Research Areas
Atmospheric Sciences
We study extreme weather, climate change, and their impacts on both ecosystems and modern society.
Environmental Geoscience
We use biology, chemistry, geology, and physics to understand how the Earth System supports such a diversity of life and how human behavior is impacting this system.
Geodata Science Initiative
Data science is the fourth and the newest paradigm of science. In Geodata Science Initiative, we conduct transdisciplinary research, merging or articulating EAPS subject matters with technical areas in data science: statistical and machine learning methods and models, algorithms for the models and methods, and computational environments for data analysis.
Geology and Geophysics
We study the processes that shape our planet, from the building of mountains and oil-bearing sedimentary basins, to the flow of warm rocks and cold glaciers, to the triggering of earthquakes.
Planetary Science
We study the evolution of the solar system and how planets evolve over time due to impacts, tectonics, and atmospheric processes, with an eye to the potential for past and future habitability.
Research News
Meteorite contains evidence of liquid water on Mars 742 million years ago
11-06-2024
Eleven million years ago, an asteroid struck Mars and sent pieces of the red planet hurling through space. One of these chunks of Mars eventually crashed into the Earth somewhere near Purdue and is one of the few meteorites that can be traced directly to Mars. This meteorite was rediscovered in a drawer at Purdue University in 1931 and therefore named the Lafayette meteorite. During early investigations of the Lafayette meteorite, scientists discovered that it had interacted with liquid water while on Mars. Scientists have long wondered when the interaction with liquid water took place. An international collaboration of scientists including two from Purdue University’s College of Science have recently determined the age of the minerals in Lafayette that formed when there was liquid water. The team has published their findings in Geochemical Perspective Letters.
Why Heat Waves of the Future May Be Even Deadlier Than Feared
11-04-2024
NEW YORK TIMES — The body’s cooling defenses fail at lower “wet bulb” temperatures than scientists had estimated. There’s only so much the human body can take. Heat killed 60,000 people in Europe alone in 2022, and at least 55,000 people in Russia in 2010. Now, growing research suggests that humans may be more vulnerable to rising temperatures than scientists had previously believed. “It’s scary as hell,” said Matthew Huber, director of the Institute for a Sustainable Future at Purdue University. (subscription required)
The election, Project 2025, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
10-29-2024
1A.org WAMU NPR — “How about this weather, huh?” There’s a reason this line is one of the most famous cliche bits of smalltalk. The weather affects everyone. And most everyone wants to know what the weather’s going to be like. That’s where forecasts come in. People plan their days and sometimes their futures around what sort of weather they can expect. Sometimes it can be a life-or-death situation. That’s why some are balking at the Project 2025 plan to defund the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But why? And how? And how do meteorologists make accurate forecasts? Dan Chavas from Purdue EAPS explains the science behind hurricanes and the impact of conspiracy theories in weather.
Europa Clipper is one of two missions on their way to see if Jupiter’s moons could support life
10-21-2024
POPULAR SCIENCE — On Oct. 14, 2024, NASA launched a robotic spacecraft named Europa Clipper to Jupiter’s moons. Clipper will reach the ice-covered Jovian moon Europa in 2030 and spend several years collecting and sending valuable data on the moon’s potential habitability back to Earth. Mike Sori, of Purdue EAPS, explains this mission and more for The Conversation and Popular Science.
Can Diamond Dust Help Cool Earth? Exploring Costs and Geoengineering Risks
10-21-2024
GADGETS 360 — Injecting diamond dust into the atmosphere could potentially cool the planet by 1.6ºC, according to a recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters. Led by Sandro Vattioni, a climate scientist at ETH Zürich, the research explores whether diamonds, as opposed to commonly used materials like sulfur, could offer a safer and more effective method for stratospheric aerosol injection. Critics like Daniel Cziczo, an atmospheric scientist at Purdue University, argue that the risks of unintended consequences outweigh the potential benefits.