Atmospheric aerosol particles modulate climate and the Earth’s energy balance by scattering and absorbing sunlight. They also seed clouds, acting as cloud condensation nuclei.
Extensive in situ and remote sensing measurements were collected to address data gaps and better understand the interactions of convective clouds and the surrounding environment.
Armed with some of the world’s most advanced instrumentation, researchers at PNNL are working to analyze huge amounts of data and uncover hidden biological connections.
Led by interns from multiple DOE programs, a newly expanded dataset allows researchers to use easy-to-obtain measurements to determine the elemental composition of a promising carbon storage mineral.
PNNL’s year in review includes highlights ranging from advancing soil science to understanding Earth systems, expanding electricity transmission, detecting fentanyl, and applying artificial intelligence to aid scientific discovery.
This project sought to assure that research activities centered around different sampling and monitoring efforts in northwest Ohio would not disturb any historical cultural resources.
Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are increasing in frequency as large wildfires become more prevalent in a warming climate. These clouds can inject smoke particles into the atmosphere, where they can remain suspended for several months.
Using numerical simulations to reproduce the laboratory experiments, this study reveals that liquid droplets are present near the bottom surface, which warms and moistens the air in the chamber.
Despite the widespread presence of RNA viruses in soils, little is known about the relative contributions and interactions of biological and environmental factors shaping the composition of soil RNA viral communities.
Aerosol particles imbue climate models with uncertainty. New work by PNNL researchers reveals where in the world and under what conditions new particles are born.
A multi-institutional team of researchers conducted a 13C-labeling greenhouse study using a semi-arid grassland soil, where they tracked the fate of 13C-labeled inputs from living roots and decaying roots from annual grass Avena barbata.
Researchers show how satellite observations from the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and CloudSat radar can be used to constrain the ACI radiative forcing that is linked to droplet collection in marine liquid clouds.