Research

Our researchers have access to a wide variety of laboratories and equipment, either within our departments and associated programs.

Faculty and students in the School of Earth Sciences work to expand our understanding of Earth and its history and dynamics, environmental changes, natural resources, hazards, and sustainability through fundamental scientific and engineering research. In an intellectual, collegial, and productive working environment that supports fundamental research and promotes collaboration, they build links between the Earth sciences and other disciplines to address increasingly complex problems of compelling and intellectual and societal importance. 

Home to more than 50 centers and research groups, School of Earth Sciences affords its researchers the freedom to look across disciplines for solutions, benefiting from many perspectives.

Research Profiles

These research profiles illustrate some of the ways in which faculty and students are working together to address some of today's greatest challenges in Earth and environmental science.

Elizabeth Miller, Marty Grove: The Mesozoic Sierra Nevada Batholith preserves an extensive record of continental-margin arc magmatism which serves as a classic, worldwide model for such tectonic environments. Learn more

Kevin Arrigo: The Arctic Ocean is changing rapidly. The past few years have seen a dramatic drop in the amount of sea ice that seasonally covers the Arctic Ocean and this has changed its marine ecosystems in fundamental ways. First and foremost, loss of sea ice means the loss of seal and polar bear habitat. Learn more

Gregory Asner: Carbon is an essential building block for all living things, and it plays a major role in our climate system. The amount of carbon stored in both land and ocean systems is an area of intense scientific research. Carbon storage and sequestration has also grown in importance in the international political and economic arenas. Learn more

Wendy Mao: Launched with renovation and equipment support from the Chevron Corporation, Assistant Professor Wendy Mao's Extreme Environments Laboratory investigates the behavior of a wide range of materials under high pressure. Learn more