Earth Systems

This project is elucidating the role of black carbon aerosols in the climate system by studying the impact of absorbing aerosols on tropical convection and precipitation. We utilize space-based remote sensing integrated with ground networks and field campaign data, and observationally-based 3D aerosol-climate model simulations, to investigate the local and remote effects of black carbon aerosols on clouds, precipitation and the hydrologic cycle in the tropics.

Climate Effect of Black Carbon Aerosol on Tropical Convective Clouds and Precipitation

This project aims to document and enable improved, observationally-based, predictions of water and energy cycle consequences of Earth system variability and change to improve the prediction of climate, weather and related natural hazards. The project involves the integration of all elements of energy and water cycle research and associated technology requirements and NASA earth science mission development.

The NASA Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS) Science Integration Team

This project is engaged in developing coupled atmosphere-ocean models of varying degrees of complexity and applying them to improve our understanding of the feedbacks between the atmosphere and ocean, to quantify the uncertainties that limit our ability to predict climate change, and to make projections of climate change. A key focus of the project is to use estimates from 20th century observations of climate sensitivity to investigate the rate at which warming penetrates into the deep ocean, and to study the associated uncertainties due to observational errors and natural variability.

Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Models

The goal of this project is to study the future climate change of Singapore and surrounding regions. Using the MIT Integrated Global System Model (IGSM) and a 3-D atmospheric and ocean general circulation mode (CESM) coupled with a size- and mixing-dependent aerosols model, among others, we will quantify differences in factors such as convection, precipitation, cloud coverage and surface heat fluxes.

Probabilistic Climate Change Projections for Singapore and Surrounding Regions

With increasing public attention on changing climate, it is useful to have a "real-time" estimate of a single integrating metric that expresses the combined atmospheric levels of the long-lived greenhouse gases contributing to that change. Such a metric can help convey to the public how fast these levels are increasing, how close we are to the stabilization levels relevant to policy discussions, and the progress, or lack thereof, in slowing the rate of increase.

Carbon Counter Project

Despite nitrous oxide (N2O) being a major ozone depleting species and greenhouse gas, its sources and emission rates  are not  well  understood.  There are large uncertainties in soil emissions, both from natural processes and fertilizer use, as well as discrepancies in ocean emissions.  Improved understanding of N2O emission processes over the surface of the globe is needed to accurately quantify past, present, and future impacts on stratospheric O3  and climate.  We address these issues by using an interdisciplinary approach that integrates observations (from NOAA, the Advanced Global Atm

Assessing the Terrestrial and Atmospheric Nitrogen Cycle

The Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Environment and Energy and PARTNER have developed a simplified climate model (APMT-Impacts Climate) for use in assessing aviation environmental policies. Policy support tools like the APMT-Impacts Climate model use reduced order relationships to estimate how aviation emissions impact welfare through induced changes in temperature on a global scale. While these tools are appropriate for rapidly and efficiently modeling a suite of full-fleet policy options, they have limitations.

Aviation System Global Climate Performance Analysis

This project aims to quantify the impact of light-absorbing aerosols from the burning of fossil fuels and biofuels on air quality and the chemical make-up of our atmosphere. In doing so, we will explore the major uncertainties caused by aerosols that exist today in the modeling of global atmospheric chemistry by improving the NASA Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) model, among others. Through this work, we'll be able to advance predictions of changes in air quality and climate change associated with aerosols.

A Modeling Analysis of the Impact of Aerosols from Combustion Sources on Actinic Fluxes and Photolysis Rates Constrained by Aircraft and Satellite Data

Phytoplankton form the base of the marine food web and are a crucial component in the global carbon cycle. They are also extremely diverse, with different species ranging widely in size, biochemical functions, and light and temperature requirements. How phytoplankton establish communities (mixtures of the different species living in the same place) and how these vary between regions and with time is poorly known. Community structure is important for the type of food webs they can support and the amount of carbon they sequester in the ocean.

Size Structure and Function of Phytoplankton Communities in a Changing Ocean

This project focuses on how toxic pollutants travel through the environment to affect human and ecosystem well-being. The toxic pollutants examined in this project are air pollutants that can be stored in land and water at the Earth’s surface, then re-released to the atmosphere (which we term here Atmosphere-Surface Exchangeable Pollutants or ASEPs). These pollutants travel in and interact in the environment at multiple scales, and interact with human activities, through governance and regulation as well as social dimensions of human exposure and risk.

Coupled Natural & Human Systems: Managing Impacts of Global Transport of Atmosphere-Surface Exchangeable Pollutants in the Context of Global Change

Pages

Subscribe to Earth Systems