Atmospheric and Climate Sciences
Extreme
Weather
EAPS faculty and students use observations and numerical modeling to better understand the physics, predictability and impacts of extreme weather systems, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones, and their variability within the climate system.
Climate
Dynamics
The fundamental physics and processes of the regional and large-scale climate system and its variability (such as monsoons, El Niño, and the jet stream), and intraseasonal variability are topics of research by our faculty and students.
Surface-ATMS Interactions
Select EAPS faculty and students study the exchange of energy and matter between the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface, including sea, land, and vegetation.
Atmospheric Science News
In 2025, Tornado Alley has become almost everything east of the Rockies − and it’s been a violent year
05-23-2025
The Conversation — The U.S. has had more reported tornadoes than normal – over 960 as of May 22, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary count. That’s well above the national average of around 660 tornadoes reported by that point over the past 15 years, and it’s similar to 2024 – the second-most active year over that same period. This article was written by EAPS's own Dr. Dan Chavas.
Severe weather this spring is getting more severe, experts say
05-05-2025
WLFD Fox 32 in Chicago — As storms become more severe, weather experts at Purdue University say improvements are being made to models to accurately predict when a storm is quickly approaching. "Something like our forecasts for two days into the future are actually now as good as our forecast just one day into the future that we used to make a couple of decades ago," said Dan Chavas.
Tornado formation is still a mystery in the weather world. Researchers are fighting against time to save lives
04-28-2025
The Independent — Devastating tornadoes cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and dozens of deaths across the U.S. each year. They upend homes and lives. They remain a constant weather threat for a large swath of the country. Purdue EAPS's own Dr. Robin Tanamachi was quoted in the article.
Is Indiana seeing more tornadoes than in the past? The answer is complicated and nuanced
04-04-2025
As Hoosiers clean up from severe storms Wednesday that battered central Indiana, scientists studying the climate say the state is likely to see an increase in the number of tornado outbreaks in the future. That prediction is based on research by the Midwestern Regional Climate Center based at Purdue University and the National Weather Service.
10 Purdue faculty chosen as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
03-27-2025
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is recognizing faculty members who have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most distinct honors within the scientific community. Matthew Huber, EAPS professor, is being honored for pioneering research on past and future climate dynamics, significantly advancing understanding of human-induced climate impacts and sustainability.