The Department of Earth System Science at UC Irvine offers graduate students a unique opportunity to study the Earth as a system, which encompasses the transfers of energy, water and elements among the atmosphere, land, ocean, and cryosphere, with emphasis on the recent impacts of human activity.  Doctoral students engage in a variety of activities, including field research in diverse global locations, advanced computer modeling, cutting-edge techniques in modern laboratory environments, and interactions with recognized experts in atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemical cycles and physical climate.

Of course, when they’re not in the lab, or the classroom, ESS Grad Students enjoy all the best of Orange County.  Here are a few highlights from their adventures! 

Great place to surf? San Onofre

Great place to kayak? Channel Islands

Great places to hike? San Jacinto, Crystal Cove State Park, “Holy Jim Trail” near Trabucco Creek.

Great places to mountain bike? Aliso Woods, Whiting Ranch, Santiago Oaks, Crystal Cove Statek Park, Newport Back Bay

Great place to enjoy the art scene? Downtown Santa Ana, The Lab / The Camp in Costa Mesa

Best place to go cycling in Orange County is around the Newport Back Bay. You can hook up with the bike path as it passes campus and then ride down to Newport Bay, one of the last estuaries in California. If you hit the bay in the right season the estuary is just covered in birds wintering over in sunny SoCal. When you get tired of birding there is a small local natural history museum (Muth Interperative Center) tucked just off the bike path or you can take a guided nature walk or kayak tour of the area, also located right next to the bike path.

There’s a collection of Food Trucks on Tuesday nights at Irvine Lanes that serve everything from Mexican food to Pizza to delicious burgers to cupcakes. Also, because we all live on campus it's always very easy to get together and hang out - whether it be watching TV, having a dinner party, having cocktails or going to the Pub.