OUR RESEARCH

Earth and Atmospheric Science

Who We Are

Our staff includes data scientists, experts in aerosol physics, weather models and climate simulations and researchers who study seismic events, hydrology, carbon sequestration and sustainable energy production. Meet a few of the people who work in earth and atmospheric science:

 

Peter Caldwell
Cloud Processes Research and Modeling Group
Jessica Cruz
She/Her
Atmospheric Science Research and Applications Group
Jaisree Iyer
She/Her
Porous Media Group
Kayla Kroll
Seismology Group
Katie Lundquist
Data Analytics & Decision Sciences
Christina Morency
She/Her
Porous Media Group

Our Latest News

Our Current Projects

Earth and atmospheric research at LLNL spans multiple areas where our scientists collaborate with colleagues and leverage world-class research tools to explore how to make our planet safer and more resilient.

 

seismic models

 

Seismic Clues to Underground Explosions

Our geoscientists analyze seismic signals to differentiate between natural phenomena such as earthquakes, man-made activities like mining and illicit nuclear explosions. This work supports our nation’s efforts to detect and deter the spread of nuclear weapons and verify international agreements. Our research teams develop new methods to analyze data provided by seismometer networks, enabling them to determine the type of event that generated the seismic signals as well as the energy release of the event.

 

The globe looking on North America

 

Modeling Climate Change that Impacts Energy Security

We play a key role in one of the most powerful climate modeling tools available — the Department of Energy’s Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM). E3SM links Earth system and energy models into a single system, enabling a better understanding of the future impact to U.S. energy resources from changes in complex ecosystems. For example, using supercomputers to analyze billions of data points, researchers study how air and water temperature changes can strain energy grids or how floods and droughts can affect power plant operations.

 

atmospheric weather balloon being prepped for release

 

High-Altitude Atmospheric Science

We explore the stratosphere through observational data that can validate models to better understand high-altitude dynamics. Analyzing atmospheric tracers, researchers measure small-scale turbulence at high altitudes affecting the performance and payloads of hypersonic aircraft and re-entry vehicles. Work to develop a satellite-based sensing instrument to make in situ measurements complements related efforts to collect aerosols using stratospheric balloons; analyzing isotopes in the aerosols helps researchers better understand atmospheric motion.

 

Our Facilities, Centers and Institutes

The Laboratory is home to several state-of-the-art facilities and centers to help researchers tackle the hardest and most complex challenges related to earth and atmospheric science.

 

Related Organizations

World-class science takes teamwork. Explore the organizations that contribute to our research in earth and atmospheric science by clicking the images below.

 

Join Our Team

We offer opportunities in a variety of fields, not just science and technology. We are home to a diverse staff of professionals that includes administrators, researchers, creatives, supply chain staff, health services workers and more. Visit our careers page to learn more about the different career paths we offer and find the one that speaks to you. Make your mark on the world!