No GRE/GMAT Masters Program in Atmospheric Sciences, Meteorology, Climate Change, Energy Policy

The Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) offers graduate study under the sponsorship of the Geosciences. The Princeton AOS graduate program emphasizes theoretical studies and numerical model studies of the global climate system, and applicants are expected to have a strong background in natural sciences and mathematics.

The AOS program benefits from the research capabilities of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Many GFDL scientists are active in the AOS program as lecturers, and major supercomputer resources within GFDL are accessible to students for their research. The Geosciences, with its activities in physical and chemical oceanography, paleoclimatology and atmospheric sciences, collaborates with GFDL in providing a comprehensive program of courses and seminars.

The flexible graduate program offers students opportunities for research and courses in a wide range of disciplines, including geophysical fluid dynamics, atmospheric physics, atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemistry of the land and ocean, atmospheric modeling, ocean modeling, climate dynamics, global climate change and paleo-climate. Through the Science, Technology and Environmental Policy (STEP) Program at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Princeton Environmental Institute, students can explore climate and air pollution-related policy.

The plan of study is flexible and is tailored to the needs of the individual, but during the first two years it normally concentrates on course work and independent preparation for the general examination. A student usually takes seven to ten courses during the first two years to prepare for the general examination.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is normally an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after a student successfully completes all course work and passes the written portion of the general examination. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that these requirements have been met.

When students pass the general examination, they then pursue research for the Ph.D. thesis. This may or may not be a continuation of the research that was used as the basis for a student general examination seminar. Students who enter the program with a background in atmospheric and oceanic sciences are encouraged to finish their thesis at the end of their fourth year in the program. Students defend their thesis at the final public oral examination. Final acceptance of the dissertation is conditional on passing this examination.

The dissertation must show that a candidate has technical mastery in the chosen field and is capable of independent research. The dissertation is expected to be a positive contribution that is of publishable quality. The final public oral examination is a broad examination in the field of study.

Delworth, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Leo J. Donner, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Stephan A. Fueglistaler, Geosciences Stephen T. Garner, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Stephen Griffies, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Robert W. Hallberg, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Isaac M. Held, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Larry W. Horowitz, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Sonya A. Legg, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Geosciences Yi Ming, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Venkatachalam Ramaswamy, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Laure Resplandy, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Jorge L. Sarmiento, Geosciences Gabriel A. Vecchi, Geosciences, Princeton Environmental Institute Rong Zhang, Geosciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

Permanent courses may be offered by the department or program on an ongoing basis, depending on curricular needs, scheduling requirements, and student interest. Not listed below are courses and one-time-only graduate courses, which may be found for a specific term through the Registrar’s website. Also not listed are graduate-level independent reading and research courses, which may be approved by the Graduate School for individual students.

AOS 523 Water in the AtmosphereDespite the paramount importance of atmospheric water vapour for climate, our understanding of the processes that regulate its distribution and changes within a changing climate remains incomplete. This course analyses observations and discusses theoretical approaches, both basic concepts and novel ideas, to the problem. Course is for graduate students with a background in atmospheric and or oceanic sciences, and students are encouraged to provide contributions from their own research experiences that are related to the course topic.

) The structure and composition of terrestrial atmospheres. The fundamental aspects of electromagnetic radiation, absorption and emission by atmospheric gases, optical extinction by particles, the roles of atmospheric species in the Earth radiative energy balance, the perturbation of climate due to natural and anthropogenic causes, and satellite observations of climate systems are also studied.

) Natural gas phase and heterogeneous chemistry in the troposphere and stratosphere, with a focus on elementary chemical kinetics photolysis processes oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen chemistry transport of atmospheric trace species tropospheric hydrocarbon chemistry and stratospheric halogen chemistry stratospheric ozone destruction local and regional air pollution, and chemistry-climate interactions are studied.

AOS 547 Atmospheric Thermodynamics and ConvectionThe thermodynamics of water-air systems. The course gives an of atmospheric energy sources and sinks. Planetary boundary layers, closure theories for atmospheric turbulence, cumulus convection, interactions between cumulus convection and large-scale atmospheric flows, cloud-convection-radiation interactions and their role in the climate system, and parameterization of boundary layers and convection in atmospheric general circulation models are also studied.

AOS 572 Atmospheric and Oceanic Wave DynamicsObservational evidence of atmospheric and oceanic waves laboratory simulation. Surface and internal gravity waves dispersion characteristics kinetic energy spectrum critical layer forced resonance and instabilities. Planetary waves: scale analysis physical description of planetary wave propagation reflections normal modes in a closed basin. Large-scale baroclinic and barotropic instabilities, Eady and Charney models for baroclinic instability, and energy transfer.

AOS 576 Current Topics in Dynamic Meteorology (also.

) An introduction to topics of current interest in the dynamics of large-scale atmospheric flow. Possible topics include wave-mean flow interaction and nonacceleration theorems, critical levels, quasigeostrophic instabilities, topographically and thermally forced stationary waves, theories for stratospheric sudden warmings and the quasi-biennial oscillation of the equatorial stratosphere, and quasi-geostrophic turbulence.

AOS 577 Climate of the Earth: Present, Past and Future (also.

) An examination of various components of the Earth climate system. Emphasis is placed on the role of radiative processes, climate feedbacks and sensitivity, and the nature of energy and water balances. The dynamics and physical interpretation of principal tropospheric circulation systems, including stationary and transient phenomena observed in middle and low latitudes, are studied. Phenomena of topical interest, such as El Niño, seasonal climate anomalies, and natural and anthropogenic climate changes, are also reviewed.

The instructor provides additional information such as the historical context, motivation of research, and impact on the field. The papers selected differ from year to year, with a semester papers organized around either: a collection of great papers that are seminal in the field of AOS a collection of recent high impact papers and papers discussing a specific topic. The detailed analysis of the research papers also helps students familiarize with the process of distilling essential results for publication.

) This course focuses on ground-based and satellite observations of aerosol particles and their impacts on climate through modeling studies. Course material includes satellite and ground-based measurements of aerosol particles, mathematical formulation of transport, and numerical models of aerosol distribution. It studies how aerosols impact climate change through direct and indirect effects including cloud-aerosol interactions.

The atmospheric sciences include the disciplines of meteorology and climatology, which apply mathematics and the basic physical sciences to understand a very complex natural system. The scope of the field ranges from the small space and time scales of turbulent phenomena, through the diagnosis and prediction of weather events in meteorology, to continental and global scale climate change processes.

Our graduate program in atmospheric science is a relatively small, high quality program. Faculty members do not advise large numbers of graduate students, and this provides students with the opportunity to work closely with their advisor. This individual attention is combined with the advantages of a large and diverse research university, and the beautiful, livable environment of Ithaca.

The graduate field of atmospheric science offers full financial support, including tuition, stipend, and health insurance, to all students accepted into our program. This means that we sometimes must decline applications from students who are very well qualified, but for whom we cannot identify support because the student's interests are not a good match for our research programs, or because of limited availability of external grant funds. We offer graduate research assistantships through either the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences or through the external grants of individual faculty members, and teaching assistantships through the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Prospective and continuing graduate students are encouraged to apply for full or partial funding from NSF, NASA, AMS, NOAA, and other agencies that offer fellowships and scholarships in the atmospheric sciences.

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The Atmospheric Sciences Program (ASP) is designed to provide students with a basic foundation in the physical principles, theory, methodological skills, and applications central to the disciplines of meteorology and climatology. We seek to produce scholars and scientists able to perform academic research work of the highest quality.

Graduate students are central to the Program scholarly and scientific community their research and teaching contributions are central to our mission.

Overall, these goals are reflected in the graduate program broad programmatic objectives:.

To bring graduate students rapidly and fully into the collegial, scholarly, scientific, and teaching life of the Geography Department, the ASP, and the University.

To provide a common foundation for graduate research in atmospheric sciences.

To offer opportunities for students to become familiar with current research within the atmospheric sciences .

To encourage students to engage in academic research presentations and critique.

To support as far as possible the financial needs of graduate students through a variety of teaching and research assistantships, fellowships, and other mechanisms.

The ASP is designed to develop outstanding thinkers and to lay the foundation for rewarding careers. Master graduates in particular have found that their intellectual and technical training in our department leads to fulfilling careers in multiple fields.

International graduates of this major are approved by the land Security for three (3) years of work permission in the United States after graduation.

The Atmospheric Science is top-rated and focuses on graduate education, cutting-edge research, and public service.

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