Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Program (AGS)

The Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) program advances foundational research on Earth’s atmosphere and the near-Earth space environment.  

• Projects focused on atmospheric science span the troposphere and stratosphere. They examine physical, chemical, radiative and dynamical processes that influence weather, climate and the composition of air. Key themes include the atmospheric parts of global energy and water cycles; the formation and fate of gases and aerosols; phenomena across spatial and temporal scales; and severe and hazardous weather. 

• Projects focused on geospace science span the mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere and exosphere, extending to the inner heliosphere and solar atmosphere. Research areas include interactions among these regions and with the Sun and the lower atmosphere, driven by multiscale processes such as convection, turbulence, magnetic reconnection, waves, wave–particle interactions and instabilities. Core themes include space-weather drivers and phenomena and their impacts on technology and essential infrastructure.