Master’s Programme Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences
You want to become an expert in atmospheric processes over mountainous terrain?
Students of the Master’s Degree Programme in Atmospheric Sciences study, model and observe the Earth’s atmosphere and its interactions with hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and human activities.
In courses, labs and field work, students acquire a highly interdisciplinary set of tools and skills from the fields of physics, computer sciences, chemistry, mathematics, statistics and data science and measurement technologies.
Graduates are experts in atmospheric processes taking place over mountainous terrain.
Study code
UC 066 614
FAQ
Graduates possess highly specialized knowledge in the field of atmospheric and cryospheric sciences. They are able to integrate, transfer and implement scientific methods and knowledge at the intersections of other related nature sciences.
The Master’s Programme Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences provides an in-depth understanding of atmospheric processes and their interactions with land, oceans, ice and biosphere from the molecular to the global scale and from short-term phenomena such as turbulences and storms to long-term climate changes; with a focus on snow and ice, climate and global change, applied meteorology (environment, energy, glaciology), the application of advanced observation systems (satellite technology) for data assimilation and process modelling in the area of environment and forecasting, or the analysis of the significance of complex orography in the dynamics of atmospheric flows.
A special focus of the education in Innsbruck refers to mountain aspects. The entry requirement for the Master’s Programme Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences is a bachelor’s degree in a related field with basic skills in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer languages. Alongside a deeper comprehension of the basic knowledge acquired in the bachelor’s programme, students learn to independently apply scientific methods to the interpretation of weather maps, to prepare large-scale and local weather forecasts based on the comprehension of the workings of current operational forecasting models.
Besides providing technical expertise in the field of meteorology, the programme additionally teaches students to evaluate scientific topics of meteorology and atmospheric physics in an interdisciplinary context, and to autonomously apply them to new areas of study, incorporating the university’s research specialities.
The career fields for graduates of the master’s programme range from meteorological and hydrological services, weather consulting companies, avalanche warning services, environmental agencies, domestic and foreign research institutions and operational centres, to interdisciplinary areas of responsibility where meteorology plays a key role.
The Master’s Programme Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences prepares students for relevant doctoral studies as well as careers beyond the academic area in national and international research institutions.
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From the field
Underlying assumptions of air quality need to be redefined
Long-term measurements in the urban area of Innsbruck, Austria, show that the fraction of ozone near the surface tends to be overestimated in atmospheric models. Consequently, a fundamental assumption for air quality forecasting has to be reinterpreted for urban areas. Measurements by an international team led by atmospheric scientist Thomas Karl of the University of Innsbruck also show that direct nitrogen dioxide emissions are overestimated.
Ice cliffs as an early warning system for the climate
It is rare to find glaciers bounded on land by vertical ice cliffs. These ice cliffs respond with particular sensitivity to environmental changes. Research teams from Tyrol and Styria are investigating ice formations at a site in the far north of Greenland. The researchers intend to draw conclusions about the development of the Arctic climate based on the changes in the glacier walls.
Significant decline of CO2 emissions in Innsbruck
Air monitoring measurements at the University of Innsbruck's atmospheric observatory show that carbon dioxide emissions in western Austria have fallen by around 20 percent since 2018. Emissions are therefore well below the levels predicted by various models. Observational data is becoming increasingly important for assessing greenhouse gas budgets.
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