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Welcome!
We study the history, interior, and exterior of Earth and other planets.
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People
We are fascinated with the natural processes that shape our world and cultivate the skills it takes to study them.
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Engagement
We maintain a variety of outreach and service activities in the local area.
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Inclusivity
We have numerous efforts to promote an inclusive climate in the department.
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Research Spotlight
Assistant Professor Clara Blättler holding a vial of seawater dating from the last ice age.
Learn More Spotlight ArchiveStudent / Alumni Spotlight
Bowen studies the climate of early Mars and rocky exoplanets.
Learn More Spotlight ArchiveFaculty Spotlight
Edwin Kite is a planetary scientist interested in Mars and rocky exoplanets.
Learn more about Edwin See all PeopleGeophysical Science News
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Edward Anders, Holocaust Survivor And Pioneering Figure In Cosmochemistry, 1926-2025
July 08, 2025
Read about Prof. Anders' significant contributions and life in his UChicago obituary.
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Was Mars Doomed To Be A Desert? Study Proposes New Explanation…
July 03, 2025
An analysis of Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover data, led by Prof. Edwin Kite and including postdoctoral researcher Maddy Turner, may explain why the planet was likely a harsh desert for most of its recent past.
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Jordan Todes interviewed in Marfa Public Radio about research in Big Bend
June 23, 2025
“When I personally think of Big Bend, the things that stand out to me are the Chisos Basin, that bit of the park,” Todes said, “and in many ways that Boquillas area is somewhat of an afterthought. But in terms of the types of work we're doing it is – I wouldn't even just say world-class, but probably unmatched globally. It's that remarkable of a place.”
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Fragment Of Asteroid Could Hold Key To Origins Of Life
June 17, 2025
Researchers at the Field Museum, including Prof. Philipp Heck and Graduate Student Yuke Zheng, believe a 4.6 billion-year-old asteroid could reveal compounds present at the beginning of the solar system and the building blocks of life.