Our atmosphere is vital to all living things on our planet.  Scientists at ATDD perform research to observe, measure, understand and predict the behavior of the vast atmospheric ocean that we live in.  Research at ATDD falls into three broad categories:  Air Quality, Climate and Atmospheric Processes.

Air Quality

A deep breath of fresh, clean air is truly satisfying. Unfortunately, not all of the air we breathe is free from pollution.  Air pollutants are substances in the atmosphere that can adversely impact human health or the environment. ATDD scientists perform research to help understand and predict how air pollutants originate in, travel through and are removed from our atmosphere.
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Boundary Layer Processes

Our atmosphere extends from the Earth’s surface to the edge of outer space more than 60 miles (100 km) above ground level.  But many of the processes that drive and control the behavior of the atmosphere occur at or near the surface.  Scientists at ATDD perform investigations to measure and predict how atmospheric processes in the near surface boundary layer affect weather, climate and air quality.
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Climate

We’re all familiar with the weather – we have to live in and deal with day-to-day temperature changes, remember to bring our umbrellas if it’s going to rain, and take shelter when a severe storm is approaching. Climate, on the other hand, is the average weather that a location experiences over many years. Researchers at ATDD work to observe and record long-term climate changes with extreme precision and accuracy.
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California Smog

California Smog

Experimental Climate Reference Network site in Ontario, Canada

Long-term, high-precision meteorological measurements help scientists understand climate changes.