Chair's Message

 

 

Prof. John Gyakum
The Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences has a strong tradition of both research and teaching in meteorology that was formalized in 1959 as the Department of Meteorology. During 1992, the Department of Meteorology became the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS), to demonstrate the broad range of research activities in the atmospheric sciences, physical oceanography and climate studies. 

Our department’s strength and diversity provides a unique opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students to participate in teaching and research activities of our faculty.  Students may choose to work in research areas, such as weather and climate systems analysis and modeling, synoptic and dynamic meteorology, physical meteorology, satellite and ground-based remote sensing, physical oceanography, atmospheric chemistry and physics, air-sea interactions, along with air quality, and climate-change science. 

This website contains useful information for prospective students, including detailed descriptions of our department's research activities. It contains group activities and links to centers of research, individual research member's activities and interests as well as application forms for both undergraduate and graduate programs, course listings and aspects of living in the cosmopolitan and exciting environment of the city of Montreal. 

The Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences is located in Burnside Hall in the downtown Montreal Campus. The department is equipped with state-of-the-art computational, observational and laboratory facilities. The department's infrastructure also includes the J. S. Marshall remote-sensing facility in the West Island of Montreal. 

As of August 2022, our students and faculty have the opportunity to utilize the Earth Observing System Laboratory, located at McGill’s Gault Nature Reserve campus. Additionally, our researchers have access to state-of-the-art meteorological observations at Gault and at several other locations situated throughout the Saint-Lawrence River Valley. 

Tackling the issue of climate change should be a top priority for all citizens. AOS has a crucial role in providing our stakeholders with the necessary scientific guidance to address this priority through a unique combination of observations, modeling, and theory of our atmosphere and oceans. We invite you to consider joining us in our quest for a much deeper understanding of our earth system. 

 

John R. Gyakum 

Professor and Chair 

 

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