News

A new class of high-resolution global atmosphere models is emerging for Earth system modeling. These state-of-the-art models can directly simulate convective storms and hold promise for improving modeling hydrological extremes and their potential changes in future climates. Convective storms, particularly those that grow into MCSs, produce a large fraction of hazardous weather worldwide.

A new study has found that global warming is impacting the relationship between El Niño-Southern Oscillation and monsoon

monsoon

The seasonal reversal in atmospheric low-level circulations, particularly the surface winds and associated precipitation, resulting in a pattern of wet summers and dry winters.

Source: National Weather Service Source

precipitation in Asia and Australia. Aided by tree-ring climate data, this study showed that the relationship between ENSO and monsoon precipitation has been enhanced since the late 20th century, with the influence of anthropogenic climate warming being a significant factor.

Tyler Quill, Stanford University, SCGSR 2021 S1 (BES) investigated in collaboration with Dr. Christopher Takacs at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation

synchrotron radiation

The electromagnetic radiation emitted when charged particles travel in curved paths.

Source: NIST Source

Lightsource (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) the formation and structure of a polymer semiconductor/ionic-liquid nanocomposite which exhibits room-temperature mixed conduction.

Starting on February 15, 2023, a new Atmospheric System Research (ASR)-supported field campaign―slated to last a full year―will provide unprecedented four-season data on the properties of coastal marine clouds, including their radiative effects and the role manmade particles play. Cloud radars on Mount Soledad will have a clear view of the coast to the north and west.

Global climate models (GCMs) are challenged by difficulties in simulating cloud phase and cloud radiative effect over the Southern Ocean (SO). Some of the new-generation GCMs predict an excess of liquid and insufficient ice in mixed-phase clouds. This misrepresentation of the cloud phase in GCMs leads to weaker negative cloud feedback over the SO and a higher climate sensitivity.

Precipitation and other outputs generated by global climate models (GCMs) and regional climate models (RCMs) can be biased due to several factors, such as imperfect model conceptualization and discretization. Different methods exist to correct biased climate-model output used as input to hydrological models, including simulations using GCM

global climate model (GCM)

A complex mathematical representation of the major climate system components (atmosphere, land surface, ocean, and sea ice), and their interactions.

Source: NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Source

or RCM output.

This study synthesized information about plant types and environmental controls in coastal wetlands

wetland

An area of land that is periodically saturated with water, which influences the types of plants and animals that can live there. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs, and other similar areas.

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

and suggests that including specific vegetation types (salt marsh, mangrove, and succulent) and their different responses to salinity

salinity

Salinity is the dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a strong contributor to conductivity and helps determine many aspects of the chemistry of natural waters and the biological processes within them.

Source: EPA Source

and water levels can improve land model simulations of carbon storage and greenhouse gas balance of coastal regions.

Researchers extended a permafrost

permafrost

Any ground that remains completely frozen—32°F (0°C) or colder—for at least two years straight. These permanently frozen grounds are commonly found in regions with high mountains and near the North and South Poles.

Source: USGS Source

thermal hydrology

hydrology

The science that deals with water, its properties, circulation, or distribution on Earth's surface, and in the atmosphere through evapotranspiration.

Source: NASA earth observatory Source

model to represent uneven sinking of the ground surface caused by soil ice deposits melting. Uneven sinking has been observed to accelerate permafrost thaw over small areas, but models were unable to evaluate potential impacts over larger scales. In this study, spatially resolved simulations focused on tundra

tundra

A type of ecosystem dominated by lichens, mosses, grasses, and woody plants. Generally located at high latitudes (arctic tundra) and high altitudes (alpine tundra).

Source: NASA earth observatory Source

containing ice formations.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science (SC) will support nearly 100 high schoolers, recent high school graduates, and early undergraduate students from underrepresented groups and underserved schools in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through awards for five Pathway Summer Schools at six national laboratories.

Twice each year, the JGI accepts proposals for state-of-the-art functional genomics

genomic

An interdisciplinary field of science that focuses on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes.

Source: energy.gov Source

research from potential users who need help translating genomic information into biological function. Through our CSP Functional Genomics call, we look for projects that will leverage the JGI’s DNA synthesis

synthesis

The process of combining a number of things into a coherent whole to form a theory or system.

Source: National Library of Medicine Source

and omics capabilities to enhance understanding of gene and genome function.

Hunter College Campus Schools and Ward Melville High School took the top spots in the Long Island Regional Science Bowl competitions hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3. The fast-paced question-and-answer contest quizzed students on chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and general, earth, and computer science.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists along with their colleagues have conducted a series of climate model experiments to illuminate the processes that determine why certain forcing agents cause greater global mean surface temperature changes than other forcing agents (like 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

or sulfate 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

– even for the same globally averaged radiative forcing.