Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences

Planetary Geosciences

Exploring surface and interior processes of planets throughout the solar system to understand their formation and evolution.

We employ a variety of perspectives and tools, including remote sensing, geophysical and terrestrial analog studies, and analysis of extraterrestrial samples returned to Earth to investigate planetary systems. Research topics vary widely, from the hydrologic and geologic history of Mars, the role of impact cratering in the structure and composition of planets and moons, interactions between planetary interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres and their roles in planetary habitability, and cosmochemical studies of the early stages of the solar system. Through these studies we develop new theory and understanding of the chemical, physical, and geological evolution of planetary bodies across the solar system.

Planetary News

Faculty

Banner image produced by Lynced Torres, KVA Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. for the renovated Lincoln Field Building (2022).