Understanding our planets and their history
Our students and geoscientists study the properties of minerals, rocks, soils, sediments and water, using multiple lenses -- stratigraphy, paleobiology, geochemistry, and planetary sciences. Their work informs our understanding of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods. It helps us meet natural resource challenges through environmental and geological engineering, mapping and land use planning, surface and groundwater management, and the exploration and sustainable extraction of energy and minerals. It also helps us answer fundamental questions about the origin, history, and habitability of planets.
Degree Programs
Meet some of our community members
Woman on the moon
A holistic approach
Taking wing at Stanford
Earth to Jess
Astronaut and Geological Sciences alumna Jessica Watkins discussed her experiences from the International Space Station, including seeing her former field sites from space. “Being able to see that from this perspective felt pretty full circle.
Earth and Planetary Sciences Events
Earth and Planetary Sciences Seminar: Dr. Gwen Antell - Macroecology of marine ecosystems through the Phanerozoic
Class/Seminar-Building 320, Geology Corner
Learn more about our research groups
Earth and Planetary Sciences News
Caers, professor in Earth & Planetary Sciences, shared how his struggles evoked the realization that he no longer wanted to be an “enabler” for the fossil fuel industry.
As a young adult, Ayla Pamukçu found herself at a crossroads between college and culinary school. Thanks in part to an influential box of rocks, she chose a research path that eventually led to a career studying the inner workings of the Earth.
Our list includes a mix of favorites, high-impact stories, and some of our most-read research coverage from a year of new beginnings.
