When people think of climate research, they often equate it with studying the weather. But climate science (also called climatology) is much more. It studies how Earth’s ecosystems—including oceans, rivers, forests, and grasslands—are affected by changing climate conditions. It also seeks to understand how humans and wildlife adapt to changing conditions.
The work of climate scientists includes many different techniques, such as using direct measurements from instruments like weather radar, satellites, and thermometers; studying proxy data that provides clues about how the Earth’s environment changed in prehistoric times; and creating computer models to predict future climate conditions. These tools can help illuminate what is driving changes to the planet, how those changes will affect ecosystems and humans, and what can be done to slow or reverse harmful climate trends.
Climate research has helped to establish global warming as a real, human-caused phenomenon that can be measured, understood, and mitigated. It has provided the scientific consensus that formed the basis for international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and influenced national policies, including efforts to increase renewable energy use and reduce fossil fuel emissions.
PNNL scientists play a key role in many of these efforts. For example, our researchers in the Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment-Tropics are advancing knowledge of how trees respond to extreme conditions and what that might mean for the ability of tropical forests to serve as carbon sinks. Their results will improve predictions of how the changing climate will impact forest systems.
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