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Majors and Programs

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

Please note: We have launched our Earth and Planetary Sciences major, our new undergraduate degree program. The Geology major is no longer accepting new students. The archived Geology page remains available through the menu.

Department News

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

Deep-Water Sediments Reveal Cyclical Patterns of Extraterrestrial Influence on Earth’s Ancient and Modern Climates

Roughly 34 million years ago, the Earth started transitioning from a greenhouse to an icehouse state — defined by long-term cooling trends that resulted in ice sheets in the planet’s polar regions. During this time, continental carbon reservoirs expanded as carbon dioxide decreased...READ MORE

Coastal cliffs lined with houses overlooking the ocean, with rugged rock formations and waves crashing below.

Rocks on Faults Can Heal Following Seismic Movement

Earthquake faults deep in the Earth can glue themselves back together following a seismic event, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The work, published Nov. 19 in Science Advances and supported by grants from the National Science...READ MORE

UC Davis Study Reveals How Earth’s Greatest Extinction Really Happened

Around 252 million years ago, the Earth experienced its largest mass extinction. Known as the “Great Dying,” this cataclysmic event wiped out more than 81% of marine species and 70% of life on land. Currently, the prevailing theory is that the extinction both in the oceans and on...READ MORE

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