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Department of 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 in Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Interconnections between the Earth’s interior and surface, climate and sustainability, planetary exploration and spacecraft missions, and the development of emerging fields of study.

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Purdue researchers use Rossby waves to predict heatwaves

Understanding why heatwaves happen is crucial. Heatwaves have devastating consequences across the world. Prolonged exposure to heat can have significant impacts on health, ecosystems, water resources, and even infrastructure. Researchers Valentina Castañeda, PhD student, and Lei Wang, assistant professor, from Purdue University’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, believe they have found a strong indicator for the prediction of heat waves. The team uses Rossby waves to predict heatwave events. They recently published their results in the American Geophysical Union’s JGR-Atmospheres.

6 questions with NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, who will be at IMS for the total eclipse

WRTV — As a child, Andrew Feustel never really dreamed of becoming an astronaut. But somehow, he knew, deep in his heart, that he would one day travel to outer space. "When I was growing up," Feustel said, "I just somehow believed that I would have an opportunity to eventually to work in the Human Spaceflight program. "He put in the work, investing years into making himself a NASA candidate. He exercised, honed his mechanical skills and got an education, earning two degrees from Purdue University along the way.

NASA’s Mars rover probes ancient shorelines for signs of life

SCIENCE — NASA’s rover, which is collecting rock samples to eventually send to Earth, has explored a ring of rocks just inside the rim of Jezero crater, which is thought to have been filled with water billions of years ago. An initial analysis suggests the rocks are composed of rounded grains of carbonate, a mineral that precipitates out of water. It’s a promising sign that the rocks were once beachfront property, says Briony Horgan, a planetary scientist at Purdue University who leads the rover’s science campaign. “You can imagine the waves crashing up against the shores of an ancient paleolake,” she says.

Burial Depths of Lava Flows on the Moon

Professor Ali Bramson, of Purdue EAPS, created this storymaps website to explore the burial depths of lava flows on the Moon. Check out the study of lunar radar datasets and their ability to decipher locations of "cryptomaria".

1 Month out from total solar eclipse

FOX59 — We are officially 1 month out from the total solar eclipse, in which the path of totality will expand through parts of Indiana. But what is the path of totality? And why is the solar eclipse so special? Fox59 talks to Ali Bramson, assistant professor and planetary scientist with Purdue University, to learn more about what makes this event rare and exciting!

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