Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

The Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences has a great diversity of programs and intersecting disciplines, with faculty and students studying in fields such as Tectonics, Geophysics, Atmospheric Dynamics and Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Biogeochemistry, Climate Change, Severe Weather, Planetary Sciences, Astrobiology, Data Science, and many other areas. We are committed to strategic initiatives that explore the connections between the Earth’s interior and surface, climate and sustainability, planetary exploration and spacecraft missions, and the development of emerging fields of study.

Andrea Donnellan, head of Purdue University's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Rocks and rolls: The computational infrastructure of earthquakes and physics of planetary science

Andrea Donnellan, head of Purdue University's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, studies Earth's surface from the sky to better understand earthquakes, including improved forecasting of their location and severity.

EAPS News

All News

Satellites encased in wood are in the works

The Economist — Swapping metal for wood, though, is not without hazard, observes Daniel Cziczo of Purdue University, who was one of the authors of the stratospheric-particle study. What might emerge from a reaction between the resulting soot and vaporized electronics remains unknown. The article requires a login.

A Recap of Purdue EAPS at AGU 2025

The American Geophysical Union's (AGU) annual Fall Meeting is the world's largest conference for Earth and space sciences, which was held on December 15-19, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana, under the theme "Where Science Connects Us" to foster global collaboration and share groundbreaking research. Purdue EAPS had several students, faculty, and alumni in attendance, making a big presence in the Big Easy!

Kim Stanley Robinson interview: The Ministry for the Future author on climate fiction, political imagination, and health

BMJ — This interview is with Kim Stanley Robinson, who wrote a best-selling novel based on one of EAPS Professor Matthew Huber's research articles. The BMJ is one of the world's most prestigious journals, and it is now publishing a special issue inspired by his book, which was inspired by Huber's article.

Advancing Space Exploration at Purdue

The 2nd annual Advancing Space Exploration at Purdue Symposium, hosted by the College of Science, will bring together leaders from inside and outside Purdue to discuss opportunities for universities to work with industry partners to make the next giant leap in robotic and human space exploration.