MSc in Atmospheric Science - Extreme Weather in Davis United States | University of California Davis

Atmospheric science explores the physics, chemistry, and movement of Earth's atmosphere and its connections with water systems and living organisms. Learners develop expertise in areas like air quality, weather patterns, atmospheric composition, small-scale weather phenomena, biological weather interactions, climate systems, regional meteorology, global circulation, and computer-based weather forecasting. Graduates acquire both theoretical and practical abilities for conducting research and educating others about atmospheric chemistry and processes, along with their interactions with Earth's water and life systems. The Atmospheric Science Graduate Group provides Master's and Doctoral programs, allowing specialization in various disciplines such as air pollution meteorology, atmospheric chemical processes, cloud physics, biological weather interactions, small-scale meteorology, computer weather modeling, satellite observation techniques, climate systems, global circulation patterns, regional and surface-level meteorology, computational earth sciences, severe weather phenomena, and climate change effects. Faculty members' wide-ranging expertise enables cross-disciplinary study and investigation opportunities.

Davis's Extreme Weather research team examines severe meteorological occurrences like tropical and mid-latitude storms, heat extremes, dry spells, persistent high-pressure systems, and other impactful weather patterns. According to the IPCC's extreme weather assessment, the coming century will likely experience significant warming, leading to more regional temperature extremes, drier conditions in some areas, heavier rainfall in wet regions, and stronger tropical storms. Human activities, particularly CO2 emissions, have already caused approximately 1°C of global warming since pre-industrial times. Yet, determining how human influence affects recent extreme weather events' frequency and intensity remains largely unresolved. Extreme weather students investigate these phenomena to improve understanding of their behavior and projected changes throughout the 21st century.