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.

PNNL has created and licensed a system that sniffs out trace levels of fentanyl, other drugs and explosives through the air.

Lauren Charles, a chief data scientist at PNNL, showcased the vital research coming out of her program at The National Academies Forum workshop in Washington, D.C., January 15–16, 2025.

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.

Scientists are developing ways to detect previously unseen forms of fentanyl as well as other synthetic opioids known as nitazenes.

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.

PNNL chemist John Shilling builds custom chamber helping uncover how aerosol particles and clouds contribute to Earth’s changing climate.

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.

PNNL biodefense experts seek to identify, understand and mitigate the risks of biological pathogens—whether naturally occurring or intentionally created—so steps can be taken to prepare and respond.

Three PNNL researchers will receive five continuous years of funding for projects through highly competitive DOE Early Career Research Program awards.

Scientists have developed a way to detect tiny amounts of hard-to-detect explosives more than eight feet away.

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.

Researchers will explore climate, pathogens and energy-efficient microelectronics using 3 million node hours on the nation’s supercomputers.

National laboratory expertise was on display at the 2024 Department of Homeland Security Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Summit.

In the latest issue of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, Ashley Bradley and Kristin Omberg share how new research is shedding light on the scientific and technological challenges with detecting fentanyl.

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.

Research at PNNL and the University of Texas at El Paso are addressing computational challenges of thinking beyond the list and developing bioagent-agnostic signatures to assess threats.

Beyond melting ice and higher temperatures: On Earth Day, scientists consider how climate change will affect national security.

A set of papers combines surface science measurements on tiny particles with uncrewed aerial systems to better understand and model aerosols.