Taking the Pulse of the Planet
More than 100 PNNL scientists are heading to San Francisco this week to contribute to global discussions around Earth systems and related topics. They’ll be putting forth 169 presentations—a record number from the Laboratory—at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
Scientists will discuss a worldwide effort to understand river corridors, factors driving change in waterways around the globe, flood risks along the coasts, and the flux of methane in wetlands as water levels rise and fall. They’ll also report on the source of hailstones that pound the Central Plains every spring (hint: hailstones know no borders) and the role “atmospheric rivers” play in delivering water to the mountains in California.
On the ground, scientists are looking for clues about why some forests seem able to shake off challenges like higher temperatures and limited water while other forests succumb quickly.
Additional topics include the resilience of the electric grid, the impact of industrial emissions – the list goes on. Learn about these and many other topics that PNNL is sharing at AGU.
Advancing a more collective understanding of coastal systems dynamics and evolution is a formidable scientific challenge. PNNL is meeting the challenge head on to inform decisions for the future.
From microscopic bacteria in river sediments to vast watersheds to global-scale data and inquiries, a PNNL scientist plays a big research role
One Laboratory’s Role in an Epic Arctic Campaign
As the world knows by now, something very big is afoot in the frigid central Arctic, a little-known region of the world where sea ice is thinning and temperatures are rising at twice the global average.