Science & Research

Our world-class scientists excel in advancing the scientific understanding of the Earth’s environment and planetary atmospheres.

Through revolutionary work in science and technology we’ve earned a global reputation for the quality of our wide-ranging, in-depth studies of the Earth, its oceans, its atmosphere and the extraterrestrial forces that exert an influence on our planet every day.

For more than 30 years, our experts have focused on understanding the way the Earth works as a dynamic system, including interactions among its components, determining how aspects of climate vary, and characterizing attributes of significant weather and climate phenomena.

Many government and university programs rely on science and technology from Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) to fulfill their climate-related missions. We provide research, scientifically-accurate models, data and analyses that accelerate decision-making. Our work is used worldwide in general circulation models, forecasting, weather and climate risk analysis, and mission planning and operations.

Basic Research

AER conducts cutting-edge research in the physics and chemistry of land, ocean, atmosphere and space, as well as cross-domain problems. Research examples and core competencies span many disciplines.

  • Seasonal forecasting
  • Radiative transfer modeling
  • Ocean properties
  • Data assimilation
  • Greenhouse gases
  •  Numerical weather prediction

AER's research and development are grounded in proprietary modeling technologies based on rigorous and scientifically advanced algorithms; software simulation models; and extensive databases of meteorological, atmospheric and oceanographic information.

Applied Research and Development

We apply our research to solving real-world problems. AER's R&D capabilities have earned us a global reputation as:

  • A premier developer of scientific algorithms
  • A global advisor on weather and climate risk management
  • A major contributor to weather effects modeling and simulation
  • An expert on satellite-based cloud property analysis
  • An authority on space weather prediction and impact on operations
  • An innovator in environmental measurement and monitoring
  • A key developer of strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation

AER's expertise is sought by international government agencies focused on meteorology, environment, energy and space, including the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Energy, NASA, and NOAA, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense and Fortune 500 defense contractors, such as Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Harris Corporation. Our corporate clients also include global leaders in insurance, investment, energy and other industries. Our research engagements span a wide range of scientific initiatives including:

  • Sensor system simulations
  • Data acquisition and real-time analysis
  • Modeling and prediction
  • Technology transfer to operational systems