PASCCALS: Process-Level Advancements of Climate through Cloud and Aerosol Lifecycle Studies

This project guides the activities of research teams from Brookhaven and Argonne national laboratories to advance our understanding of the interactions between particles in the air, clouds, and radiation in order to reduce uncertainties in determining the causes of climate change

climate change

A change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in a region over a long period of time.

Source: NASA Climate Kids Source

and associated climate feedbacks.

climate feedback

Processes that can either amplify or reduce the effects of climate drivers (e.g., solar radiation; greenhouse gas emissions; and aerosols, dust, smoke, and soot). A feedback that increases an initial warming is called a "positive feedback." A feedback that reduces an initial warming and then returns the system to it's original state is a "negative feedback."

Source: NASA Global Climate Change Source

As the lead for aerosol

aerosols

Small particles or droplets, such as wildfire smoke, volcanic gases, or salty sea spray, that float in the air. They are emitted by both natural events and human activities.

Source: NASA Global Climate Change Source

research, we focus on black carbon,

black carbon

The sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It comprises a significant portion of particulate matter or PM, which is an air pollutant.

Source: EPA Source

or soot, and are developing a new instrument to conduct in situ measurement of black carbon in the atmosphere.