Atmospheric & Earth Sciences

Atmospheric & Earth Sciences at SCSU

Atmospheric and Earth Sciences programs at St. Cloud State University prepare students to explore the forces that shape our planet, from severe weather, climate, and water systems to rocks, minerals, fossils, landscapes, and geospatial data.

Through programs in Meteorology (B.S.), Earth Science (B.A.), Earth & Space Science Education (B.S.), Geospatial Science (B.S), and related fields, students gain hands-on experience in labs, field settings, paleontology, geology, weather analysis, mapping technologies, and real-world problem solving. Whether students are interested in forecasting storms, studying Earth’s geologic history, protecting natural resources, analyzing spatial data, or understanding environmental change, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences offers exciting pathways to meaningful careers and graduate study. For students interested in STEM Education, the Earth & Space Education program provides students in the region a path towards becoming a science educator.

Our faculty provide an excellent learning environment for students through the use and assessment of a variety of learning experiences including formal class work, laboratory and field work, learning through peer interaction, undergraduate research, and internships, while always being open to new and improved forms of learning.

Facilities such as the Husky Weather Center, the Granite City Weather Studio, the SCSU Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Collection, and the Fossil Preparation Lab allow for students to engage in a dynamic and hands-on learning experience.

Senior Research Project

All students graduating from an Atmospheric & Earth Sciences programs complete a capstone project during which they conduct scientific research while working with experts in their preferred content area and then share their results with peers, research mentors, and faculty members. Sample projects include:

• Effective interdisciplinary science communication tools, techniques, and impacts
• Developing tools for teaching meteorology using virtual and augmented reality
• Microphysics studies of raindrops and snowflake measurements
• Meteorological instrument design, construction, and testing
• In-depth case studies involving analysis and modeling of severe weather events
• Paleontology projects exploring the paleobiodiversity and paleoecology of North America.
• Assessment of the geologic composition of central Minnesota igneous rock formations.
• Description of fossil flora and fauna of Minnesota.
• Digitization of specimens and samples in the Rock, Mineral, and Fossil collections at SCSU.
• Verification of fire weather tools using satellite observations
• Outcrop-scale field mapping of granites and basalt dikes at local rock exposures