Department of Earth and Space Sciences

Degrees and Programs

The Department of Earth and Space Sciences offers an expansive educational experience. We provide a rigorous interdisciplinary program in which students develop an understanding of the fundamentals of Earth, space, and planetary sciences, and learn relevant skills for a variety of careers.

Research in Earth and Space Sciences

The Earth and space sciences — geology, geophysics, geobiology and geochemistry — play a critical and unique role in the advancement of knowledge, improvement of the quality of life, and in understanding humanity’s place in the universe. Research in Earth and space sciences draws on methods and theory from chemistry, physics, biology and computational sciences.

Faculty in our department are concerned both with fundamental research and with the dissemination of Earth-science knowledge in the service of society.

Limited resources, geologic hazards, and related environmental change are among the most serious challenges we face. We use our expertise to provide the training and education required to address these challenges, and we are engaged in serious efforts to include a more diverse community of scientists, students and stakeholders than in the past.

News

Dec 9, 2025 | In the News

Nine Alaska seismic stations to go dark in January, slowing West Coast tsunami alerts

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ended funding for nine seismic stations, mainly in the seismically active Aleutian Islands, creating a geographic cap that could delay Washington’s tsunami warnings and shorten evaculation windows. PNSN Director Harold Tobin remains confident that distant seismometers will eventually detect any quakes. While there is no need to panic about these stations going offline, UW coastal hazards specialist and ESS alumna Carrie Garrison-Laney advises caution, urging attention to long-term funding trends that threaten tsunami preparedness. The Alaska Earthquake Center is engaged with NOAA to find a solution.

UW team from Pacific Northwest Seismic Network installs equipment near Mt. Rainier

In late August at Burley Mountain, a team from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network installed equipment to detect ground movement. This seismic station joined more than 700 others in the network spanning Washington and Oregon monitoring shaking from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. PNSN Director Harold Tobin is quoted.

ESS Professor Eric Steig introduces UW to the magic of ice cores

The College of the Environment’s Program on Climate Change (PCC) is hosting a free, interdisciplinary colloquium each month this academic year. ESS Professor Eric Steig was the third lecturer.

Department ofEarth and Space Sciences

Geoscience Impacts Nearly Every Aspect of Our Lives