Atmospheric Sciences

Type of degree: M.S.

Brief overview of program: Atmospheric Sciences within OSU is at the forefront of advancing knowledge in ocean–atmosphere interaction, climate variability and change, and atmospheric boundary layer processes. Work on these three themes takes advantage of the unique structure and strengths of COAS, the College of Forestry, and the College of Agricultural Sciences. Advances in understanding and simulating atmospheric boundary layer processes directly support applications to geographically localized studies of climate and weather, which is of particular value to agriculture, forestry, and the economic development of the Pacific Northwest. Major research initiatives in the area of climate variability and change require expertise in observing and modeling of physics and chemistry of the atmosphere and in the modeling and analysis of climate variability. Critical to all of the areas is the expansion of modeling and observing capabilities in atmospheric meso-scale, boundary layer, and cloud processes. COAS faculty conduct research in atmospheric physics, chemistry, and dynamics, and the interaction of the atmosphere with ocean and land surfaces. Research areas include aerosols, clouds, and climate studies, large-scale weather systems studies, boundary layers and land–atmosphere interactions, and the Oregon Climate Service. Graduate research is available in the following areas of faculty expertise: atmospheric radiation and remote sensing; aerosol and cloud chemistry and physics; planetary atmospheres; air–sea and land–atmosphere interactions; climate and statistical meteorology; and turbulence and convection. An interdisciplinary doctorate is available.

Website: Click here for program website

Description of Facilities: The COAS satellite data-analysis facility includes large archives of satellite data and advanced image-processing and data-analysis capabilities. The facility is used to extract global-scale cloud, aerosol, and surface properties from satellite observations, including those being collected by NASA’s Earth Observing System. COAS studies of the exchanges of energy, mass, and momentum between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere involve researching the atmospheric aspects of hydrology. This research includes several joint projects with the department of Bioresource Engineering, and researching the vegetation–atmosphere exchange of heat, moisture, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases, which is done partly in conjunction with the department of Forest Science, NASA, and NSF.

Program Point of Contact: Jeffrey Barnes

Email: barnes@coas.oregonstate.edu

Institution address: 202 Apperson Hall Oregon State University
                             Corvallis,OR 97331