Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
(Division of Science)
Professor Pengfei Zhang, Chair • Department Office: MR 926• Tel: 212-650-6984
General Information
The City College offers the following master’s degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences:
M.S. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Programs and Objectives
The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences has developed a unique version of the Earth Systems Science (ESS) model, the proposed national curriculum in earth sciences. The focus of ESS is to integrate the chemical and physical principles which interlink earth processes and features. The integrated curriculum gives us the flexibility to offer research training in the following areas:
Atmospheric Science and Climate
Geology and Geophysics
Geochemistry and Environmental Chemistry
Remote Sensing/Geographic Information Systems
Terrestrial and Coastal Ecology
Students who receive an M.S. from the EAS Department will be prepared for employment in environmental companies and government agencies, as well as for Ph.D. level studies in ESS, Geology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Public Policy, or Terrestrial Ecology.
EAS Departmental Facilities
The EAS Department maintains well-equipped hydrology, geochemistry, geophysics, and remote sensing laboratories. Geochemical analysis equipment includes spectroscopy, spectrometry, and microscopy. Environmental geophysical equipment includes an electromagnetic ground conductivity meter, an automated resistivity system, a gravimeter, and a proton precession magnetometer. In remote sensing, field gear supporting ground measurements for validation of remote sensing datasets concerning terrestrial ecosystem dynamics and the carbon and water cycles is available, as well as workstations for analyzing satellite data. The EAS facilities also include a Weather and Climate Lab that hosts a wide range of tools for the downloading and analysis of data from weather satellites. Additional access to the CUNY supercomputing center at College of Staten Island, analytical equipment (e.g., electron microscopy, XRD, stable isotope mass spectrometry) through the CCNY Division of Science Core Facility, the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, the NY Structural Biology Center on South Campus, and allocated time for electron probe microanalysis through our faculty affiliation with the American Museum of Natural History.
Research
Qualified students are encouraged to become research assistants to faculty. Many are assisted in their research with support from the NOAA sponsored Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies (NOAA-CESSRST), CUNY Environmental Crossroads Initiative and CUNY Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), or through other resources provided by the faculty.
Departmental Activities
The Geology Club has meetings during club hours. Meetings include guest lecturers, environmental films, and field trips in the New York City area.
The American Meteorological Society is for students interested in meteorology and its applications. Weather station operation and visits to other weather stations are scheduled.
A student chapter of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) focuses on the use of geophysics for environmental and engineering applications.