Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Could the Northwest’s basalt rocks help slow climate change?

By Courtney Flatt May 30, 2023

A women in a blue and red plaid shirt stands in front of a blue river. She is holding two gray rocks on top of each other. in the background, on the other side of the river, there are rocky hills and a blue sky.

Casie Davidson, a scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, points out how basalt rocks are layered on top of each other. The rocks formed millions of years ago after volcanic… Continue Reading Could the Northwest’s basalt rocks help Read More

Artificial intelligence helps Northwest scientists better understand wildfire emissions

By Courtney Flatt January 24, 2023

Late afternoon light catches smoke from the Cold Springs Fire near a structure that appeared to be empty long before the fire, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, near Omak, Washington. CREDIT:… Continue Reading Artificial Read More

No-till farming, cover crops reduce greenhouse gasses but cost growers at the start, study finds

By Courtney Flatt December 22, 2022

Larry McMillan drives a combine as he harvests barley Friday, Aug. 24, 2007, near Moscow, Idaho. The region's warm and dry weather has provided optimal conditions for the continued harvest season. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A combine harvests barley Friday, Aug. 24, 2007, near Moscow, Idaho. Credit: Ted S. Warren/AP READ When you think of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, you might picture industrial smoke stacks… Continue Read More

As more electric vehicles hit the road, researchers study EV fires, battery recycling

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour October 20, 2022

Listen (EV Battery Fires Runtime: 1:09) (EV Battery Recycling Runtime: 1:48) READ As more electric vehicles hit the roads in Washington, some people are concerned about their batteries catching fire… Continue Reading Read More

The U.S. Made A Breakthrough Battery Discovery — Then Gave The Technology To China

By Courtney Flatt August 4, 2022

BY LAURA SULLIVAN and COURTNEY FLATT When a group of engineers and researchers gathered in a warehouse in Mukilteo, Wash., 10 years ago, they knew they were onto something big.… Continue Reading The U.S. Made A Read More

Scientists Use Tiny Tags To Learn How Young Lamprey Travel Through Dams

By Courtney Flatt July 26, 2022

Kate Deters, a scientist with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is about to make an incision in a juvenile Pacific lamprey so that she can insert an acoustic tag, which is about the size of a long grain of rice. The tag will allow scientists to track this lamprey as it travels downstream.

Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are tagging and releasing lamprey to learn more about their journey to sea from inland rivers. Continue Reading Scientists Use Tiny Tags To Learn How Young Lamprey Travel Through Read More

Lower Yakima Valley Dirt To Hitch A Ride To Space Next Week

By Courtney Flatt June 7, 2022

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory staff technician Yuliya Farris prepares sterile spaces used to hold soil in place for an experiment dubbed the Dynamics of the Microbiome in Space, known as DynaMoS. A SpaceX resupply mission will transport soil samples to the International Space Station, likely June 10.

How do you grow plants in space? Soil from the Lower Yakima Valley could help provide some key answers. Continue Reading Lower Yakima Valley Dirt To Hitch A Ride To Space Next WeekRead More

Salmon Summit Teaches Kids About Conservation, Science

By Courtney Flatt April 30, 2022

During the 2022 Salmon Summit, Jennasys Alaniz, 10, a fourth grade student at Cascade Elementary School in Kennewick, releases a newly tagged young salmon into the Columbia River.

A recent salmon field trip has helped students become more curious about salmon. Continue Reading Salmon Summit Teaches Kids About Conservation, ScienceRead More

Newly Released Data Could Help Fish At Dams Around The World

By Courtney Flatt March 15, 2022

Researchers at PNNL tag young chinook salmon with tags slightly larger than a grain of rice Listen: Northwest News Network’s Courtney Flatt reports on data released that tracks fish and… Continue Reading Newly Released Data Could Read More

How Melting Sea Ice Increases Wildfire Risk In The Northwest

By Courtney Flatt December 17, 2021

New atmospheric research has found melting sea ice in the Arctic increases the risks for wildfires on the West Coast.

Recent atmospheric research may help Northwest forest managers better prepare for wildfires. Continue Reading How Melting Sea Ice Increases Wildfire Risk In The NorthwestRead More

Smaller Fish Tags To Help Sockeye Studies Above Grand Coulee Dam

By Courtney Flatt November 26, 2021

New, tiny batteries, designed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will allow researchers to better study young sockeye salmon above Grand Coulee Dam, part of reintroduction efforts for salmon in the Upper Columbia River.

Soon, it could be easier to track young sockeye salmon around dams. Continue Reading Smaller Fish Tags To Help Sockeye Studies Above Grand Coulee DamRead More

How The View From Space Is Helping Fight Wildfires On The Ground

By Courtney Flatt August 13, 2021

Scientists are using satellites to help map wildfire perimeters and hotspots, like with this image of the Jack Fire in Oregon.

Scientists have discovered they can track fire lines and can quickly draw attention to spot fires using satellites. Continue Reading How The View From Space Is Helping Fight Wildfires On The GroundRead More

The Secret Life Of Trees: Researchers Probe Methane In Washington’s Coastal Forests

By Courtney Flatt March 9, 2021

Sequim-based researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have measured methane in trees and compared that to what’s escaping through the wood. Matt Norwood studied trees in Washington’s coastal forests and the East Coast. Courtesy of Matt Norwood/PNNL

Trees have a little secret you might not know about. Yes, they produce oxygen. Yes, they take in carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. But, they also emit methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas that can be significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. Read More

What Was Our Air Like Before Industry? A Scientist In Richland Is Sniffing The Amazon To Find Out

By Anna King May 31, 2019

This image from an explanatory video shows how scientists from Pacific Northwest National Lab collected air samples near Manaus, Brazil.

As a U.S. Department of Energy plane flew over the Amazon rainforest, it sipped and sampled air in real time. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientist Manish Shrivastava sampled the air over the Amazon to come up with a scientifically accurate baseline of pre-industrial air. Read More