ORNL: Science & Technology: Simulation Science: Environmental Sciences

OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

Environmental Sciences

We affect our environment and it affects us. To find out what those effects might be, ORNL researchers are using high-performance computing to study global and regional systems.

History of environmental simulations at ORNL

Since the late 1950's ORNL has had an important impact on the U.S. Government's role in recognizing and offering solutions to the problem of carbon dioxide and climate.

ORNL Climate Change Science and Technology Initiative (SC98 exhibit)
Breaking New Ground for Clean Water: ORNL's past, present, and future (SC98 exhibit)

Climate Research

ORNL has demonstrated the promise of massively parallel computing to simulate future climate more rapidly than other computing platforms.

CSM Computational Climate Dynamics group
     Climate Model Development and Software Engineering
    Mathematical Aspects of Climate Modeling
    Understanding Global Change: Data Gathering, Simulation, and Analysis (SC99 exhibit)
Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) climate research
     Methane Hydrates modeling (with CSM)
    GEOBABBLE! ESD's Geographic Research Site

Groundwater Research

ORNL has been in a unique position to conduct research addressing subsurface characterization, transport, and remediation because of the scientific expertise, the availability of experimental and computational resources, and the complex nature of the subsurface environment at the Oak Ridge Reservation.

Environmental Technology Partnership Initiative
Computer Science and Mathematics Division
    HydroBioGeoChem 123D (simulation of coupled non-isothermal hydrologic transport and biogeochemical kinetic and/or equilibrium reactions in variably saturated media)
Environmental Sciences Division
    Contaminant Chemistry Models
CPED Geographic Information Science and Technology Group
     3D Visualizations of the Clinch River

Facilities/Resources

ORNL has world-class computational and storage facilities, and unique data archives and experimental facilities.

ARM Archive (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program)
Computer Science and Mathematics Division
    High Performance Computing Systems
    ORNL Mass Storage System
Environmental Sciences Division
    BOREAS Information System (Boreal Ecosystems Atmosphere Study)
    CDIAC (Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center)
    EOSDIS (ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center for Biogeochemical Dynamics)
    The Fractal Landscape Realizer
    ORNL Hydrology Field Test Sites
    National Environmental Research Park