From improving numerical model predictions of atmospheric temperature next
year to explaining geological strata laid down in previous eras,
from monitoring water transport through the atmosphere to modeling
water movement at the bottom of the ocean, scientists and students in
the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences (AOES) are
working to better understand our planet in myriad ways.

AOES was created in July 2008 by the merger of the Climate Dynamics
Department with Earth scientists from the Environmental Science and
Policy Department (ESP).  The undergraduate courses and degrees in
Geology and Earth Science from ESP, and the Climate Dynamics
Department PhD Program, continue in the new department.  Building on
the strength of its original components, the new department title
reflects the broad range of geosciences at George Mason University and
underscores the interactions between solid, liquid, and gaseous
components of the Earth.