Research Areas
Atmospheric Sciences
We study extreme weather, climate change, and their impacts on both ecosystems and modern society.
Environmental Geoscience
We use biology, chemistry, geology, and physics to understand how the Earth System supports such a diversity of life and how human behavior is impacting this system.
Geodata Science Initiative
Data science is the fourth and the newest paradigm of science. In Geodata Science Initiative, we conduct transdisciplinary research, merging or articulating EAPS subject matters with technical areas in data science: statistical and machine learning methods and models, algorithms for the models and methods, and computational environments for data analysis.
Geology and Geophysics
We study the processes that shape our planet, from the building of mountains and oil-bearing sedimentary basins, to the flow of warm rocks and cold glaciers, to the triggering of earthquakes.
Planetary Science
We study the evolution of the solar system and how planets evolve over time due to impacts, tectonics, and atmospheric processes, with an eye to the potential for past and future habitability.
Research News
11-19-2025
Rural communities across the Midwest, whose agricultural economies and energy infrastructure are frequently threatened by extreme weather events such as hailstorms, heat waves and high winds, are getting a new lifeline through a National Science Foundation–funded project at Purdue University. EAPS's Dan Chavas is one of Purdue's experts on the project.
Space pollution levels in the atmosphere are rocketing
11-19-2025
Chemical and Engineering News — The adage “what goes up must come down” is proving problematic in the space age. As more rockets and satellites in low Earth orbit burn up in the atmosphere at the end of their lives, the amount of introduced vapors and particulate matter there is dramatically rising. EAPS's Dan Cziczo was quoted in the article.
Mars Sample That May Contain Evidence of Life Might Never Come Home
11-19-2025
Scientific American — Right now one of the most advanced planetary explorers ever built is scouring the surface of Mars. Supported by a team of hundreds of scientists back on Earth, the Perseverance rover has traveled nearly the distance of a marathon to answer some of the biggest questions about our neighboring world. EAPS's Briony Horgan was quoted in the article.
NASA rover spots something on Mars that doesn't belong there
11-17-2025
Mashable — NASA's Perseverance rover has identified an exotic rock on Mars that may be an iron-nickel meteorite, according to scientists on the mission team. EAPS's Candice Bedford was quoted in the article.
Northern lights make rare appearance in Greater Lafayette due to sun positioning
11-13-2025
Star City TV — Folks in the Greater Lafayette area got a surprise view of the aurora borealis Tuesday night. Dr. Cauê Borlina, a professor in earth atmospheric and planetary sciences at Purdue, said seeing the northern lights is unique for Indiana, but this is peak time for Hoosiers to see the lights because of the sun’s position.