Environmental Physics
In an increasingly technological world, applied physicists are making important contributions to understanding the impact of new and existing technologies on society and the environment. Michigan researchers are pioneering several aspects of this field ranging from wavelet analysis of satellite ozone mapping to geological measurements of the earth-atmosphere interface . Mathematical modeling of the physical processes is key to these studies and current work includes electrodynamics simulations of the solar wind, ionosphere-magnetosphere interactions, simulation of electromagnetic phenomena in extra-terrestrial planetary atmospheres, and analysis of energy usage and emissions in urban transportation systems. In this research the Applied Physics program collaborates extensively with faculty and students in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, http://aoss.engin.umich.edu/; Natural Resources and the Environment, http://www.snre.umich.edu/ ; Geological Sciences, http://www.geo.lsa.umich.edu/ ;Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute (GESI), http://provost.umich.edu/gesi; and the Space Physics Research Laboratory, http://www.sprl.umich.edu/ ; Several of our students have been selected as Congressional Fellows, gaining experience with environmental policy-making at the highest levels of government.
[projects to include: Marc Ross, Henry Pollack, ERIM (Dave Tweedie) ]