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Program Domain

Climate & Atmosphere Processes

Michael Wehner (left) and Bill Collins (right) reviewing the NCAR's Community Atmosphere Model to see how well the model can reproduce observed tropical cyclone statistics using supercomputers to map climate change.

Climate and Atmosphere Processes scientists study the processes that drive variability and change in the atmosphere and broader climate system. They develop modeling tools to predict these changes at different time and space scales.

Programs

Program

Climate Modeling

This program aims to develop global process-resolving models to help quantify the roles of climate feedbacks in anthropogenic climate change. Abrupt and extreme climate changes from anthropogenic warming pose some of the greatest risks to society and the environment. Understanding of the complex interactions involved with feedbacks is critical.

Christina Marie Patricola cmpatricola@lbl.gov

lightening strike in Great Plains Oklahoma
Program

Atmospheric System Research

The Earth and Environmental Sciences Area’s, Atmospheric System Research Program advances fundamental understanding of atmospheric radiation, clouds, and precipitation, and their interactions with Earth’s surface and climate.

Margaret Torn

Margaret S. Torn mstorn@lbl.gov 510-495-2223

Background

The Climate and Atmosphere Processes (CAP) Program Domain was initiated in 2015 and is one of four Program Domains within the Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division. Projects and programs within the CAP program domain use a combination of theory, models, and observations to develop our understanding of the processes that drive variability and long-term change in the atmosphere. Core capabilities in the CAP program domain include:

  • expertise in the physics and statistics of climate extremes;
  • models and parameterizations for simulating atmospheric phenomena across a wide range of scales: from convective (1 km) to global (25,000 km);
  • expertise, models, and theoretical understanding of the propagation of light and thermal radiation in the atmosphere; and
  • theoretical and observational understanding of the processes that govern cloud behavior.

Vision and Mission

Vision: A comprehensive theoretical and predictive understanding of the processes that drive variability and change in the atmosphere and broader climate system

Mission: To develop foundational knowledge and capabilities needed to understand and predict variability and change in the atmosphere and broader climate system

Program Domain Leads

Claudia Tebaldi
Staff Scientist

News & Events

Microbial Response to a Changing and Fire-Prone Arctic Ecosystem

April 27, 2022

Burning more than 1,000 square kilometers of tundra on Alaska’s North Slope, the 2007 Anaktuvuk river wildfire is one of the largest fires to occur within Arctic ecosystems. Berkeley Lab scientist Nick Bouskill led a study that used data from this disturbance event to predict ecosystem recovery as fires advance in a changing climate. (Credit:…

Study Evaluates Phosphorus Availability Underground using Plant Leaves as Biosensors

April 25, 2022

When envisioning renewable energy, sources that often come to mind are the sun, wind, batteries, and water. However, biofuel, a type of renewable energy that converts organic material from plants into liquid fuel, is an important part of a global effort to achieve net-zero emissions. Switchgrass, a deep-rooted native North American grass that grows in…

Researchers Investigate How Changes in Small-Scale Environmental Conditions Impact Microbial Structure and Function

  Just one teaspoon of soil or sediment can contain up to one billion microbes. These microorganisms in Earth’s subsurface, although invisible, largely influence the global carbon cycle through their ability to break down organic material, which releases carbon dioxide in the process. However, environmental conditions within Earth’s subsurface such as moisture, nutrient availability, and…

EESA Study Closes Knowledge Gaps of Drought Impacts on Microbial Activity

Climate change is leading to an increase in many vivid impacts, such as more frequent wildfires and floods. However, there are many effects of climate change that can’t be seen from miles away – or even seen at all. The intensity and frequency of drought is predicted to increase along with higher temperatures. Droughts can…

EESA Researchers Develop Open-Source Code for Modeling Soil Biogeochemistry

April 22, 2022

  Senior scientist William Riley and several EESA collaborators have published a chapter of a new book on soil biogeochemistry. Published in March, the book Multi-Scale Biogeochemical Processes in Soil Ecosystems: Critical Reactions and Resilience to Climate Changes was developed to provide a state-of-the-art overview of research in soil biogeochemical processes and strategies for greenhouse…

Berkeley Lab Team Hunts for Carbon in Soil Without Getting Their Hands Dirty

April 14, 2022

This article was published first at newscenter.lbl.gov.   Soil imaging with neutrons can give a quick, detailed look at the amount and distribution of carbon (and certain other important elements) in soil without disturbing the soil or plant roots Soil imaging with neutrons can give a quick, detailed look at the amount and distribution of…

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