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Climate & Atmosphere Processes

Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions

Atmospheric System Research

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Highlights
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lightening strike in Great Plains Oklahoma
A lightning strike captured by one of the LBNL stereo cameras at the ARM Southern Great Plains site in Oklahoma. (Photo Credit: David Romps, Berkeley Lab.)

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.

Highlights

Project

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Carbon Project (ARM Carbon)

In ARM's Carbon Project, we aim to improve our ability to predict exchanges of carbon, water, and energy at the landscape scale. As we develop these models, we can better understand how the fluxes of carbon, water and energy link to land use and climate. The mixture of land uses and simple topography in the Southern Great Plains make this an ideal region to test methods of scaling flux predictions from plot to regional scales. There, we are measuring stocks and fluxes of carbon, water, and energy at various spatial and temporal scales.

Land Atmosphere-Interactions schematic
Project

Land-Atmosphere Interactions and Surface Radiative Forcing (ASR)

This project advances understanding and prediction of land-atmosphere interactions and greenhouse gas radiative forcing at Earth’s surface. We use observations to model the processes linking Earth's carbon, water, and energy cycles—from soil moisture and vegetation to clouds, radiation, and precipitation. We also observe the direct radiative effects of CO2 and CH4 on climate, using ARM spectroscopic measurements. Our research is yielding new insights into processes governing the water cycle over land, and is enabling rigorous testing of radiative transfer in climate models.

Stereo Photogrammetry of clouds
Project

Stereo Photogrammetry of Clouds at the ARM sites

This project characterizes the life-cycle dynamics of moist convection using stereo photogrammetry in combination with other instruments at Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites, and using large-eddy simulations to help interpret those observations. Stereo cameras are used to characterize the sizes, speeds, circulations, and ascent distances of individual convective bubbles through their life cycle. These data on cloud life cycles are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain with other ARM instruments.

Program Overview

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. Researchers in this program develop process-scale knowledge for predictive models of the coupled Earth system.

Featured Projects

Project

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Carbon Project (ARM Carbon)

In ARM's Carbon Project, we aim to improve our ability to predict exchanges of carbon, water, and energy at the landscape scale. As we develop these models, we can better understand how the fluxes of carbon, water and energy link to land use and climate. The mixture of land uses and simple topography in the Southern Great Plains make this an ideal region to test methods of scaling flux predictions from plot to regional scales. There, we are measuring stocks and fluxes of carbon, water, and energy at various spatial and temporal scales.

Land Atmosphere-Interactions schematic
Project

Land-Atmosphere Interactions and Surface Radiative Forcing (ASR)

This project advances understanding and prediction of land-atmosphere interactions and greenhouse gas radiative forcing at Earth’s surface. We use observations to model the processes linking Earth's carbon, water, and energy cycles—from soil moisture and vegetation to clouds, radiation, and precipitation. We also observe the direct radiative effects of CO2 and CH4 on climate, using ARM spectroscopic measurements. Our research is yielding new insights into processes governing the water cycle over land, and is enabling rigorous testing of radiative transfer in climate models.

Stereo Photogrammetry of clouds
Project

Stereo Photogrammetry of Clouds at the ARM sites

This project characterizes the life-cycle dynamics of moist convection using stereo photogrammetry in combination with other instruments at Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites, and using large-eddy simulations to help interpret those observations. Stereo cameras are used to characterize the sizes, speeds, circulations, and ascent distances of individual convective bubbles through their life cycle. These data on cloud life cycles are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain with other ARM instruments.

Andrew Moyes

Senior Scientific Engineering Associate

Phone: 510-486-6246
abmoyes@lbl.gov

Cristina Castanha

Principal Research Associate

Phone: 510-486-7500
ccastanha@lbl.gov

Da Yang

Faculty Scientist

Phone: 510-486-5618
dayang@lbl.gov

Daniel Feldman

Staff Scientist

Phone: 510-495-2171
Fax: 510-486-7775
drfeldman@lbl.gov

David Romps

Faculty Scientist

Phone: 510-486-7175
Fax: 510-486-5686
dromps@lbl.gov

Ian N. Williams

Faculty

Affiliate

Phone: 510-495-8048
inwilliams@lbl.gov

Jovan Milan Tadic

Guest Scientist

Affiliate

Phone: 510-486-4865
jtadic@lbl.gov

Ken Reichl

Affiliate

Phone: 805-813-1488
kreichl@lbl.gov

Lara Kueppers

Faculty Scientist

Phone: 510-486-5813
Fax: 510-486-5686
lmkueppers@lbl.gov

Margaret Torn

Margaret S. Torn

Ecologist & Biogeochemist

Senior Scientist

Phone: 510-495-2223
Fax: 510-486-7775
mstorn@lbl.gov

Robin D. Lopez

Research Associate

rdlopez@lbl.gov

Sebastien Biraud - portrait

Sébastien Biraud

Staff Scientist

Climate Sciences Department Head

Phone: 510-486-6084
scbiraud@lbl.gov

Wai-Yin Stephen Chan

Senior Scientific Engineering Associate

Phone: 510-486-4194
swchan@lbl.gov

William J. Riley

Senior Scientist

Phone: 510-486-5036
Fax: 510-486-7070
wjriley@lbl.gov

Primary Sponsors

Program Contacts

Margaret Torn

Margaret S. Torn
Senior Scientist

Christin Buechner
Program Operations Analyst

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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