Geology / Planetary Science

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University is one of the few departments in the country with an integrated program of instruction and research that treats Earth as a planet and makes direct use of knowledge gained by exploring the solar system. Areas covered within the department include geology, geobiology, geochemistry, geodynamics, and planetary sciences. Field work, laboratory measurements, data analysis, and theoretical work are integral components of the research efforts carried out within the Department. The Department offers undergraduate and graduate programs leading to bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. At the graduate level, students with undergraduate backgrounds in earth sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering are encouraged to apply. Undergraduate students are also urged to study in these fields as part of the major in earth sciences.

The Department benefits from the presence of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, the Geosciences Node of the NASA Planetary Data System, extensive analytical laboratory equipment and computer facilities, and a departmental library with more than 50,000 monographs, journals, and maps. These resources support a faculty dedicated to excellence in teaching and research. Students are exposed to a thorough and comprehensive course of study, with the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research in the Earth and planetary sciences.

Faculty Experts:

Showing 4 Geology / Planetary Science Experts.

Raymond Arvidson James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor Raymond Arvidson Download Arvidson is an interdisciplinary scientist on the Mars Global Surveyor, head of NASA's Planetary Data System Geosciences Node, a director of NASA's Regional Planetary Image Center and a deputy investigator of the Athena Mars Rover for the 2003 mission. He is deputy principal investigator for imaging ... Expertise: Mars, NASA, geology, remote sensing, solar system, venus Direct contact: (314) 935-5609 / arvidson@wunder.wustl.edu

Roger Phillips Professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences Phillips Download Roger Phillips, Ph.D., Washington University Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, and collaborators are interested in the interior evolution of the terrestrial planets and how a planet's evolution affects and modifies its outer rigid ... Expertise: Mars, NASA, origins of life on Mars, space studies, surface features of Mars Direct contact: (314) 935-6356 / phillips@wustite.wustl.edu

Douglas Wiens Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Wiens specializes in seismology and geophysics and has done extensive research on large deep earthquakes in the Pacific Ocean. He also is researching the seismology of Antarctica. He has taught courses on earth forces, seismology, environmental geophysics and geodynamics. Expertise: Antarctica, Tectonics, faults, large deep earthquakes, seismology Direct contact: (314) 935-6517 / doug@kermadec.wustl.edu

Michael Wysession Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Michael Wysession Download Michael E. Wysession is an expert on the Earth's inner structure. He has mapped various sections of the Earth and is most noted for his map of the Earth's core-mantle boundary. He has a 20-minute 'movie' of the Earth's core, mantle and surface, showing what happens below us in a earthquake when one ... Expertise: earth's core-mantle boundary, geophysics Direct contact: (314) 935-5625 / michael@mantle.wustl.edu

Showing 4 Geology / Planetary Science Experts.

News Stories & Tip Sheets:

Showing Geology / Planetary Science Stories 1 through 3 of 61.  - Show More

All shook up Midwest now worries about a different fault April 24, 2008 -- Two seismologists at Washington University in St. Louis think the New Madrid Fault may have seen its day and the Wabash Fault is the new kid on the block. "I think everyone's interested in the Wabash Valley Fault because a lot of the attention has been on the New Madrid Fault, but the Wabash Valley Fault could be the more dangerous one, at least for St. Louis and Illinois," said Doug Wiens, professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences. "The strongest earthquakes in the last few years have come from the Wabash Valley Fault, which needs more investigation."

Ignoring 'geologic reality' Geologist decries floodplain development April 1, 2008 -- Photo courtesy of USGS Levees are not infalliable. Midwesterners have to be wondering: Will April be the cruelest month? Patterns in the Midwest this spring are eerily reminiscent of 1993 and 1994, back-to-back years of serious flooding. Parallels this year include abnormally high levels of precipitation in late winter and early spring, early flooding in various regions, and record amounts of snow in states upstream. One thing Midwesterners have not learned is "geologic reality," says Robert E. Criss, Ph.D., professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

2008 McDonnell lecture Space scientist Flanagan to speak on Webb Telescope March 20, 2008 -- Flanagan Kathryn Flanagan, Ph.D., senior scientist and head of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute, will deliver the 2008 McDonnell Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in Room 214 Wilson Hall on the Danforth Campus at Washington University in St. Louis.

Showing Geology / Planetary Science Stories 1 through 3 of 61.  - Show More

Related News Clips:

Showing Geology / Planetary Science Clips 1 through 5 of 37.  - Show More

Show More Geology / Planetary Science Clips

Wabash Fault holds high earthquake risk United Press International April 28, 2008 -- Scientists said the Wabash Valley Fault in Illinois may pose a higher risk to St. Louis than the better-known New Madrid Fault. The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that originated last week on the Wabash Valley Fault was about 120 miles east of St. Louis. WUSTL seismologists Douglas Wiens and Michael Wysession comment.

NASA Spacecraft Fine Tunes Course For Mars Landing ScienceDaily.com and 21 others April 11, 2008 -- NASA engineers have adjusted the flight path of the Phoenix Mars Lander, setting the spacecraft on course for its May 25 landing on the Red Planet. ...

NASA Cut Means No Roving for Mars Rover Associated Press and 92 others March 25, 2008 -- Scientists plan to put one of the twin Mars rovers to sleep and limit the activities of the other robot to fulfill a NASA order to cut $4 million from the program's budget, mission team members said Monday. The cut comes at a time when the robots are in the midst of an extensive exploration campaign, said deputy principal investigator and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson.

Antarctica's unique space rocks BBC News (UK) March 14, 2008 -- A pair of meteorites discovered in Antarctica are in a class all of their own, a major space conference has been told. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ryan Zeigler comments.

The Crew of STS-123 The New York Times March 11, 2008 -- Article profiles the seven men who make up the crew of the shuttle Endeavour's mission to the International Space Station. The youngest member of the crew is WUSTL alum Robert Behnken. He will conduct three spacewalks, and will operate the space station's robotic arm during the other spacewalks.

Mimicking plant evolution proves fruitful MSNBC.com Jan. 11, 2008 -- By mimicking plant evolution, a team of Illinois researchers has improved upon nature's design to build a leafy energy-producing powerhouse — or at least a virtual one on a supercomputer. In a study published within the journal Plant Physiology, WUSTL biology and chemistry professor Robert Blankenship comments on the Illinois study.

Jupiter's Moon Europa: What Could Be Under The Ice? ScienceDaily.com and 3 others Dec. 14, 2007 -- Jupiter's moon Europa is just as far away as ever, but new research is bringing scientists closer to being able to explore its tantalizing ice-covered ocean and determine its potential for harboring life. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor William McKinnon is discussing some of these recent findings and new opportunities for exploring Europa in a news briefing today at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

Mineral may unlock secrets of Venus's ancient oceans NewScientist.com (UK) Oct. 11, 2007 -- Did ancient oceans on Venus last long enough for potential life to have emerged? The answer could be locked inside a hardy mineral called tremolite, which future robotic missions to our neighbouring planet could find and study. Experiments by Natasha Johnson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Bruce Fegley Jr. have previously shown that tremolite, which forms in the presence of water, is tough enough that it could have survived on Venus's surface to the present.

Association promotes and protects caves The Kansas City Star online and 1 others March 26, 2007 -- Missouri has more than 6,200 known caves, and a drive is under way to make more money on cave tourism while also protecting private caves from public encroachment -- considered a growing problem. The Missouri Caves Association is in its third year promoting caves on billboards with the help of $10,000 annual grants from the Missouri Division of Tourism. There are about 20 caves open for tours in Missouri. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Robert Criss wrote about the problem of development in a recent issue of the journal Missouri Speleology.

NASA Mars Rover Churns Up Questions With Sulfur-Rich Soil ScienceDaily.com, NewScientist.com (UK) and 14 others March 15, 2007 -- Some bright Martian soil containing lots of sulfur and a trace of water intrigues researchers who are studying information provided by NASA's Spirit rover. "This material could have been left behind by water that dissolved these minerals underground, then came to the surface and evaporated, or it could be a volcanic deposit formed around ancient gas vents," said WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson. He is the deputy principal investigator for NASA's twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.

Professor Says Mo. Should Protect Caves Associated Press Online, West End Word (St. Louis) and 44 others March 8, 2007 -- WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Robert Criss warned that Missouri is losing too many of its caves to development. Missouri has an international reputation among scientists, caving enthusiasts and tourists. Criss, WUSTL geologist G.R. Osburn and graduate students Jennifer Lippmann and Everett Criss, Robert Criss' son, studied many of the 127 reported caves in St. Louis County. Their paper, the Caves of St. Louis County, was recently published in the journal Missouri Speleology. Speleology is the exploration and study of caves.

Passing probe to study 'crop circles' on Europa NewScientist.com (UK) Feb. 28, 2007 -- When NASA's New Horizons space probe makes its closest approach of Jupiter on Wednesday, it will get the best ever glimpse at the composition of several of the planet's large moons. NASA plans to send back only five images of Jupiter and its moons shortly after the flyby. One of those five will be of Jupiter's moon, Europa, which scientists think harbours a watery ocean beneath an icy crust. Some scientists say this is a prime place to look for life in the solar system. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Bill McKinnon comments.

Aerial sight was a meteor The Kansas City Star and 1 others Feb. 6, 2007 -- That dazzling object seen falling from the sky over Missouri, Kansas and other Midwestern states Sunday evening was a meteor, though where it ended up is uncertain, experts said. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Randy Korotev comments.

Genomic "time machine" may pinpoint divergence of human and Neandertal Scientific American Nov. 16, 2006 -- Article reports on two research teams who say they have rebuilt, or sequenced, long segments of Neanderthal DNA using the 38,000-year-old remains of a 38-year-old male, found in a Croatian cave. The technique is not only yielding new insights into Neanderthals, reported in Nature and Science, it's also likely to prove an important tool in teasing out secrets about how plants and animals evolved. WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus says he sees problems with how the two teams interpret some of their information.

Drill hole begins Homeric quest BBCNews.com (UK) Oct. 12, 2006 -- A UK-led team is challenging cherished ideas on Greek mythology by proposing an alternative site for Ithaca. The island was said to be the home of Odysseus, whose 10-year journey back from the Trojan War is chronicled in Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Geologists are this week sinking a borehole on nearby Kefalonia in an attempt to test whether its western peninsula of Paliki is the real site. WUSTL art history and archaeology professor Sarantis Symeonoglou, who has spent years trying to tie locations on Ithaki to details in the poem, comments.

Mars rover reaches rim of deep crater Associated Press and 90 others Sept. 28, 2006 -- The Mars rover Opportunity reached the rim of a deep crater Wednesday after an arduous 21-month trek, marking a milestone. Victoria crater, with its exposed walls of thickly layered rocks, is a treasure trove for scientists trying to determine whether the rocks were formed in shallow lakes, which might suggest the planet once could have been hospitable to life. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor and NASA scientist Ray Arvidson comments.

Rover nears crater science trove BBC News (UK) and 12 others Sept. 8, 2006 -- Nasa's robotic Mars rover Opportunity is closing in on what could be the richest scientific "treasure trove" of its mission so far. Within the next two weeks, Opportunity should reach the rim of Victoria crater, wider and deeper than any it has visited in more than two-and-a-half years on Mars. NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.

Begging a crust Nature.com (UK) Sept. 5, 2006 -- Article looks at the research still being done using the lunar rock brought back between 1969 and 1976, mainly by the U.S. Apollo missions. These rocks have helped scientists to understand much of what we know about the Moon today. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Randy Korotev comments on new techniques being developed as this research continues.

Bird extinction pace worries scientists Kansas City Star and 19 others July 5, 2006 -- New research shows that birds are becoming extinct faster than scientists have thought. A group of scientists that included WUSTL biology professor and conservationist Peter Raven, president of the Missouri Botanical Garden, revised the existing extinction estimate to take into account ongoing fossil discoveries of extinct species and missing birds not yet classified as extinct. The results of their study appear this week in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Wild weather: Iron rain on failed stars USA Today and 1 others July 5, 2006 -- Ever since their discovery 11 years ago, brown dwarfs have baffled scientists. Sometimes called "failed stars," brown dwarfs are too small to trigger the fusion of hydrogen that keeps stars like our sun shining for billions of years. Instead, over tens of millions of years brown dwarfs slowly cool and fade. Meanwhile, the weather on these strange objects is some of the wildest in the galaxy. WUSTL planetary chemistry professor Katharina Lodders comments.

More News:

Weather in outer space? Ask a brown dwarf
July/August 2002 -- Brown dwarfs, which have been described as "failed stars," are celestial bodies more massive than planets like Jupiter but not large enough to sustain the thermonuclear reactions that make a star shine. In the June 1, 2002 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters, Katharina Lodders, a senior research scientist in the Planetary Chemistry Lab at Washington University in St. Louis -- along with researchers from UCLA, NASA and other institutions -- reported the first evidence for the existence of changing weather patterns on brown dwarfs. They are the first non-planetary objects to exhibit such phenomena.

Mars mission bolstered by Arvidson, colleagues
July 11, 2003 -- Two robotic field geologists are hurtling toward Mars on separate launch vehicles to provide answers to questions on the planet's climate and water history. Sixteen people at the University, from undergraduate students to full professors, are fully involved in the mission. They helped NASA determine the landing sites for the rovers — Spirit and Opportunity — and will assist in the analysis of the data collected.

Astrobiology grant
University scientists experiment on origins of organic compounds
Aug. 22, 2003 -- Bruce Fegley, Ph.D., and his colleagues in the Planetary Chemistry Laboratory here will conduct experiments on the origin of organic compounds in the solar nebula, the cloud of gas and dust from which the sun, Earth and other objects in the solar system formed. Fegley's group will use the experimental results and other data to model how impacts by comets and asteroids may have supplied organic materials to Earth during its early history.