We combine expertise in earth and atmospheric science with high-performance computing to meet national security, energy security, and environmental security needs. Expertise in atmospheric science is central to studying climate change, renewable-energy systems, and atmospheric chemistry, transport, and dispersion.
Longstanding Livermore leadership in earth and atmospheric science is exemplified by the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparsion and the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) modeling capabilities. NARAC provides essential data to government decision makers in the event of hazardous emissions, such as the Fukushima radioactivity release in 2011.
In earth science, LLNL has developed world-class capabilities in subsurface modeling of the behavior of rocks under loading, the propagation of seismic energy, and the movement and reaction of subsurface fluids—physical processes that underlie important national security and energy applications. These applications include the detection of clandestine nuclear tests, the vulnerability of underground structures to attack, earthquake hazards, and the safe disposal of nuclear energy waste.
