Back
Atmospheric, Earth, and Energy
PLS interns shine at the annual poster showcase
The 2026 Physical and Life Sciences (PLS) Summer Student Showcase took place on July 29 in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Library. The day-long event featured the research projects of nearly 130 student interns from across PLS’s divisions. This annual event is a great way for students to practice their science communication skills and gives them the…
Tracing pesticides in honeybees to preserve pollinators and agricultural productivity
Estimates suggest that 35% of the world’s food crops — one out of every three bites of food — depend on animal pollinators. Honeybees in particular are responsible for billions of dollars in agricultural productivity in the U.S. But in recent years, bee colonies have mysteriously collapsed. For no apparent reason, worker bees will abandon their hive, leaving the queen…
LLNL’s Big Ideas Lab podcast goes behind the scenes of the National Lab Research SLAM
Finalists representing each of the 17 U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories gathered at the Congressional Auditorium for the first National Lab Research SLAM in 2023. With one slide, three minutes and months of preparation behind them, each scientist stepped up to the microphone to explain their research through compelling storytelling to an audience outside of…
Three Lawrence fellows selected for 2026 cohort
This year’s three Lawrence fellows will pursue research that spans fusion science, emerging concepts for sensing and response and earth system science. Their work reflects both the breadth of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) mission space and the program’s commitment to enabling early-career scientists to take bold, multidisciplinary approaches to…
Simulations predict ground motion for earthquakes on Bay Area’s Hayward fault
The Hayward fault, part of the larger San Andreas fault system, runs 74 miles through the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The fault is overdue for an earthquake that could cause extensive damage to such a dense population zone. In a recent study, published in Seismological Research Letters, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Lawrence…
LLNL honors 36 as 2026 Distinguished Members of Technical Staff
Thirty-six Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have been named Distinguished Members of Technical Staff (DMTS) in recognition of their extraordinary scientific and technical contributions, as affirmed by their professional peers and the broader scientific community. As distinguished citizens of the Laboratory and their respective fields, DMTS honorees…
When lightning strikes: Models of multi-ignition wildfires could predict catastrophic events
Multi-ignition wildfires are not overly common. But when individual fires do converge, the consequences can be catastrophic. The largest fire on record in California, the 2020 August Complex fire, grew from the coalescence of 10 separate ignitions. In a new study, published in Science Advances, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the University of…
LLNL, CFCE and Livermore Lab Foundation release AI primer for state lawmakers
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the California Foundation for Commerce and Education (CFCE) and the Livermore Lab Foundation (LLF) today released a new educational brief on the relationship between AI and California, designed to provide state lawmakers with science-based context as they consider AI policy decisions. The primer is intended to be a practical,…
Big Ideas Lab podcast traces the flow of energy in the U.S.
Inside a sixth-grade classroom, a teacher dims the lights and directs the student's attention to a projector. On the screen appears a brightly colored chart featuring thick, twisting bars extending from left to right. Some are as wide as rivers; others as narrow as threads. The diagrams look almost like a subway map for America’s energy. At the left, the lines “depart”…
STEM San Joaquin celebrates third year of inspiring young minds
STEM San Joaquin marked its third anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the University of the Pacific (UOP) in Stockton. Co-sponsored by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and UOP, the annual event welcomed students in grades 6–9 for a day of hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) exploration. The conference is organized by a dedicated team of…
Mass spectrometry solves mysteries and unearths new questions in the Big Ideas Lab podcast
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are solving cold cases and rewriting our knowledge of human history. Find out how the measurements made at the Laboratory’s Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) enable these feats on the latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab, available on Apple and Spotify. CAMS is one of the most advanced and prestigious…
Deep-learning model predicts how toxic plumes move through cities
In 2023, a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. In 2025, a series of destructive wildfires ravaged Los Angeles. In both cases, a toxic plume — a cloud of harmful airborne materials that disperse over time and space due to wind and turbulence — was released. Toxic plumes from industrial accidents, chemical spills and structural fires can pose…
New machine learning project will advance real-time seismic monitoring across energy industries
A new initiative designed to revolutionize seismic monitoring and forecasting using real time, advanced machine learning (ML) technologies is coming to the West Texas/New Mexico area. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) awarded $1.8 million in funding to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The TCF is administrated by the…
Lawrence Livermore scientists and collaborators demonstrate major breakthrough in seismology
A more than month-long field experiment by a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) seismologist has demonstrated that a new technology could offer a major breakthrough in seismology. The technology, called distributed acoustic sensing, allows an instrument to turn buried fiber-optic cable into thousands of virtual seismometers that can be used to measure ground…
Volcanic eruptions trigger ice formation in clouds
When a volcano erupts, it can spew ash high into the atmosphere — injecting aerosols right where clouds typically form. How exactly these aerosols impact cloud formation has long been a mystery to atmospheric scientists. In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) analyzed 10 years of satellite data to determine…
Five LLNL postdocs selected to attend 2025 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
Five Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) postdoctoral researchers have been selected to participate in the prestigious 2025 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Ian Colliard, Nicholas Cross, Caspar Donnison, Vidia Gokool and Jonas Kaufman will join young scientists from around the world to learn from Nobel Prize laureates through academic panels, lectures, group…
Four LLNL teams to attend Energy I-Corps Cohort 20
In a record setting year for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), four teams of LLNL researchers will attend the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy I-Corps (EIC) Cohort 20 this spring. The EIC is a key initiative of the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions, and facilitated at LLNL by Hannah Farquar from the Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO). Established…
LLNL supports CO2 storage in California’s delta
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has awarded $6 million to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers, as part of a $45.2 million award to a team led by Pelican Renewables LLC, to develop a regional CO2 storage hub in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California. The funding came through FECM’s…
Big Ideas Lab Podcast takes on earthquakes and nuclear explosions
What do an earthquake, a mine collapse and a nuclear explosion have in common? Learn the answer to this question and more on a new episode of the Big Ideas Lab Podcast from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The episode provides insights into how Lab scientists monitor seismic activities such as earthquakes and nuclear explosions to ensure the safety of people…
Decarbonizing the cement industry
Cement, the essential binder of concrete—the most used material worldwide, only second to water—is produced at over four gigatonnes per year and contributes to 8% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. With the annual global demand for cement projected to increase by 50% by 2050, there is an urgent need to incorporate carbon capture, utilization, and storage…