Scientists Take to the Skies over Azores to Gather Cloud Data
Clouds in the eastern North Atlantic region will come under scrutiny from a bevy of airplane-based instruments this summer as scientists analyze the physical and chemical properties of clouds and aerosols.
Increasing Model Spatial Resolution Fails to Reduce Simulated Storm Biases
The ability of a storm-resolving weather model to predict the growth of storms over central Argentina was evaluated with data from the Clouds, Aerosols, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) field campaign in central Argentina.
E3SMv0-HiLAT
The software, titled E3SMv0-HiLAT, is a novel, modified version of the Community Earth System Model version 1 (Hurrell et al., 2013, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-12), intended for study of high-latitude processes. E3SMv0-HiLAT incorporates changes and new features in the atmospheric model; these changes affect aerosol transport to high northern latitudes and reduce shortwave cloud bias over the Southern Ocean. Additionally, new features are introduced to the ocean biogeochemistry to improve representation of high-latitude phytoplankton groups, and two-way coupling is implemented between the biogeochemistry in the sea ice and ocean models. The modifications also include a dynamic coupling of the ocean flux of aerosol precursors into the atmosphere model, which enables these marine emissions of aerosol precursor emissions to respond to changes in sea ice extent, ocean stratification and associated nutrient availability, and atmospheric state.
Community Emissions Data System (CEDS)
The community emissions data system is a software system developed for research use, using the R open source programing language that produces consistent estimates of global air emission species over the industrial era (1750- latest full year) by country, sector, and fuel. The system focuses on aerosol and aerosol precursor emissions, e.g. emissions that impact atmospheric chemistry and aerosol loadings. Emissions are also mapped to spatial grids, produced in netCDF format, for use by Earth system and other atmospheric models. Data inputs to this system include emission inventories and driver data, such as energy consumption and population estimates, and default emission factors, which are used together to produce consistent estimates of emissions over time. The data system is unique in its blending of emission data from multiple sources together with driver data, to consistently estimate emission trends over time in an open source framework. This software was planned, from original conception and in the project proposal and FWP, to be released as open-source software.
CARBON DIOXIDE ENHANCED HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION (iEdison No. 0685901-22-0241)
The invention is injecting carbon dioxide into hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) in order to increase biocrude product yield and/or decrease byproduct yield. 1) Injection of carbon dioxide into a hydrothermal liquefaction process including, but not limited to In the feeding section And/or the preheating section And/or the reactor section And/or the product handling and collection section 2) The carbon dioxide is optionally obtained from the waste product gas from an HTL process This invention improves product yield, reduces byproduct yield, and may enhance operation of HTL when carbon dioxide is injected into one or more unit operations into an HTL process. As a source of CO2 is available from the HTL process byproduct gas, it can be easily collected, recompressed, and injected into the HTL system at various locations. As the CO2 is captured from the HTL process, this also enables simple recovery/recycle of the injected carbon dioxide as a normal function of HTL. This recovery may also be used to capture carbon dioxide in order to reduce atmospheric emission.
TOROIDAL MULTIPASS ABSORPTION DEVICE
U.S. Patent No. 7,876,443 and references therein discloses a method of creating a multipass cell having a toroidal configuration in which light is injected into the cavity via a hole or penetration into the wall of the reflective toroidal surface. Subsequent to this, a similar cavity is described in the scientific literature that provides additional design guidance for constructing a typical cell.[i],[ii] Both of the referenced papers also describe an absorbing mask that is placed against the cell wall to suppress unwanted reflections which the authors state contribute to coherent noise, often referred to as 'fringing" as the main laser beam interferes with stray reflections that can occur if the launch angle into the cell does not adhere to the value determined by the design equations. These interference patterns contribute noise to the desired signal and degrade the instrument's sensitivity. We disclose an alternate method of injecting light into a toroidal multipass cell using a small mirror (either plane or with optical power) affixed to the wall of the cell in place of a hole or penetration. This approach simplifies construction and offers a path to reduced construction costs and potential replication methods such as casting, injection molding, 3D printing, electroforming or metal spinning. [i] B. Tuzson, M. Mangold, H. Looser, A. Manninen, and L. Emmenegger, 'Compact multipass optical cell for laser spectroscopy", Opt. Lett., Vol 38 (3), 257-259 (2013) [ii] M. Mangold, B. Tuzson, M. Hundt, J. Jagerska, H. Looser, and L. Emmenegger, 'Circular paraboloid reflection cell for laser spectroscopic gas analysis", JOSA A, Vol. 33 (5), 913-919 (2016). U.S. Patent No. 7,876,443 and references therein discloses a method of creating a multipass cell having a toroidal configuration in which light is injected into the cavity via a hole or penetration into the wall of the reflective toroidal surface. Subsequent to this, a similar cavity is described in the scientific literature that provides additional design guidance for constructing a typical cell.[i],[ii] Both of the referenced papers also describe an absorbing mask that is placed against the cell wall to suppress unwanted reflections which the authors state contribute to coherent noise, often referred to as 'fringing" as the main laser beam interferes with stray reflections that can occur if the launch angle into the cell does not adhere to the value determined by the design equations. These interference patterns contribute noise to the desired signal and degrade the instrument's sensitivity. We disclose an alternate method of injecting light into a toroidal multipass cell using a small mirror (either plane or with optical power) affixed to the wall of the cell in place of a hole or penetration. This approach simplifies construction and offers a path to reduced construction costs and potential replication methods such as casting, injection molding, 3D printing, electroforming or metal spinning. [i] B. Tuzson, M. Mangold, H. Looser, A. Manninen, and L. Emmenegger, 'Compact multipass optical cell for laser spectroscopy", Opt. Lett., Vol 38 (3), 257-259 (2013) [ii] M. Mangold, B. Tuzson, M. Hundt, J. Jagerska, H. Looser, and L. Emmenegger, 'Circular paraboloid reflection cell for laser spectroscopic gas analysis", JOSA A, Vol. 33 (5), 913-919 (2016).
Emissions Cause Delay in Rainfall
Rising greenhouse gases and declining aerosols have triggered an approximate four-day delay in rainfall over tropical land and the Sahel.
Human-Generated Compounds Spur Particle Formation over Southern Great Plains
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.
Wu Receives Outstanding Contribution Award
Earth Scientist Mingxuan Wu was recognized with an Outstanding Contribution Award for his work on nitrate aerosol modeling in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model.
Amazon Rainforest Foliage Gases Affect the Earth’s Atmosphere
PNNL researchers have uncovered a plant-derived process that leads to the formation of aerosol particles over the Amazon rainforest and potentially other forested parts of the world.