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Disentangling the Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions in the North Atlantic
This study shows that surface heat fluxes act to damp the variability of ocean-driven sea surface temperature. This implies that the strength of surface coupling in global climate models might be one of the reasons why many Earth system models simulate weaker Atlantic Multidecadal Variability compared to observations.
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New Aerosol Modeling Approach Takes Cues from Lab Experiments
PNNL researchers are unraveling the complex evolution of secondary organic aerosols and their effect on climate. Studying isoprene in lab experiments, they developed a consistent way to represent dynamic SOA chemistry in three-dimensional chemical transport models.
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Susannah Burrows Honored with Brodzinski Early Career Exceptional Achievement Award
Dr. Susannah Burrows, an atmospheric scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, recently received a 2018 Ronald L. Brodzinski Early Career Exceptional Achievement Award. Burrows was recognized for her leadership in improving the understanding of connections between biological systems on land and ocean and their chemistry, and physical climate processes in the atmosphere. The Brodzinski award is named after a former PNNL Laboratory Fellow and nuclear physicist to honor his passion for mentoring early career staff.
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Linking Local and National Government for Global Mitigation
Less-developed countries may lack what is needed to implement their energy efficiency goals. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Maryland performed case studies in six cites on different continents to identify barriers to building energy code implementation and assess how they can be mitigated.
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As Ecosystems Heat Up, Tundra Changes Speed Up
Researchers observed nearly three decades of data captured in rapidly warming Artic and alpine regions and found environmental factors that shape biotic communities in cold extremes. Understanding the functional traits of Arctic and alpine tundra plant communities will enable better model projections of how they transform in warmer conditions.
How do human activities and natural systems interact to affect the Earth's climate? Ultimately, that is the question challenging scientists in PNNL’s Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division.
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