Exploring Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Systems
From the ground beneath our feet to worlds across the solar system.
Our students tackle questions ranging from the origins of life and Earth’s deep interior to contaminant transport in natural systems and the search for ancient water on Mars. Research is hands-on — students spend time in the field, work with modern laboratory equipment, and build real skills in observation, analysis, modeling, and geospatial data analysis.
Modern Earth science is increasingly driven by data. Satellites, environmental sensor networks, and numerical models generate enormous datasets, and EEPS students learn to make sense of them using quantitative methods, geospatial tools, and AI and machine learning. We track environmental change, model climate and water systems, and interpret complex geochemical and geophysical measurements.
The skills you develop as an EEPS student are highly coveted in the workforce, even in this rapidly changing environment. Graduates leave with strong analytical and data skills and pursue careers across academia, government, and industry — studying Earth and other planets, interpreting environmental and geospatial data, and addressing challenges related to climate, water resources, natural hazards, energy systems, and planetary exploration.
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See More Events
2026 McDonnell Distinguished Lectures: Colloquium with Andrea Ghez on Our Galactic Center
2026 McDonnell Distinguished Lectures: Public Lecture with Andrea Ghez on From the Possibility to the Certainty of a Supermassive Black Hole
EEPS Brown Bag: Julia Alvarez Lozano - PhD candidate from Universidad Complutense Madrid
Additional Resources in our Department
One of my favorite activities at WashU was Geology Club, which is a student-led club for undergraduates in the EEPS department. Planning and participating in both on and off-campus events was incredibly fun, rewarding, and it was a great way to make close friends within the small group of undergraduate students in the department.
― Henry Chandler AB 2023