Climate & Earth Science

NERSC users have made significant and long-lasting improvements to the scientific basis for assessing the potential consequences of climatic changes and costs of alternative response options.  Efforts using higher resolution, improved physical, chemical, and biological process representations, and more precise uncertainty estimates continue to explore potential ecological, social, and economic implications of climatic change.

In addition, NERSC researchers work in a variety of Earth modeling activities, including geophysical and molecular dynamics representations of the Earth's composition; studying processes involved in using geophysical reservoirs to extract and store carbon dioxide so as to eliminate greenhouse gas from the atmosphere; and detailed examination of clay-mineral interfaces.  These wide ranging investigations have a common emphasis on supporting DOE's science mission by providing basic research to underpin the nation’s strategy for understanding and mitigating the terrestrial impacts of energy technologies.

Representative examples of research in these vital areas appear below.