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Eighty-five percent of the Earth’s air resides in the lowest layer of its atmosphere, or troposphere. Yet, major gaps remain in our understanding of the atmospheric chemistry that drives changes in the troposphere’s composition. One especially important gap in knowledge is the formation and prevalence of secondary organic aerosols

secondary organic aerosol (SOA)

Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOAs) are air pollutants emitted from natural and man-made sources. They are produced through a complex interaction of sunlight, volatile organic compounds from trees, plants, cars or industrial emissions, and other airborne chemicals.

Source: EPA Environmental Protection Agency Source

(SOAs), which impact the planet’s radiation balance, air quality and human health.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are part of six groups that received 2023 Secretary of Energy Honor Awards. The awards are considered among the highest forms of recognition that can be bestowed by DOE. Secretary Jennifer Granholm recognized the broad-sweeping impact of award-winning teams with unique specialties but common and ​“amazing purposes” in a ceremony on Feb. 20.

In a warmer world, microbes

microbe

Microbes are tiny living things that are found all around us and are too small to be seen by the naked eye. They live in water, soil, and in the air.

Source: NIH Source

in drought-stricken soils convert less carbon to carbon dioxide

carbon dioxide (CO2)

An important heat-trapping gas, also known as a greenhouse gas, that comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), from wildfires, and natural processes like volcanic eruptions.

Source: NASA Source

and more to volatile intermediates. Volatile organic compounds

volatile organic compound (VOC)

Compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility. Many VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants.

Source: EPA Environmental Protection Agency Source

(VOCs) are chemicals that contain carbon and that can move between liquids and air. Microbes usually use the carbon in VOCs as a food source. However, microbes can also release VOCs as gases that can escape the soil and enter the atmosphere. In this study, a team of scientists used an isotope of carbon to track how soil microbes produce and use volatile carbon.

Teams Representing 11 Countries and 37 Institutions Will Present Their Zero-Energy Building Designs at the 2024 Design Challenge Competition Event, Hosted at NREL in April. Finalist teams were selected at the semifinal competition event, held virtually on Feb. 23–24, 2024. Teams presented their zero-energy building designs to panels of industry experts, and finalist teams were selected based on how well they addressed the 10 Solar Decathlon contests.

The United States is taking substantial actions to combat climate change,

climate change

A change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in a region over a long period of time.

Source: NASA Climate Kids Source

but Americans are experiencing increased risk from extreme weather events that are exacerbating social inequities. This is a major conclusion presented in the recently released Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), a product of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGRP), comprised of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and 13 other Federal agencies.

A University of California, Riverside, researcher investigates the fate, flux,

flux

The amount of some type of particle or energy crossing a unit area per unit time.

Source: NRC Library Source

size, chemistry, and number of cloud-critical bits of matter. Markus Petters concentrates on studying particles within the planetary boundary layer,

planetary boundary layer

The lowest layer of the troposphere where wind is influenced by friction.

Source: National Weather Service Source

the humid band of air nearest to Earth's surface. This region is highly active, with trace gases or particles introduced from both above and below. Atmospheric 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

minuscule hybrids of solids and liquids, including water, play a pivotal role in the formation of clouds and precipitation.

The U.S. energy transition is gaining speed, accelerated by government 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

goals and billions of dollars through the Inflation Reduction Act. As we race toward a greener future, understanding the potential adverse effects of renewable energy technologies before they are deployed has never been more critical. Dozens of researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have spent decades studying the life cycles and environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies.

A greater understanding of how plants and microbes work together to store vast amounts of atmospheric carbon in the soil will help in the design of better bioenergy

bioenergy

A renewable energy derived from biological sources, to be used for heat, electricity, or vehicle fuel.

Source: USDA Source

crops for the fight against climate change. Deciphering the mechanics of this mutually beneficial relationship is challenging, however, as conditions in nature are extremely difficult for scientists to replicate in the laboratory. To address this challenge, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) created fabricated ecosystems

ecosystem

A natural community of plants, animals, and other living organisms and the physical environment in which they live and interact.

Source: A student's guide to Global Climate Change Source

or EcoFABs.

On Feb. 15, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory hosted the 22nd annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED). The event gave eighth-grade girls a unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at Argonne, including touring labs and facilities, talking to scientists and engineers, and participating in hands-on activities. The ultimate goal of the program, is to inspire and engage middle school girls in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).

A 2023 article in Nature Climate Change sparked a flurry of news reports on scientific concern over the fate of ice in Antarctica. The authors note that oceans are warming at three times the historical rate. During the 21st century, they argue, it is “inevitable” that vulnerable ice shelves in West Antarctica will melt at an accelerating rate. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) fully melted, the global mean sea level would rise by more than 17 feet.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking proposals under the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP) to boost small and medium wind turbine technology. This year's emphasis is on fostering commercialization plans and business models that benefit rural small businesses and farmers, aligning with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and DOE's new Rural and Agricultural Income & Savings from Renewable Energy (RAISE) Initiative.

Pathways To Sustainable Biofuels

biofuel

Liquid fuels that are produced from renewable biological sources, including plants and algae. Biofuels offer an alternative to some of the challenges of solar, wind, and other alternative energy sources.

Source: Energy.Gov Source

Are Within View As Computational Models

computational modeling

The use of computers to simulate and study complex systems using mathematics, physics, and computer science.

Source: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Source

Solve Key Challenges. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers are tackling the difficult task of using agricultural waste generated from plant-to-food processing to make fuels that can power an airplane or a ship rather than relying on fossil fuels. Researchers in NREL’s Computational Science Center are hard at work enabling the conversion of biomass

biomass

Material that comes from living things, including trees, crops, grasses, and animals and animal waste. Some kinds of biomass, such as wood and biofuels, can be burned to produce energy.

Source: EPA Global Climate Change Source

to fuels and products at the industrial scale.