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.
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.
Planetary Geosciences
Exploring surface and interior processes of planets throughout the solar system to understand their formation and evolution.
Faculty
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Sam Birch
Assistant Professor -
Gerrit Budde
Assistant Professor -
Ingrid Daubar
Assistant Professor (Research) -
James W. Dottin III
Visiting Assistant Professor -
Alex Evans
Assistant Professor -
Yongsong Huang
Professor -
Christian Huber
Professor -
Daniel Ibarra
Manning Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and Environment and Society -
Yan Liang
Professor -
Ralph Milliken
Associate Professor -
John Mustard
Professor -
Stephen Parman
Associate Professor -
Alberto Saal
Professor
Research Facilities & Resources
Planetary News
A new study shows evidence that, as recently as 1991, a volcano erupted on Venus. “This study is really important,” said DEEPS Professor Emeritus James W. Head, who was not involved in the research. “Could this be the way Earth was in its earliest history? Or the way Earth is headed in its future?”
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SBUDNIC, built by an academically diverse team of students using off-the-shelf parts, was confirmed to have successfully operated in orbit, demonstrating a practical, low-cost method to cut down on space debris.
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The Brown Daily Herald has featured a story about John Matthew Nicklas, a second-year medical student currently on leave from the Alpert Medical School, and DEEPS PhD student focused on planetary health. Planetary health is an interdisciplinary field that studies the links between human health and the health of the planet’s natural systems and resources.
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Banner image produced by Lynced Torres, KVA Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. for the renovated Lincoln Field Building (2022).