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
Research preeminence in spotlight at Excellence in Research Lectures event
04-29-2025
Faculty and staff are invited to the Excellence in Research Award Lectures from 9-11:30 a.m. on May 5 at the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. Recipients of the Arden L. Bement Jr. Award and the Lu Ann Aday Award will present talks on the groundbreaking research that garnered their recognition. EAPS's Roger Wiens will be one of the presenters.
04-28-2025
The Independent — Devastating tornadoes cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and dozens of deaths across the U.S. each year. They upend homes and lives. They remain a constant weather threat for a large swath of the country. Purdue EAPS's own Dr. Robin Tanamachi was quoted in the article.
Mysterious Mars Rock Leaves Scientists Searching For Origin Clues
04-23-2025
Forbes — The Perseverance rover is currently exploring the rim of the Jezero Crater in an area called Witch Hazel Hill. The rover took some time in April to study a spot where lighter and darker rock outcrops meet. That’s where the unusual rock came into focus. Margaret Deahn, a PhD student in EAPS, is featured in the Forbes article.
NASA finds mysterious skull-shaped feature on Mars — where star-gazers say it doesn’t belong
04-21-2025
New York Post — NASA’s Mars rover has spotted something out of this world — a mysterious, skull-shaped elevation – sitting on a slope where star-gazers say it doesn’t belong. The mysterious rock – dubbed “Skull Hill” was discovered April 11 by the Perseverance rover while it was driving down a ridge called Witch Hazel Hill. Margaret Deahn, a Ph.D. student at Purdue University working with NASA was quoted in the article.
Purdue’s Mars team digs up 'Hogwallow' rocks that could hold life’s oldest secrets
04-17-2025
Scientists from Purdue University have identified a region on Mars that may provide clues about the red planet's potential to have once supported life. Their research focuses on "Hogwallow Flats," a distinct area within the Jezero Crater explored by NASA's Perseverance rover. The study, led by Purdue Postdoctoral Researcher Adrian Broz, has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.