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Every summer, grid operators brace themselves for an increase in energy demand as people turn their air conditioners on. This makes summer a “peaking season” in many parts of the United States. Grid operators can generally predict and prepare for peaking energy demands and make sure enough is available from fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable sources.

Suspended in the atmosphere, tiny particles of liquids and solids work to make life on Earth possible. These particles, called aerosols,

aerosols

Small particles or droplets, such as wildfire smoke, volcanic gases, or salty sea spray, that float in the air. They are emitted by both natural events and human activities.

Source: NASA Global Climate Change Source

can be as tiny as 2 nanometers wide, about the diameter of a strand of DNA. Others are ten thousand times bigger. Big and small, taken together, they make clouds and precipitation possible.

Compound floods (CF) can happen when different extreme events, like heavy rain and high storm surge, happen closely in time. This study investigated how often CFs occur along U.S. coastlines and what risks they pose to the residents. Using Earth system models

earth system model (ESM)

A model that simulates how chemistry, biology, and physical forces work together. These models are similar to, but much more comprehensive than, global climate models.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy Source

simulating rivers and oceans, this work identified areas most at risk.

The consortium is a partnership between Florida A&M University, the University of California, Merced (UC Merced), Morehouse College in Atlanta and LLNL’s High Energy Density Science Center. The three-day meeting featured talks by faculty and students from the three universities as well as LLNL staff on science topics, internships and navigating the Lab.

The DOE Office of Science program in Biological and Environmental Research (BER) hereby announces its interest in applications from the scientific community for Climate Resilience Centers (CRCs) that will improve the availability and utility of BER research, data, models, and capabilities to address climate resiliency, particularly by underrepresented or vulnerable communities.

Science, technology, engineering and math students from colleges across the nation who participate in the next U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office’s JUMP into STEM competition will tackle three new challenges: building affordability, peak power demand and indoor comfort in extreme climates.

Shifting to clean energy means addressing some of the most difficult technical challenges the world has faced—making collaboration key. It means investing in our future leaders and providing them opportunities to encounter new ideas, develop new skills, and become globally aware scientists.

Paula Pérez is an engineer by training, but to this National Renewable Energy

renewable energy

Renewable energy comes from unlimited, naturally replenished resources, such as the sun, tides, and wind. Renewable energy can be used for electricity generation, space and water heating and cooling, and transportation.

Source: U.S Department of Energy Source

Laboratory (NREL) researcher, engineering is about people. With an early passion for math, physics, and engineering, Pérez first started using her technical skills to address social challenges in her home country of Colombia, where she worked with Indigenous communities facing water scarcity.

Brookhaven National Laboratory, is pleased to announce the new Brookhaven Women in Science Mentorship Award. This award program is designed to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for girls in elementary through high school, encourage more girls to pursue further studies in STEM, and, ultimately, increase representation of women in STEM professions.

Oxygen is an important driver of biogeochemical processes

biogeochemical processes

The complex interactions and transformations of chemical elements and compounds that occur throughout Earth's ecosystems, such as nutrient and element cycling between living organisms, the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and pedosphere (soil).

Source: Source

in soils. Coastal systems experience frequent flooding due to tidal cycles, variable rainfall, and storm surge events. These events can result in rapid consumption of oxygen, but the time scale of these processes is unknown.

Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds form from wildfire-driven convection.

convection

The rising of warm air and the sinking of cool air. Convection can cause local breezes, winds, and thunderstorms.

Source: NASA earth observatory Source

PyroCb clouds contain large amounts of black carbon

black carbon

The sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It comprises a significant portion of particulate matter or PM, which is an air pollutant.

Source: EPA Source

(BC) mixed with water and organics. BC particles have a large effect on our climate because they can absorb sunlight, but BC absorption

absorption

The mechanism through which energy (e.g., solar or infrared) is converted into heat and contributes to the overall warming of the Earth's atmosphere and surface.

Source: NOAA Source

depends on how it is mixed with other materials.

Deep convection is a major contributor to annual total precipitation and a source of very high-intensity rainfall over coastal Texas. Understanding the initiation and development of deep convection, including isolated deep convection (IDC) and mesoscale convective systems

mesoscale convective system (MCS)

A collection of thunderstorms that act as a system. An MCS can spread across an entire state and may appear as a solid line, a broken line, or a cluster of cells that can last more than 12 hours.

Source: NOAA Source

(MCSs), is vital due to their impact on regional weather and extreme events.