The central goal for earth and planetary science is to understand our irreplaceable earth. To understand the workings of the planets, their past present and future, we marshal a wide range of methods and technologies. Many phenomena that characterize the planets are complexly interrelated and take place on time and length scales too large to be reproduced in the laboratory. However, these phenomena can be analyzed and understood in terms of the fundamental laws such as physics and chemistry.
The goal of our educational program is to teach and guide students so they graduate with the tools and knowledge needed to contribute to the future development of both our one and only earth and its human population.