Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences

A recent study estimate that Mercury is shrinking 30 percent faster than expected. “Every planet is an odd little duck that has a story to tell,” commented Assistant Professor Sam Birch, who was not involved in the study. “If you can understand how fast Mercury is shrinking, you can understand how fast it’s cooling, what size it started at and what it’s made out of.”

In a 2025 paper in the "Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets", Assistant Professor Sam Birch and his team identified just two probable deltas among the large mapped rivers that terminate at Titan’s coastlines. That works out to roughly 1.3 per cent. Rivers of comparable size on Earth nearly always form one. The team built a numerical model to test the radar behavior of terrestrial water with the properties expected for Titan’s methane-rich liquids.

This year, DEEPS undergraduates traveled to Texas and Southern New Mexico for the annual 2026 Spring Break Field Trip. Guided by Assistant Professor Sam Birch, their geologic journey included exploring Big Ben National Part, traversing the White Sands gypsum dunes of New Mexico, and much more. Enjoy these photos from their exciting and educational adventure!