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DOE Pulse
  • Number 325  |
  • November 22, 2010

Focusing on aerosols through the macro lens

Going from large- to small-scale modeling improves understanding of aerosols’ influence on climate change.

Going from large- to small-
scale modeling improves
understanding of aerosols’
influence on climate change.
(Click image for larger version)

The devil is in the details—the very small details—when it comes to global climate models, and those details are easier to see now, thanks to climate researchers from DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The team estimated the impact of small-scale features within a large-scale system for aerosols, which are microscopic particles in the atmosphere that influence climate change, yet aerosol’s influence is not well understood.

Like a wide-angle camera lens, current large-scale climate models miss the fine details in any particular climate picture. Using the macro lens of a high-resolution model, these scientists showed the details, better representing aerosol spatial variability for climate modeling. Advancing our knowledge of atmospheric processes that affect climate will help us plan energy use for an environmentally sustainable future and mitigate negative health effects from aerosols. The work was funded by DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Climate and Environmental Sciences Division and a DOE Early Career Award.

[Kristin Manke, 509.372.6011,
kristin.manke@pnl.gov]