Skip to main content
Upcoming Events
Join our Email List
Find Us on Social Media Click here to open the "Find Us on Social Media" submenu Down arrow
Facebook Twitter Vimeo
Caltech Logo
Resnick Sustainability Institute
Research
Sunlight to Everything
Climate Science
Water Resources
Ecology and Biosphere Engineering
Research Library
Resource Centers Open Resource Centers Submenu
Water and Environment Lab (WEL)
Programs
Grants Open Grants Submenu
RSI Small-Scale Proposal Submissions RSI Large-Scale Proposal Submissions 2021 Research Grants 2020 Research Grants
Fellowships
Entrepreneurship
Student Initiatives
Visiting Scholars
Past Programs Open Past Programs Submenu
Solar Decathlon FLOW Caltech-Taiwan Energy Exchange SISCA Resonate Awards Sustainable Vehicle Club
People
Steering Committee
Building Committee
Education Committee
Staff
Graduate Fellows
Postdoctoral Felllows
Alumni Open Alumni Submenu
Alumni Graduate Fellows Alumni Postdoctoral Fellows
Events
Event Calendar
Webinars
Lectures
Climate School
Resnick Symposium Open Resnick Symposium Submenu
2019 Symposium 2018 Symposium 2017 Symposium 2016 Symposium
Workshops and Forums Open Workshops and Forums Submenu
Rhizosphere Workshop Water Resilience Earth Abundant PV Grid 2020 LA Clean Energy Economy Smart Grid Critical Materials Energy and Infrastructure
RSI Research Seminar Series
News
Library
Publications
Theses
Research Highlights
Presentations and Talks
Reports
Patents
Videos
About
History
Facility
Contact
Open search form
Menu Main Menu
Close
Research Click here to open the "Research" Submenu
Programs Click here to open the "Programs" Submenu
People Click here to open the "People" Submenu
Events Click here to open the "Events" Submenu
News
Library Click here to open the "Library" Submenu
About Click here to open the "About" Submenu
Find Us on Social Media
Facebook Twitter Vimeo
Upcoming Events
Join our Email List
Research
Back
Sunlight to Everything Climate Science Water Resources Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Research Library Resource Centers Water and Environment Lab (WEL)
Programs
Back
Grants RSI Small-Scale Proposal Submissions RSI Large-Scale Proposal Submissions 2021 Research Grants 2020 Research Grants Fellowships Entrepreneurship Student Initiatives Visiting Scholars Past Programs Solar Decathlon FLOW Caltech-Taiwan Energy Exchange SISCA Resonate Awards Sustainable Vehicle Club
People
Back
Steering Committee Building Committee Education Committee Staff Graduate Fellows Postdoctoral Felllows Alumni Alumni Graduate Fellows Alumni Postdoctoral Fellows
Events
Back
Event Calendar Webinars Lectures Climate School Resnick Symposium 2019 Symposium 2018 Symposium 2017 Symposium 2016 Symposium Workshops and Forums Rhizosphere Workshop Water Resilience Earth Abundant PV Grid 2020 LA Clean Energy Economy Smart Grid Critical Materials Energy and Infrastructure RSI Research Seminar Series
Library
Back
Publications Theses Research Highlights Presentations and Talks Reports Patents Videos
About
Back
History Facility Contact
Open search form
Left: 0:01 / 0:23 OCO-2 Animation: Using Instruments Right:Plankton Blooms viewed from Space
Credit: NASA/JPL; NASA/N.Kuring (R)
NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Collecting Climate Data from Space
Credit: NASA/JPL
NASA's Methane Source Finder, a tool that provides methane data for the state of California
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Climate Science

prev next
Related Pages open sidebar menu
Close
Research
Sunlight to Everything
Climate Science
Water Resources
Ecology and Biosphere Engineering
Research Library
Resource Centers Open Resource Centers Submenu Close Resource Centers Submenu
Water and Environment Lab (WEL)

Mission

Supporting science and engineering to diagnose, adapt to, and mitigate against climate change.

Overview

Through this initiative, we aim to advance our understanding of how the climate will change and how we can mitigate and adapt. We aim to reduce the uncertainty around the next century of climate change to inform sound policy decisions through development of new methods and improved models to help populations assess, prepare for, and respond to climate change risks.

Diagnosis

Quantifying the forcing of climate change (e.g. emissions of methane from agriculture and natural gas production, land use change in tropical regions, emissions of carbon dioxide from the growing megacities) is essential for informing efforts to reduce the rate of global warming. New methods, models, and improved use of data are needed to improve these forecasts.

Mitigation

Given the current trajectory of Earth's climate, there is a pressing need to develop methods to reduce climate forcing by reducing emissions of methane, removal and burial of carbon dioxide, and possibly by engineering increases in the reflectivity of Earth.

Adaptation

Given increasing temperature, flooding, drought, and sea level, there a pressing need to develop technologies and approaches for adaptation (creating resiliency in built and natural systems).

Paul O. Wennberg
  • Climate Science Initiative Lead; R. Stanton Avery Prof. of Atmospheric Chemistry and Environmental Science and Engineering; Executive Officer for Environmental Science and Engineering; Director, Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Sci.

Paul O. Wennberg

Methane and carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing rapidly driving the Earth’s climate. Using remote sensing from space and the ground, we seek to quantify the underlying processes that drive these changes – both their emissions and sinks. We are working to evaluate whether atmospheric remote sensing of CO2 and methane can be used to accurately estimate emissions from individual cites and broader regions.

Read More About Paul O. Wennberg   >
Caltech Torch
Caltech Logo
California Institute of Technology
map marker
1200 East California Boulevard
Pasadena, California 91125
Privacy Notice Site Content Copyright © 2021