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Overview of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences

 

            The Department of Atmospheric Sciences offers one of the six science-oriented Master's degrees at SDSM&T and offers the Atmospheric Resources track in the Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (AES) Ph.D. degree program.  The Department also supports a specialization in atmospheric sciences within the B.S. in Interdisciplinary Sciences (B.S.I.S.) major.

            The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a nationally-recognized engineering and science-oriented institution for pursuing an atmospheric sciences/meteorology education and is in an ideal location for atmospheric sciences research. Rapid City is the gateway to the beautiful Black Hills to the west; to the east of the city are the expansive Great Plains and Badlands.

            The area presents a kaleidoscope of weather and climate. The Black Hills are a constant source of convective clouds in the late spring and summer. The orographic and heating effects of the mountains affect the weather many miles downwind. The variation of weather from mountains to plains in the winter is almost legendary, the Rapid City area being the site in January 1943 of one of the largest, fastest temperature oscillations on record. The winters, while cold, are not severe and are generally more comfortable than most people think. The low humidity of the region, typical of the interior West, makes temperature extremes tolerable. Annual precipitation is about 17-20 inches (43-51 cm) and total snowfall averages 36 inches (91.4 cm) per year. Rapid City's mean temperature for January compares favorably with those of Kansas City, Chicago, Buffalo, and Nashua, New Hampshire.

            For periods of relaxation, the region offers a vacationland to its residents. Picturesque lakes and pine-covered mountains rich in the history of the Old West abound. Excellent outdoor recreation facilities encourage hiking, camping, swimming, boating, fishing, bicycling, horseback riding, and golfing. In winter and early spring there is downhill and cross-country skiing. Pheasant, antelope, and deer hunting are very popular. A local symphony orchestra offers fine music, and an amateur theater group presents several productions during the year. In summer, the Black Hills Playhouse Theater provides professional theatrical entertainment; and in winter, the Black Hills Community Theater of Rapid City provides a series of plays. Several nationally known entertainers and symphonic orchestras appear during the year at the Rapid City Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

            The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology offers a quality education in science and engineering. The total student body numbers about 2,200 students, of whom some 200 are graduate students. The departments of physics, computer science and mathematics, chemistry, and geology, and the engineering departments offer excellent elective course work for the graduate student in atmospheric sciences. The staffs of the various departments have diverse backgrounds and provide a broad educational environment in which the student may study and do research.

            The Department of Atmospheric Sciences' main offices are housed within the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences in the Mineral Industries Building on the SD Tech campus (see diagram below).

SDSM&T Campus Map (click on map for enlarged view)

Mineral Industries (MI) Building

 

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