Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Logo
Menu
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Organizational Charts
    • Virtual Tours
    • EESA Strategic Vision
  • Our People
    • A-Z People
    • Alumni Network
    • Area Offices
    • Committees
    • Directors
    • IDEA Working Group
    • Paul A. Witherspoon
    • Postdocs & Early Careers
    • Search by Expertise
  • Careers & Opportunities
    • Careers
    • Intern Pilot w/CSUEB
    • Mentorship Program
    • Recognition & Funding Opps
    • EESA Mini Grants
    • S&E Metrics for Performance and Promotion
    • Student Opportunities
    • Supervisor EnRichment (SupER) Program
    • Promotion Metrics (Scientific)
  • Research
    • Our Divisions
    • Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division
      • Environmental & Biological Systems Science
        • Programs
        • Environmental Remediation & Water Resources
        • Ecosystems Biology Program
        • Bioenergy
      • Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions
        • Programs
        • Climate Modeling
        • Atmospheric System Research
        • Terrestrial Ecosystem Science
      • Climate & Atmosphere Processes
        • Programs
        • Climate Modeling
        • Atmospheric System Research
      • Earth Systems & Society
        • Programs
        • Climate Modeling
    • Energy Geosciences Division
      • Discovery Geosciences
        • Programs
        • Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Geophysics
        • Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Geochemistry
        • Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Isotope
      • Energy Resources
        • Programs
        • Geologic Carbon Sequestration
        • Hydrocarbon Resources
        • Geothermal Systems
        • Nuclear Energy & Waste
      • Resilient Energy, Water & Infrastructure
        • Programs
        • Water-Energy
        • Critical Infrastructure
        • Environmental Resilience
        • Grid-Scale Subsurface Energy Storage
    • Projects
    • Research at a Glance
    • Publication Lists
    • Centers and Resources
    • Technologies & National User Programs
  • Departments
    • Climate Sciences
    • Ecology
    • Geochemistry
    • Geophysics
    • Hydrogeology
    • Operations
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Earth & Environment Newsletter
  • Intranet
  • COVID & Safety
    • EESA Safety
    • EESA COVID-19
  • Search

  • all
  • people
  • events
  • posts
  • pages
  • projects
  • publications

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.

Private: Christina Marie Patricola [email protected] 510-486-5983

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 [email protected] 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

William D. (Bill) Collins
Director, Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division,
Director, Environmental Resilience Accelerator (Era),
Senior Scientist

News & Events

EESA Scientist Coauthors New Comprehensive Guide on Removing CO2 from the Atmosphere

January 18, 2021

Berkeley Lab researchers are working on ways to sequester more carbon in soil, including through agricultural practices. (Credit: Berkeley Lab) Scientists say that any serious plan to address climate change should include carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies and policies, which makes the newly launched CDR Primer an especially vital resource, says Berkeley Lab scientist Margaret Torn, one…

New EESA Research Explores Impact of Land-use Policy on California’s Terrestrial Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Budget

January 12, 2021

The 28 million acres of natural and working lands across California provide a unique opportunity to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction goals through various land-use strategies, such as expanding urban forest areas or restoring woodlands. However, the need to mitigate wildfire severity is also a critical priority for California, and one that can increase emissions…

Impacts of Climate Change on Our Water and Energy Systems: It’s Complicated

January 11, 2021

As the planet continues to warm, the twin challenges of diminishing water supply and growing energy demand are intensifying. But because water and energy are inextricably linked, as we try to adapt to one challenge – say, by getting more water via desalination or water recycling – we may be worsening the other challenge by…

New Study: Are Drylands Getting Drier?

January 5, 2021

EESA visiting postdoctoral fellow Sha Zhou led a recent study exploring why climate models do not project drylands will become substantially drier with climate change as scientists have long believed. A paper published yesterday in the journal Nature Climate Change, “Soil moisture-atmosphere feedbacks mitigate declining water availability in drylands,” describes the importance of long-term changes…

Coordinated air and field campaigns improve insights into Earth’s critical zone

December 11, 2020

Earth’s critical zone spans from the top of the tree canopy to the depths of the subsurface. Scientists from multiple disciplines have traditionally used ground-based field campaigns to study complex interactions taking place between water, air, rock, and soil – hoping to reveal how factors like climate change could impact this life-sustaining critical zone.  Now…

Coast to Coast: Using eddy covariance techniques reveals coastal systems “on the edge”

December 8, 2020

Coast to Coast Using eddy covariance techniques, research into diverse coastal systems reveals ecosystems “on the edge” At a coastal North Carolina research location, fall storms regularly inundate entire original hardwood forests with 1-3 feet of water that drains by the time trees begin leafing out the following spring. Researchers have evaluated the Alligator River…

  • Our People
    • Area Offices
    • Committees
    • Directors
    • Organizational Charts
    • Postdocs
    • Staff Only
    • Search by Expertise
  • Departments
    • Climate Sciences
    • Ecology
    • Geochemistry
    • Geophysics
    • Hydrogeology
  • Research
    • Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division
    • Energy Geosciences Division
    • Program Domains
      • Programs
    • Projects
  • Contact
    • 510 486 6455
    • [email protected]
    • Our Identity

Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo DOE Earth and Environmental Sciences Area Logo UC

A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory Managed by the University of California

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory · Earth and Environmental Sciences Area · Privacy & Security Notice