Professor Tom Duck designs and builds lidar (laser radar) systems to study ice clouds in Canada's high arctic.

The Earth's climate is one of the most complex physical systems that scientists have ever tried to understand. Climate change due to human activities is a worldwide issue that has major implications for this and future generations. Advances in our knowledge of clouds, aerosols, dynamics, chemistry, ozone depletion, and atmosphere-ocean interactions will help us plan effectively, in order to respond to this challenge.

Atmospheric Science research in the Department of Physics and Atmosphere Science is focused on understanding the physics and chemistry of the climate system. We design and build instrumentation, conduct field and laboratory experiments, interpret observations, develop sophisticated models, and advance theory. Our research is performed in collaboration with students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the Departments of Physics and Atmospheric Science and Oceanography.

The presence on campus of the Atlantic Environmental Prediction Research Initiative (a division of the Meteorological Service of Canada), as well as the neighbouring Environment Canada Atlantic Region and the Bedford Institute of Oceanography brings together a large and active pool of atmosphere and ocean scientists. We are also partners with the Atlantic RURAL Centre.

 

In the news

Dr. Ian Folkins is researching ways to better forecast weather in the Tropics. Read the cover story in Dalhousie's OutFront Magazine

Nova Scotia Weather

There's an old saying that if you don't like Nova Scotia weather, wait five minutes.
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