Earth and Environment News

07/31/2014

Looking Forward to 2020 . . . on Mars

Kimm Fesenmaier

Ken Farley, Caltech's W.M. Keck Foundation Professor of Geochemistry and chair of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, is serving as project scientist for Mars 2020. We recently sat down with him to talk about the mission and his new role.

04/23/2014

Research for a Greener Future

Kathy Svitil

Today's Earth Week feature highlights three cross-disciplinary research centers where Caltech scientists and engineers collaborate on projects that will have a positive impact on energy, the environment, and Earth's sustainable future.

04/22/2014

Spring Break in the Galápagos

Kimm Fesenmaier

As the final element of Evolution, Caltech's new Bi/Ge 105 course, a dozen students spent their spring break snorkeling with penguins and sharks, hiking a volcano, and otherwise taking in the natural laboratory for evolution that is the Galápagos Islands.

04/25/2014

Caltech and JPL Experts Discuss Climate Change

Andrew Allan

In the final installment of our Earth Week 2014 features, Caltech experts share their knowledge about climate change.

04/21/2014

Caltech Celebrates Earth Week

Caltech joins the world in celebrating Earth Week, April 21–25, 2014, with events, news, and features highlighting our past, present, and future contributions to a healthier, cleaner, and greener planet.

04/10/2014

A New Tool for Unscrambling the Rock Record

Kimm Fesenmaier

A lot can happen to a rock over the course of two and a half billion years. It can get buried and heated; fluids remove some of its minerals and precipitate others; its chemistry changes.

03/14/2014

When Rocks Roll: How Sediment Transport Shapes Planetary Surfaces

Douglas Smith

On Wednesday, March 19, Professor of Geology Michael Lamb will describe how flowing water and grains of sand create Earth's dramatic landscapes.

03/13/2014

Airborne Over Iceland: Charting Glacier Dynamics

Cynthia Eller

Mark Simons, professor of geophysics at Caltech, along with graduate student Brent Minchew, recently logged over 40 hours of flight time mapping the surface of Iceland's glaciers.

02/28/2014

Gurnis Wins Geology Award

Brian Bell

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) named Michael Gurnis, Caltech's John E. and Hazel S.

02/18/2014

The First 50 Years of Planetary Science

Douglas Smith

If you ask Andy Ingersoll how Caltech has contributed to our understanding of the universe, he will tell you, "Caltech invented planetary science!" And since the field's origins just fifty years ago, Caltech has become one of the top centers of planetary science research in the world.

02/10/2014

Is Natural Gas a Solution to Mitigating Climate Change?

Cynthia Eller

Methane, a key greenhouse gas, has more than doubled in volume in Earth's atmosphere since 1750. Its increase is believed to be a leading contributor to climate change.