Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington

From sustainable energy and climate change, to earthquakes, volcanoes, rivers and glaciers, from the origin of life on Earth to the potential for life on other planets, the UW Department of Earth & Space Sciences (ESS) leads in educating and inspiring the next generation of scientists. ESS offers an expansive educational experience. We provide a rigorous interdisciplinary program in which students develop an understanding of the fundamentals of Earth, space, and planetary sciences, and learn relevant skills for a variety of careers. The Earth and space sciences — geology, geophysics, geobiology and geochemistry — play a critical and unique role in the advancement of knowledge, improvement of the quality of life, and in understanding humanity’s place in the universe. Research in Earth and space sciences draws on methods and theory from chemistry, physics, biology and computational sciences. Our faculty are concerned both with fundamental research and with the dissemination of Earth-science knowledge in the service of society.