Understanding the Past and Present to Guide the Future
To improve the quality of life for everyone on this planet, we must first understand the complexities of our natural systems and the impact of human behavior on the natural balance. The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell embraces this mission through exceptional teaching, world-class research, and committed service and outreach.
Our Programs
News Highlights
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![Artist's conception of the NISAR satellite in orbit.]()
Taking a closer look at Earth’s surface, from 450 miles above
Researchers have a new tool for tracking the subtlest of changes on the Earth’s surface, and Cornell’s Rowena Lohman could not be more excited. She has been part of the NISAR project from the early days of the collaboration and had a lot invested in its success. She served on study groups for earlier incarnations of the NISAR mission since 2008 and has been the lead for soil moisture since 2019.
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Undergraduate finds meaningful geology research opportunities at Cornell
“Once I saw the campus, I was like, that seems pretty cool. I would enjoy going there. And then I looked more into the academic programs, and I actually really wanted to go. I even applied early decision.” The combination of a vibrant campus community, expansive natural surroundings, and strong science programs made Cornell the right choice.
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![Crewmembers on a research vessel deploy ARGO tools.]()
Illuminating the ocean’s role in climate and life on Earth
“I just kind of fell into oceanography,” Una Miller said, reflecting on her undergraduate years at the University of Washington. “But the more I learned, the more I realized how integral the ocean is – to climate, to weather, to ecosystems, to the economy. It just kept pulling me in.”
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Inaugural Cornell Weather Conference brings together students, scholars, and industry leaders
The First Annual Cornell Weather Conference, led by undergraduates in the Cornell Chapter of the American Meteorological Society, gathered more than 100 students, alumni, faculty, and practitioners at Cornell.
Open Faculty Position
Alumni Profiles
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![Partial map of the United States with Vail Resort properties marked. Over the map is a circle with a picture of Jonathan Kimchi and a woman, smiling at the camera.]()
Finding creative solutions and protecting the environment – Jonathan Kimchi ’10
Eighteen years ago, Jonathan Kimchi ’10 was a first-year Cornell student who knew he wanted to make an impact on the environment by combining his passions for water resources and engineering. These days, he is realizing that goal as the…
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![EAS alumni Peter Fleming aboard a ship]()
A visceral sense of the land – Peter Flemings Ph.D. ’90
In the more than 30 years since Peter Flemings Ph.D. ’90 left Cornell with his Geology doctorate in hand, he has been engaged in research at some of the nation’s premier academic institutions, including the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, MIT, Penn…
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![EAS alum Hannah Lang '10 and former EAS faculty member John Thompson]()
Alum is using data to improve mining practices – Hannah Lang ’18
Hannah Lang ’18 has never been a rock collector and would definitely not refer to herself as a “rock nerd,” (though some of her good friends are). Yet, she graduated from Cornell with a B.A. in the science of Earth…
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This Cornell alum is living the ‘weather nerd’ dream — Nicole Collins ’25
Atmospheric Science alumna Nicole Collins ’25 has gone from fearing thunderstorms to predicting them as a broadcast meteorologist for WSPA in Greenville, South Carolina.
Strategic Research Areas
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![Desert location with four people in the foreground and mountains in the background.]()
Climate and Paleoclimate
Study of Earth’s climate extends from investigation of past climate states, to investigation of the key underlying physical and chemical controls on modern climate balances, to prediction of the climate outcomes of ongoing anthropogenic and natural forcings.
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![Earth as seen from space, with India centered.]()
Earth System Science
Earth system science spans knowledge across the lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere and hydrosphere. Earth system science is intellectually interesting, as it seeks to understand the world around us, as well as relevant for solving problems relating to energy, climate and pollution.
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![Steaming thermal pool in New Zealand]()
Energy, Mineral, and Water Resources
We make society aware of energy’s indirect role in our lives: for example, modern food production requires massive amounts of energy for fertilizer, harvest, and transportation to market.
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![steaming top of a conical volcano]()
Geochemistry, Petrology, and Volcanology
This area of research focuses on the study of the chemical composition of the earth and its rocks and minerals.
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![person sitting in a hole, wiring a seismic sensor.]()
Geophysics and Seismology
This area of research concerns itself with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis.
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![climate map of part of the Northeastern United States]()
Meteorology and Applied Climatology
Established in 1983, the Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC) is located in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University.
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![Overhead view of waves crashing on a sandy shore]()
Ocean Sciences
Research includes Marine Ecosystem Research in the North Atlantic (MERRCINA), Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) L, Near-Real-Time Modeling of Right Whale Foraging Areas in the Gulf of Maine and Interannual Variability of North Atlantic Spring Phytoplankton Blooms in the North Atlantic.
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![satellite image of the North polar lakes and seas of Titan.]()
Space and Planetary Sciences
Research in space and planetary sciences spans many disciplines and four departments at Cornell, including the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
