Department of Atmospheric Sciences

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

Outstanding employees recognized with RCUH awards

Tiziana Cherubini and Ryan Lyman with the Maunakea Weather Center were nominated by atmospheric sciences professor Steven Businger and were awarded the first place in the 2020 Outstanding Team category.

SOEST vog forecasting program continues with new funding

The Vog Measurement and Prediction (VMAP) project, led by SOEST atmospheric scientists, received three years of new funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to improve VMAP’s ability to provide statewide forecasts of volcanic smog, known locally as “vog,” and to expand delivery methods to include push notification to smartphones.

Alison Nugent honored with UH Board of Regents Teaching Award

Dr. Alison Nugent, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences, was honored with a 2020 Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Hawai‘i (UH).

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.

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.

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.