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 the engineering of complex and highly reliable space systems and instrumentation.

AOSS students are prepared to step into one of the many positions in the space and meteorology industries.  AOSS has actively participated in the Nation's space program since it's inception.  From the V-2 rockets of the 40s through the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn program of today, AOSS faculty and students have contributed to a body of work that protects the Earth's environment and will protect humans on travels to Mars and beyond.

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 concerned with solving problems relating to forecasting, air pollution, industrial plant location and processes, and the design and wind loading of structures, among a growing list of areas. The focus of planetary/space scientists includes the effects of space weather on Earth, planetary atmospheric and geological 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 the constructing and testing of 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, and the study of comets.

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 Chemistry and Climate Modeling Group
• Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn & Titan
• Center for Planetary Sciences
• Center for Radiative Shock Hydrodynamics (CRASH)
• Center for Space Environment Modeling
• High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI)
• Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Science Team
• Microwave Geophysics Group
• PROPHET: Program for Reasearch on Oxidants: Photochemistry, Emissions & Transport
• Solar and Heliospheric Physics
• Spaceborne Microwave Remote Sensors
• Tropospheric Ozone and Air Quality Modeling
• TIMED Doppler Interferometer, TIDI
• U of M Weather