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Mark Miller, a researcher of clouds and Earth’s climate system, is a professor of atmospheric science at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Over the years, he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in atmospheric physics, remote-sensing technologies, physical meteorology, and much more.

The main site of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s newest atmospheric observatory is beginning to take shape. ARM met a crucial February 2023 deadline to clear trees for the instruments and containers that will form the core of the Bankhead National Forest (BNF) observatory in northwestern Alabama.

Argonne’s Illinois Regional Middle School Science Bowl becomes the first regional Science Bowl to host a head-to-head STEM trivia competition in a virtual format. As snow fell throughout much of Chicago on Jan. 28, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory kicked off its annual Illinois Regional Middle School Science Bowl, part of the larger national competition.

DOE Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists RENEW initiative funds pilot summer school to immerse college students from underrepresented groups in physical science. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory annually hosts multiple internships for undergraduate students to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Predicting snowfall from winter storms is tricky, in no small part because heavy snow and regions of mixed precipitation look very similar in weather radar imagery. Mixed precipitation falls as a blend of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow, and it can be mistaken for heavy snow on radar imagery while translating to less snow accumulation on the ground.

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

often begin with mathematically handy assumptions about nature. Models, for instance, might represent the shape of land beneath the atmosphere as flat. In reality, of course, land rises and falls, and surface features change.

This study seeks insights into the governing mechanisms of new particle formation (NPF) over the central United States and the possible role that vertical mixing may play in boundary-layer NPF. Understanding what drives the vertical profile of NPF and how the vertical profile corresponds to what is observed at the surface, is vital in interpreting observations and modeling NPF in the atmosphere.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $150 million for research into the crosscutting foundational science for multiple Energy Earthshots. This funding, provided by the Office of Science, will support fundamental research to accelerate breakthroughs in support of the Energy Earthshots Initiative.

Key metrics of 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

are associated with Pacific Decadal Variability (PDV) and Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV). Recent advances in simulating patterns of such modes point to exploring and applying new approaches in the model evaluation framework. As they alternate between warm and cold phases, the interplay between PDV and AMV varies over decadal to multidecadal timescales.

To call 4 petabytes

petabyte

A petabyte is equal to one quadrillion (one thousand trillion) bytes, 1 million gigabytes, or 1,000 TB.

Source: NCEI News - Data in Action: From Petabytes to Practical Uses Source

a lot of data sounds like an understatement. On February 17, 2023, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility passed this milestone, having collected 4 petabytes worth of continuous data since 1992. To put that gargantuan amount of data in perspective, some estimates say 4 petabytes is approximately equivalent to 2 trillion pages of standard printed text

We introduce a new risk-triage platform based on an emerging discipline called multi-sector dynamics (MSD), which seeks to understand and model compounding risks and potential tipping points across interconnected natural and human systems. Tipping points occur when these systems can no longer sustain multiple, co-evolving stresses, such as extreme events, population growth, land degradation, etc.

Tiny particles in Earth’s atmosphere can have a big impact on climate. But understanding exactly how these aerosol

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

particles form cloud drops and affect the 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

and scattering of sunlight is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty in climate models.