Department of Atmospheric Sciences

in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawai‘i

UH team wins HECO Challenge to improve reliability of solar power

University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa researchers and a graduate student recently won the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) Innovation Impact Challenge. UH Information and Computer Science (ICS) assistant professor Peter Sadowski, ICS graduate student Kyle Hart and Atmospheric Sciences assistant professor Giuseppe Torri were awarded a grant to develop short-term forecasts of sunshine that can reach rooftops and solar panels.

New combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program prepares atmospheric scientists

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) will offer a Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s (BAM) degree in Atmospheric Sciences starting in the fall of 2020.

Cost of Hawaii’s record-breaking drought reaches millions

Drought has caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage in Hawai‘i in the past 20 years.

Future subtropical warming accelerates tropical climate change

Scientists published a study this week in Nature Climate Change revealing future climate change in the tropics will be accelerated by warming in the nearby subtopics.

Improved terrain in computer models makes rain forecasts more accurate

The presence of mountains plays an important role in the distribution of precipitation over land as they force air up and over the terrain. Therefore, accurately modeling the influence of mountains on the atmosphere is imperative to providing reliable forecasts.

Atmospheric Sciences graduate student awarded grant from NASA

Atmospheric Sciences graduate student Madeline McKenna is among the three students from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa who were awarded grants from Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program.

IPRC’s Yuqing Wang recognized for Outstanding Paper

IPRC’s Yuqing Wang and his co-author Jing Xu received a 2018 Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan (JMSJ) Award for their paper “Effect of the initial vortex structure on intensification of a numerically simulated tropical cyclone.”

Student research at SOEST flies sky high

Weather stations on Earth’s surface are easy to install. But how do meteorologists know what the weather is like 6 to 12 miles above their heads? Knowing the state of the upper atmosphere is vital for forecasting weather on the ground. To obtain this information, weather balloons are launched twice a day in almost 900 locations worldwide.

Atmospheric scientists sought for expertise on Hurricane Lane

Weather experts from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) shared their knowledge with the public as communities across the state awaited Hurricane Lane’s arrival.

Forecasting hurricanes in “cone of uncertainty” a rough challenge

Despite advances in dynamic prediction models, it’s challenging to predict the pivot point of a hurricane that’s turning course, said John Bravender, warning coordination meteorologist at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. On the scale of the globe, the differences are not big. The models may only vary by a couple hundred miles. But out here in the middle of the Pacific, that difference “means day and night,” said Pao-Shin Chu, professor of Atmospheric Sciences and the state climatologist.

Fei-Fei Jin honored with the Sverdrup Gold Medal

The American Meteorological Society announced Fei-Fei Jin, Atmospheric Sciences professor in SOEST, will be the recipient of the 2019 Sverdrup Gold Medal for seminal and lasting contributions to understanding ocean–atmosphere interactions in the tropics and midlatitudes.

Hawaiian-language newspapers illuminate an 1871 hurricane

A major hurricane struck the islands of Hawai‘i and Maui on August 9, 1871 and wrought widespread destruction from Hilo to Lahaina. A recent study by two scientists, a Hawaiian language expert, and an educator from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) revealed how historical Hawaiian-language newspapers expand knowledge of this and other natural disasters of the past.

La Niña delivers cold and rain to the islands

Hawai‘i state climatologist and Atmospheric Sciences professor Pao-Shin Chu said on Wednesday 20 December that the La Niña global weather pattern that has developed in recent months appears to be responsible for bringing the colder temperatures and rainfall to the islands.

Ocean warming increases potential of destructive cyclones

“What is the impact of ocean warming on the size and destructiveness of tropical cyclones?” Tim Li concluded that with warmer sea surface temperatures, tropical cyclones become not only stronger, with higher maximum wind speeds, but also larger, with gale-force winds covering a greater area.

Aloha! Welcome to the home page of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. We are entering our second half century providing education in the atmospheric sciences here at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Since 1988 we have been part of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

To learn about our educational programs and our exciting research and service activities follow the links at left. For more information about the history and structure of the department, please visit our About the Department page.

The department also maintains an online Weather Server displaying real time weather observations, including information on current weather conditions, and forecasts for Hawai’i, the central Pacific region, and the continental United States.