OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

“Our researchers advance understanding of the natural world from 

the molecular to the global scale in Earth system science.”

—Environmental Sciences Division Director Eric Pierce

Environmental Sciences

12,500

Atmospheric and 

biogeochemical 

data products

150

Staff

1 billion

Tons of potential 

biomass resources

 identified

60 years

Leadership in largescale ecosystem

studies

863

Publications in the

past 5 years

The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) is an interdisciplinary R&D organization with more than 60 years of achievement in local, regional, 

national, and international environmental research. Researchers focus on complex challenges such as clean and available water and 

biological carbon dioxide capture and storage in soils. Our vision is to expand scientific knowledge and develop innovative strategies and 

technologies that will strengthen the nation’s leadership in creating solutions to sustain Earth’s natural resources.

Advancing Earth system resilience 

ESD scientists enjoy an open, inclusive, and innovative workplace where they conduct research, 

develop technology, and perform analyses in the following focus areas.

Biodiversity and Sustainable Systems—ESD scientists are exploring how genes, organisms, 

populations, and communities influence, and are influenced by, the management, health, and 

sustainability of ecological systems. They advance the state of water resources science and 

engineering through data analytics, model simulation, engineering design, decision support, and 

visualization. Researchers develop advanced simulations to understand human health, economic, 

and environmental protection dimensions of existing and emerging sustainable energy sources. 

They innovate low-carbon energy sources such as bioenergy and water power to expand the US 

bioeconomy while preserving ecosystem services.

Earth Systems Science—To advance our knowledge and predictions of interactions between 

terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, ESD researchers study how these environments exchange 

carbon, water, nutrients, and trace elements across spatial and temporal scales. Researchers 

examine how plants, soil microorganisms, and their surrounding environment drive important 

ecosystem functions using cutting-edge experimental, modeling, and analytical approaches. 

Large-scale manipulative experiments, observations, and integrated modeling are used to 

improve predictive understanding of ecosystem dynamics, including the Earth’s physical, 

biological, ecological, and human systems. 

Earth System Informatics and Data Discovery—ESD scientists are advancing nextgeneration computational and data analytics that enable scientists to understand ecosystems 

and their representation in numerical models. Research and technical staff collaborate to provide 

integrated data products, data management and delivery systems, and data services to facilitate 

scientific discovery in the environmental sciences. The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) 

Data Center provides cutting-edge computing capabilities and crucial data about atmospheric 

phenomena to scientists worldwide as part of the US Department of Energy Office of Science ARM 

user facility. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center manages and 

provides open access to NASA’s biogeochemical and ecological data and models.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle LLC for the US Department of Energy July 2023

CONTACT

Eric Pierce

Director 

Environmental Sciences Division

pierceem@ornl.gov

865-574-9968

One Bethel Valley Road 

Oak Ridge, TN 37831

ornl.gov/esd

Unique Research Capabilities

Atmospheric Radiation 

Measurement (ARM) Data 

Center—Delivering integrated 

computing and data on 

atmospheric radiation to inform 

climate research models

Aquatic Ecology 

Laboratory—Understanding 

aquatic ecosystem interactions 

to develop technologies and 

solutions that will sustain energy 

and water resources

Watershed Dynamics 

and Evolution—Advancing 

predictive understanding of how 

processes controlling watershed 

function operate under a range of 

hydrologic conditions

Climate Change Science 

Institute—Integrating expertise in 

measurements, data, and simulation 

to improve understanding and 

prediction of a changing climate

ORNL Distributed Active 

Archive Center (ORNL DAAC) 

for Biogeochemical Dynamics—

Providing scientists and stakeholders 

with access to biogeochemical and 

ecological data and models

Next-Generation Ecosystem 

Experiments (NGEE) Arctic—

Advancing predictive understanding 

of the structure and function of 

the Arctic terrestrial ecosystems in 

response to climate change

Spruce and Peatland Responses 

Under Changing Environments 

(SPRUCE)—Assessing northern peatland 

ecosystems’ response to temperature 

increases and exposures to elevated 

atmospheric CO2 concentration

Earth System Grid 

Federation 2—Archiving and 

distributing model output from 

international sources to inform 

global and regional climate 

change assessments