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
Rubin First Look Watch Party at Purdue University
06-09-2025
The release of the first images from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is right around the corner. This will mark the beginning of a new era in astronomy, and we invite you to take part. Purdue University Physics and Astronomy invites you to the only official public watch party in Indiana, either in person or via stream. We welcome the public to the unveiling of these images and to learn how Purdue was involved in the formation of this state-of-the-art, land-based observatory.
06-03-2025
In a new study, researchers at Purdue University, in collaboration with experts from Sandia National Laboratories, have potentially uncovered a game-changing method for using clay to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air to help mitigate climate change.
05-23-2025
The Conversation — The U.S. has had more reported tornadoes than normal – over 960 as of May 22, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary count. That’s well above the national average of around 660 tornadoes reported by that point over the past 15 years, and it’s similar to 2024 – the second-most active year over that same period. This article was written by EAPS's own Dr. Dan Chavas.
Fewer Sensors, Clearer Images: The Future of Seismic Research
05-19-2025
Researchers at Purdue University have theorized a new way to see what lies beneath the Earth's surface. This innovative method, developed by Ph.D. student Sayan Mukherjee and Professor Yunyue Elita Li from the EAPS Department at Purdue University, could greatly enhance industries that require images of the subsurface, all while saving costs and boosting efficiency. Their work has been published in Geophysics.
Lunar meteorite discovery supports Purdue-led model of early Moon evolution
05-07-2025
A rock that crash-landed on Earth has made lunar science history, and a Purdue scientist, Tabb Prissel, played a key role in modeling its formation history. For the first time, researchers have classified a whole-rock meteorite as a lunar norite (Arguin 002), an igneous lunar rock type primarily comprised of the minerals orthopyroxene and plagioclase feldspar.