LAB REPORT

From grounding airliners to fertilizing distant oceans, volcanic eruptions are known for dramatic effects. Yet one influence has remained elusive: the way ash lofted into the upper atmosphere changes the delicate ice clouds that blanket the planet’s high altitudes.

A new investigation led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) closes that gap. It reveals that volcanic ash grains from powerful eruptions do more than just drift. They actively reshape the microphysical structure of cirrus clouds, altering how Earth absorbs and releases heat.

The research team analyzed ten years of observations captured by NASA’s CloudSat satellite radar and its companion CALIPSO lidar. These instruments measure ice crystal size and count and map the height of ash-filled plumes inside clouds.

“Our research helps close a significant knowledge gap about whether and how volcanic eruptions influence cloud formation,” said lead author Lin Lin, a scientist at LLNL.

Using an “interrogator” device to activate 50 miles of dormant fiber-optic cable, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory seismologists created a network of 8,000 virtual sensors, recording March’s 3.9 magnitude Dublin earthquake with unprecedented detail, achieving 1,000 times the observational density of current seismic networks.

“The detail of the seismic wave field was unprecedented,” said Lab seismologist Gene Ichinose.

This high-resolution monitoring was possible because each meter of the glass fiber essentially acted as a tiny sensor, a strain gauge detecting minute stretches and compressions in the ground. The team could then sample ground motion every 10 meters at sub-millisecond intervals, allowing them to distinguish even the faintest vibrations, ranging from even passing traffic to the types of shockwaves (known as P- and S-waves) that the earthquake generated. Ichinose added that the technology enabled the researchers to track the seismic wave from the earthquake “propagating across the whole Bay Area.”

Shortly after 4 a.m. on April 7, 2025, a bank of 192 ultraviolet laser beams raced down the National Ignition Facility’s evacuated beamlines. In less than nine billionths of a second, the beams — together peaking at ≈ 456 TW — vanished into a gold cylinder no larger than a pencil‑eraser. Moments later, detectors lit up: the capsule at the cylinder’s center, crushed to several hundred g cm⁻³ (≫ solid lead) and heated beyond 100 million °C, released 8.6 ± 0.45 megajoules of fusion energy from 2.08 MJ of laser input — a target gain of 4.13.

That number may sound abstract, so let’s translate it into kitchen terms. Eight‑point‑six megajoules is enough energy to bring roughly twenty‑six liters of water from room temperature to a rolling boil — or to heat and completely vaporize about three and one‑third liters. Modest as that seems for an entire power plant, it remains the largest net‑positive energy pulse ever coaxed from controlled fusion.

When left out on the counter for too long, a loaf of bread grows mold. That mold is a common type of filamentous fungi, a microorganism that grows in thread-like structures that can ruin baked goods.

But filamentous fungi can pose a much larger problem than just moldy toast. They can cause crop blights and harm human health, particularly by infecting immunocompromised people in hospitals. There are very few classes of antifungal treatments available, and, like bacteria and viruses, fungi are constantly adapting and developing resistances. The potential pathogens are also emerging and thriving in new locations.

In a study published in the Journal of Microbiological Methods, researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) combined and refined two established techniques into one new method to effectively screen chemicals for their ability to kill filamentous fungi. This advancement enables identification of new antifungal treatments and drugs.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been recognized as a VETS Indexes 4-Star Employer in the 2025 VETS Indexes Employer Awards. This prestigious award highlights organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing and supporting veterans and the military-connected community. LLNL is one of nearly 300 organizations honored this year.

“Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has demonstrated exceptional support for veterans and the military-connected community, earning the organization one of the most prestigious awards possible in the VETS Indexes Employer Awards program,” said George Altman, president of VETS Indexes. “Even as more organizations than ever before are recognizing the uniquely valuable skills that veterans bring as employees, the efforts of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to recruit, retain, develop and support those who served, as well as their families, stand out from the pack. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is among the very best veteran employers, and its program can serve as a model for others.”