Graduate Study in the AOS Program
The Princeton Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) is an autonomous graduate program within the Department of Geosciences. The AOS program is a place where students can apply their training in natural sciences, engineering, computer science, and mathematics to societally-relevant problems in climate, ocean, and atmospheric research, with an emphasis on the use of theory and numerical modeling. AOS students come from a wide variety of undergraduate backgrounds, and do not necessarily have prior experience with atmospheric and oceanic science or computer simulation.
Stephan Fueglistaler
Professor, Dept. of Geosciences Director, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Program (AOS) and
Director, Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System (CIMES)
SPRING 2025
This course explores the fundamentals of climate dynamics. Through examination of the coupled interactions between the atmosphere, oceans, land, and cryosphere, students will investigate how these systems drive climate variability and change across timescales ranging from weeks to millennia. Topics include: global energy balance, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, the hydrologic cycle, climate sensitivity and feedbacks, and paleoclimate. Students will study a hierarchy of climate models, from theoretical frameworks to comprehensive general circulation models, and assess the mechanisms behind major climate feedbacks and modes of variability.
Previous Semesters
Fall Courses
This course discusses the processes that control Earth's climate - and as such the habitability of Earth - with a focus on the atmosphere and the global hydrological cycle. The course balances overview lectures (also covering topics that have high media coverage like the 'Ozone hole' and 'Global warming', and the impact of volcanoes on climate) with selected in-depth analyses. The lectures are complemented with homework based on real data, demonstrating basic data analysis techniques employed in climate sciences.
This course discusses the processes that control Earth's climate - and as such the habitability of Earth - with a focus on the atmosphere and the global hydrological cycle. The course balances overview lectures (also covering topics that have high media coverage like the "Ozone hole" and "Global warming," and the impact of volcanoes on climate) with selected in-depth analyses. The lectures are complemented with homework based on real data, demonstrating basic data analysis techniques employed in climate sciences.
Spring Courses
Course educates Geosciences and AOS students in the responsible conduct of research using case studies appropriate to these disciplines. This discussion-based course focuses on issues related to the use of scientific data, publication practices and responsible authorship, peer review, research misconduct, conflicts of interest, the role of mentors & mentees, issues encountered in collaborative research and the role of scientists in society. Successful completion is based on attendance, reading, and active participation in class discussions. Course satisfies University requirement for RCR training.
Each week, students read one research paper and discuss with faculty. 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's 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.