The title of this publication, The Dynamic Earth, illustrates both the quality of the science and the personality of the department. Research conducted in ESS at UC Irvine covers the broad range of environmental science. Whether we are flying over the top of the globe, trekking through tropical regions, spelunking in remote areas, sailing over the seas, boring into the ice of Antarctica, or creating computer simulations, ESS seeks to understand how the Earth’s systems work. This understanding is translated into teaching undergraduate students, graduate students, and the general public. The Department includes chemists, biologists, ecologists, physicists, hydrologists, geologists, meteorologists, engineers, applied mathematicians, and oceanographers. In the pages that follow, you will see highlights from our research and teaching. We encourage you to visit our newly redesigned website at http://ess.uci.edu to learn more about our work.

We hope you enjoy this glimpse into The Dynamic Earth,

Michael Goulden
Chair and Professor of Earth System Science