Our research encompasses the Earth system, other planets, and the near-earth space environment, covering an extensive range of topics.
Our award-winning faculty lead research programs with the participation of graduate and undergraduate students, postdocs, and staff. We collaborate extensively with UW faculty, and with colleagues across the nation and internationally. Below, we provide an overview of the major research themes in the department. To learn more, you are encouraged to browse individual faculty web pages and to read about our state of the art research facilities.
Meet ESS faculty Read about our Research Facilities
Subduction Zone Processes
ESS’s Pacific Northwest Seismological Network (PNSN) is the authoritative seismological facility for the Pacific Northwest, and has been a leader in developing and implementing earthquake early warning systems. Much of this work is in collaboration with USGS scientists who are housed in our department. We are also involved in the study of the rock record to investigate the relationship between geochemical processes and geophysical processes at subduction zones in the field and laboratory, including the role of metamorphosed sediment in subduction fault strength, the evolution and controls of subduction thermal structure, and the rates of these processes.
Cryosphere and Climate
ESS faculty have pioneered the development and deployment of radar systems for imaging the interior structures of ice sheets and glaciers and have played a leading role in every major multi-institution ice-core project in the last 30 years. Our faculty have done groundbreaking work in developing our understanding of the the sensitivity of glaciers to climate. Glaciologists and paleoclimatologists in ESS work closely with researchers from multiple others departments, including the Applied Physic Lab, the Department of Civil Engineering, and Atmospheric and Climate Science.
Planetary and Space Sciences
ESS has a long history of research in the near-space environment of Earth’s upper atmosphere, and leads the international Worldwide Lightning Location Network, comprising an array of sensors in more than 40 countries. ESS also has a growing presence in planetary sciences, with extensive work on the Martian landscape and glaciers, with direct involvement NASA’s Mars Phoenix and Perseverance Rover missions. ESS faculty are currently part of the Dragonfly science team, which will eventually reach Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, where it will be used to understand the interior structure and habitability of Titan. ESS is part of the UW Astrobiology program, in which graduate students obtain dual degrees in ESS and Astrobiology.
Earth Surface Dynamics
Our ability to quantify processes and make theoretical advances specific to the near-surface environment is growing at an incredible pace through technology-enabled discovery, allowing us to reconstruct Earth’s past, present, and future landscapes in increasing detail. The study of Earth surface dynamics is an integrative field, enabling collaborations with those who study volcanoes and earthquakes, soil processes, and geobiology. Additionally, there are strong applied-science aspects, ranging from the assessment of geologic hazards to the understanding of processes affecting fisheries, forestry and water resources.
Earth and Life Through Time
ESS faculty work on the early evolution of life at the intersection of geology, biology and chemistry, examining the oldest and best-preserved rocks available. We also do work on the chemistry of water-rock-microbe interactions, combining interdisciplinary techniques from microbiology and low temperature aqueous geochemistry. By modeling these systems with chemical thermodynamics, this work quantitatively describes these Earth-life interactions and provides predictive power to understand these interactions through time and beyond our own planet: the essence of “geobiology”.