Earth and Planetary Sciences

Department Chair: Raymond E. Arvidson

Home Page: http://epsc.wustl.edu/ Location: Earth & Planetary Sciences Bldg. Telephone: (314) 935-5610

The Earth and planetary sciences are among the most exciting and rapidly changing scientific enterprises. We live in a culture that is strongly dependent on natural resources and advanced technology; at the same time we seek a sustainable environment. You will find that the diverse disciplines included in Earth and planetary sciences combine the excitement of planetary exploration, the reward of utilization, and the knowledge needed for wise management of our natural resources. You can expand your horizons by taking learning beyond the classroom through field trips, hands-on research, and fieldwork. Study the Mississippi and Missouri River systems and the New Madrid fault, visit the volcanoes of Hawaii, the dunes of the Mojave Desert, the lead mines of the Ozark Mountains, or the caverns of Missouri.

Earth and planetary sciences explores an exciting, multidisciplinary study of the structure, composition, and evolution of the Earth and other planets. Areas of study available range from the Earth's solid iron inner core to the crust, oceans, atmosphere, and even interstellar space. In the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, you will participate in an integrated program of instruction and research that explains Earth as a planet and makes direct use of knowledge gained by exploring the solar system. You will join faculty and students involved in both fundamental research in the earth sciences and equivalent studies of the Moon, Mars, Venus, satellites of the outer planets, and cosmic dust.

News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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'An amazing individual' Steve Fossett memorial service at Washington University May 1 April 28, 2008 -- A memorial service for adventurer Steve Fossett, a member of Washington University's Board of Trustees and a 1968 MBA graduate of the university's Olin Business School, will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 1, in Graham Chapel.

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.

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Faculty Experts:

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Ramanath Cowsik Professor of Physics in Arts and Sciences Ramanath Cowsik Download Ramanath Cowsik's research interests are in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology and non-accelerator particle physics. His scientific contributions include establishing the highest observatory in the world in Hanle, Ladakh, in the Himalayas at an altitude of 15,000 ft. for astronomy in ... Expertise: astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, non-accelerator particle physics, high-energy astrophysics, dark matter, neutrinos, … Direct contact: (314) 935-4493 / cowsik@wuphys.wustl.edu

Charles M. Hohenberg Professor of Physics in Arts & Sciences Hohenberg's area of specialization focuses on noble gases, and he has established a laboratory at Washington University for that purpose. He developed a new type of mass spectrometer that defines the state of the art noble gas mass spectrometry. Combining nearly perfect ion optics with the ultimate ... Expertise: noble gases, mass spectrometer, meteorites, noble gas mass spectrometry Direct contact: (314) 935-6266 / cmh@wuphys.wustl.edu

Victor Wickerhauser Professor of Mathematics in Arts & Sciences Victor Wickerhauser, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, is an expert in wavelet analysis, a sophisticated kind of harmonic analysis that is integral in analyzing and compressing data — video, sound or photographic, for instance — for a wide range of applications. Expertise: wavelet analysis, harmonic analysis, compressed data, audio data, video data, fingerprinting analysis Direct contact: (314) 935-6771 / victor@wustl.edu

Ernst K. Zinner Research Professor of Physics in Arts and Sciences The research interests of Ernst Zinner are centered on the study of primitive meteorites and interplanetary dust, particularly their record of the nucleosynthesis of elements in stars and the formation of the solar system. The most important information is contained in presolar grains that condensed ... Expertise: astrophysics, space physics, high-energy physics, interplanetary environments, primitive meteorites, nuclear particle tracks, interplanetary dust, … Direct contact: (314) 935-6240 / ekz@wustl.edu

Bruce Fegley Professor of Planetary Geochemisrty and Cosmochemistry Bruce Fegley, Ph.D., professor of earth and planetary sciences, specializes in Venus and the early solar system. Fegley and Senior Research Scientist Katharina Lodders, Ph.D., and technical staff, graduate students, and undergraduates form the Planetary Chemistry Laboratory in the Department of Earth ... Expertise: chemical processes in the early solar system, planeary surfaces, planetary atmospheres, Venus, Jovian planets, solar nebula, Magellan, … Direct contact: (314) 935-4852 / bfegley@levee.wustl.edu

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Related News Clips:

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Show More 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.

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.