AOSS interests bridge both engineering and science and prepare students to answer a growing demand for expertise in both atmospheric and space science.  AOSS programs focus on the description of atmospheric characteristics and phenomena on the Earth and other planets and the interrelationships between the Earth and the sun. Because of the integrated nature of the program, AOSS students have an extensive background in atmospheric and space science, weather and climate, and the engineering of complex and highly reliable space systems and instrumentation.

AOSS students are prepared for positions in space engineering, space and atmospheric science research and teaching, environmental assessment, resource management, risk management, or in one of the growing number of fields interested in climate change.  AOSS has actively participated in the Nation's space program since its inception.  For more than 60 years, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences faculty members have been at the forefront of many engineering and theoretical breakthroughs. In 1946, a probe was deployed on a V-2 rocket to measure electrons in the upper atmosphere. In 1956, AOSS researchers were studying atmospheric pollution by aeroallergens, penetration of particulates into buildings, dynamic wind loading of structures, and industrial air pollution. AOSS was involved with NASA's Pioneer Venus and Dynamic Explorer Program from its inception in the early 1970s to its completion in the 1990s. Today, AOSS researchers are involved in many space missions as well as new initiatives in climate change.

AOSS offers high quality academic programs that combine extensive hands-on experience at all levels with a strong emphasis on the theoretical and applied aspects of a student's area of concentration.

Atmospheric scientists are focused on the weather and climate of the Earth, with topics ranging from fundamental research of basic processes to preparing for adaptation to climate change. The focus of planetary/space scientists includes the effects of space weather on Earth, planetary atmospheres and environments, and the construction of satellite-platform instruments for observation of the Earth-atmosphere-ocean system.

Facilities

The Space Research Building houses AOSS and the Space Physics Research Laboratory (SPRL), the focus of which is science-driven engineering. SPRL activities include work experience for undergraduates in several engineering disciplines as well as research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.  SPRL engineers are working with faculty and NASA scientists on a wide variety of Earth and space science projects, including studies of the atmospheres of the Earth; other planets and interstellar bodies; the plasma regions within and beyond the solar system and space weather.  Facilities for constructing and testing satellite instruments are also part of SPRL.

Other facilities include laboratories for the study of atmospheric chemistry and for field measurements of atmospheric constituents, as well as modeling of the transport and dispersion of pollutants. Remote sensing of the atmosphere and ocean from satellites and other platforms is a strong area of research in the Department. In the space sciences there is an emphasis on the upper atmosphere, the atmospheres of the planets, the interplanetary medium, the study of comets, and laboratory astrophysics.

Undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research programs in one of the areas discussed above. Additionally, state-of-the-art classroom facilities and several computer labs are located in the Department.

Department Laboratories and Centers

• Air Quality Laboratory
• Atmospheric Dynamics Modeling Group
• Biosphere-Chemistry-Climate Interactions
• Biosphere-Atmosphere Research Training (BART) Program
• Center for Planetary Sciences
• Center for Radiative Shock Hydrodynamics (CRASH)
• Center for Space Environment Modeling (CSEM)
• Electricfield sensor for charged dust and sand particles
• MultiWell: Freely available chemistry software package
• Planetary Science Laboratory
• Radiative transfer and climate change
• Regional climate modeling
• Regional Assessment: Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
• Remote Sensing Group
• Solar & Heliospheric Physics
• U-M Weather

Research in AOSS

Atmospheric Research

AOSS provides an educational and research environment in which students examine a wide range of issues in the atmospheric sciences. Research interests of the faculty include: atmospheric-biosphere interactions; atmospheric chemistry, aerosols and air quality; atmospheric dynamics; climate, climate modeling, and climate change; clouds and precipitation; and paleoclimate. In addition, faculty member are now developing a high-resolution computational framework for advanced climate simulation. Students enjoy extensive computational facilities as well as laboratories for measurement of the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere. AOSS has an active seminar series that includes a series of Distinguished Lectures by experts from outside of the University of Michigan as well as a series of lectures by staff and students.

Faculty members are extensively involved in observations of the Earth from space, such as microwave measurements from the TRMM satellite and in ozone studies from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer. AOSS faculty members also participate in field campaigns, designing and integrating instruments on balloons, aircraft and sounding rockets to study the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere and the near-space environment of the Earth.

Planetary and Space Research

AOSS is known as a leading center for the study of the Earth, the planets, other objects, and plasma regions within and beyond the solar system. Faculty members are active in space instrumentation, data analysis, computer simulation, laboratory simulation, and theory. The associated Space Physics Research Laboratory (SPRL) has developed a strong reputation as one of the select few university centers able to design, construct, test and operate space flight instruments. AOSS faculty members emphasizing planetary science seek to understand the origin and evolution of the atmospheres of the planets, of their satellites, and of comets. Those faculty emphasizing plasma phenomena in space seek to understand the space environment, including the environment near the Earth where most satellites exist, the heliospheric environment produced by the sun, and some more distant space plasma systems.

SPRL has played a significant role in the U.S. Space Program since its founding in 1946, making it one of the first university-owned facilities in the world to participate in space research, beginning with work involving captured World War II V-2 rockets. Over the past five decades, SPRL faculty and engineers have designed and built more than 35 spaceborne instruments as well as numerous sounding rocket, balloon, aircraft, and ground-based instruments.

Recent research by AOSS faculty members has involved building instruments for and/or interpreting data from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan, the Phoenix mission to Mars, MESSENGER mission to Mercury, Venus Express, Mars Express, and the Rosetta mission to Comet 67P. Projects involve the use of ever more advanced technologies. These include the development of advanced particle detectors and mass spectrometers, microwave detector systems, the TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI), Space Tethers, remote sensing research, and laboratory astrophysics. AOSS provides a rich intellectual environment and a tremendous opportunity for students to learn through frequent interaction with a wide range of expert colleagues.

Department Administration

Department Chair
James A. Slavin, Ph.D. 
1416 Space Research Laboratory

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