Welcome

Research at the Division of Geology and Planetary Science examines everything from the earth's core, mantle, and crust to the outposts of the solar system.

Division faculty are leaders in earthquake studies; have determined the first reliable values of the age of the earth, the moon, and meteorites; worked out the geological history of western North America; deciphered the record of the earth's climate from studies of tree rings and glaciers; perfected isotopic tracers and high-pressure laboratory techniques that indicate how magmas form on the earth and the moon; showed that surface waters penetrate deep into the crust and extensively interact with magma bodies; and, using theoretical studies and data from spacecraft missions, have been largely responsible for our present understanding of the origin of planetary surfaces and atmospheres, satellites, rings, comets, asteroids, and the interplanetary plasma.

The Division of Geology and Planetary Sciences was established in 1926.

Announcements of Faculty Awards

Gerald J. Wasserburg - Recipient of the Charles William Bowie Medal of the American Geophysical Union, "for outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and for unselfish cooperation in research."   To be awarded at the December 17, 2008 Meeting of the AGU.

John Eiler - Recipient of the 2007 ASCIT (Associated Students of Caltech) Teaching Award for research mentor.  Awarded June 2007.

Rob Clayton - Recipient of the 2007 -08 GSC oustanding mentor of the year.  Awarded June 11, 2008.

Ken Farley - Recipient of the the Arthur L. Day Medal from the Geological Society of America, "for outstanding distinction in contributing to geologic knowledge through the application of physics and chemistry to the solution of geologic problems."   Awarded October 4, 2008.

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