Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Research
Our mission is to provide hands-on learning experiences to address pressing regional and global environmental and geological challenges. We strive to empower students to become adept scientists, researchers, educators, and informed citizens by integrating high-quality instruction with impactful research. Read below to find more about the various research opportunities and facilities our department offers.
Student Experience
Research Highlight
Our Research Opportunities
| Name | Area |
|---|---|
| Dr. Mara Brady | Sedimentology & Stratigraphy, Taphonomy, Quantitative Stratigraphic Methods, Paleobiology |
| Dr. Robert Dundas | Paleontology, Faunal Analysis, Paleoecology, Biostratigraphy, Mass Extinctions, Quaternary Mammals. |
| Dr. Nicole Inglis | Wildfire fuels forecasting, fuel treatment effectiveness, uncertainty in wildfire planning, rangeland ecological modeling, remote sensing of land use/land cover change, visibility modeling, tangible and participatory GIS, data visualization and cartography |
| Dr. Aric Mine | Biogeochemistry, Environmental Science, Geobiology. |
| Dr. Christopher J. Pluhar | Engineering and Environmental Geology (especially landslides); Tectonics; Paleomagnetism; Geochronology. |
| Dr. Keith Putirka | California wildfires and forest management, mantle melting and volcanic plumbing systems; mineral-melt equilibria, with applications to barometry and thermometry of igneous processes. |
| Dr. Mathieu Richaud | Late Quaternary paleoceanography of the Eastern Equatorial Pacific using geochemistry and foraminifera, coastal geology along California's Central Coast using drones and LiDAR. |
| Dr. John Wakabayashi | Tectonics, Structural Geology, Geomorphology, Metamorphic Petrology, Engineering and Environmental Geology. |
| Dr. Zhi (Luke) Wang | Surface and subsurface hydrology, contaminant hydrogeology, water resources and irrigation engineering, watershed modeling, GIS. |
| Dr. Beth Weinman | Fluvial and Deltaic Quaternary Geology, Hydrogeology, Geochemistry, Soil Formation, and Optical Luminescence Geochronology. |
The EES Department's research facilities and equipment mainly includes:
- Malvern MasterSizer 3000 Particle Size Analyzer
- Panalytical X'Pert Pro XRD
- Rigaku Primus IV XRF
- Hydrologeology lab
- Sample preparation lab
- Electronic mapping lab
- Fully equipped distance learning instructional lab
- Microscope equipment for petrography study
- Thin Section preparation lab
- Column Leaching Equipment for solute transport experiments
- Paleomagnetism lab (Agico JR6 spinner magnetometer, Applied Physics single axis 280mT alternating field demagnetizer, Schoenstedt thermal demagnetizer and peripherals)
- MiniTrase TDR for soil moisture measurement
- CR5000 datalogger for simultaneous measurements of up to 5,000 sources
- EZ Chem analyzer for water quality analysis
- LISST-portable laser particle size analyzer (Sequoia Scientific, Inc.)
- WP4-T DewPoint PotentiaMeter
- Quelph Infiltrometer for field test of infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity
- Field vehicles and trailers, etc.
- Geophysical survey equipment (Sensors and Software PulseEKKO GPR, ERT, Seismic Refraction)
- Trimble GNSS GPS
- Mavic Phantom Pro Drone