Geology and Geophysics
Tectonics
EAPS faculty and students in tectonics study how the Earth has evolved over billions of years, integrating observations from the building and breaking of mountain ranges to the rise and filling of ocean basins, with an eye to their impact on the evolution of life.
Geophysics
Our geophysics faculty and students quantify the forces that currently shape the surface of our planet, from plate tectonics to mountain building, and the strength of the crust and mantle, from cold rocks that break as earthquakes to warm rocks that flow.
Geomorphology
Select EAPS faculty and students focus their research on the study of the origin and evolution of landscapes created by physical and chemical processes including tectonics, the flow of water and ice, and climate change.
Energy
Research in the traditional and unconventional energy thematic areas are conducted by our faculty and students, including the study of the exploration of reservoirs, the sedimentological and structural characterization of wells, and fluid/rock interactions.
Geology and Geophysics News
Common clay could be cheapest-ever way to capture CO₂, say US scientists.
07-01-2025
Interesting Engineering — A group of scientists from Purdue University and Sandia National Laboratories has made a surprising breakthrough in climate technology using one of the most common materials on Earth—clay. EAPS's Cliff Johnston is cited in the article.
Perseverance rover may hold secrets to newly discovered Mars volcano
06-16-2025
NewScientist — There appears to be a volcano near Jezero crater on Mars and the Perseverance rover might already have samples from it that we could use to precisely date the activity of another planet's volcano for the first time. Purdue EAPS's Briony Horgan is quoted in the article.
Researchers unveil a groundbreaking clay-based solution to capture carbon dioxide and combat climate change
06-03-2025
In a new study, researchers at Purdue University, in collaboration with experts from Sandia National Laboratories, have potentially uncovered a game-changing method for using clay to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air to help mitigate climate change.
Fewer Sensors, Clearer Images: The Future of Seismic Research
05-19-2025
Researchers at Purdue University have theorized a new way to see what lies beneath the Earth's surface. This innovative method, developed by Ph.D. student Sayan Mukherjee and Professor Yunyue Elita Li from the EAPS Department at Purdue University, could greatly enhance industries that require images of the subsurface, all while saving costs and boosting efficiency. Their work has been published in Geophysics.
Lunar meteorite discovery supports Purdue-led model of early Moon evolution
05-07-2025
A rock that crash-landed on Earth has made lunar science history, and a Purdue scientist, Tabb Prissel, played a key role in modeling its formation history. For the first time, researchers have classified a whole-rock meteorite as a lunar norite (Arguin 002), an igneous lunar rock type primarily comprised of the minerals orthopyroxene and plagioclase feldspar.