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Majors and Programs

Explore the majors and programs offered by the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences below.  

Department News

Check out the latest news, research, and announcements from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences below. 

Why Earthquake Science Matters

On June 24, 2026, two devastating earthquakes struck the northern coast of Venezuela. The 7.2 magnitude foreshock was followed roughly 40 seconds later by a 7.5 magnitude mainshock. Known as a doublet, these earthquakes caused widespread damage and destruction in the country’s...READ MORE

Melting Icebergs Can Weaken a Massive, Far-Off Ocean Current System

Melting and breaking icebergs in the far-off, northeastern region of the Pacific Ocean can weaken a massive current system in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a University of California, Davis study published in Nature Communications. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or...READ MORE

Protecting Botswana’s Okavango Delta Through Water Conservation

Goabaone Jaqueline Ramatlapeng vividly remembers when she would go without water from domestic pipes for days. Growing up in Kopong, a small village in Botswana, Ramatlapeng, her family and those in surrounding villages faced a similar plight: water scarcity. And when the water did flow, it was salty...READ MORE

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