The Earth System & Other Planetary Bodies

Interactions between processes in Earth’s interior and on the surface impact mountain building, earthquakes, volcanism, and more. Landscapes carved by wind, water, and ice on Earth inform us about our planet's past, and are analogs for the landscapes seen on other planetary bodies. Our students and faculty work across atomic to global scales to understand the physical properties and evolution of planets from their surface to their deep interior to gain a new fundamental understanding of the Earth system and of worlds beyond.
Faculty
Centers & Labs

Center for Tectonophysics
The Center for Tectonophysics is an interdisciplinary research group initiated in 1967 for dual purposes: to undertake basic and applied research of both natural and man-induced rock deformation processes and the broad range of geologic structures formed, and to provide research support, training, and mentoring of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows pursuing advanced studies in the area of tectonophysics.

Deep Crust and Mantle Dynamics Group
This cross-disciplinary research effort combines elements of Geophysics, Petrology, Geochemistry, Tectonics, and Structural Geology to examine the physics, chemistry, and dynamics of the Earth from the mid to lower crust to the core-mantle interface.