Dear Prospective Graduate Student,

The Department of Earth System Science is located in the School of Physical Sciences along with the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. The focus of the Department is on the science of the Earth as a "System" encompassing the study of the transfers of energy, water and elements among the atmosphere, land, ocean, and cryosphere, with emphasis on the recent impacts of human activities. At present there is little, if any, activity in solid earth geophysics, geology, petrology, and other more traditional topics. Instead, we emphasize atmospheric chemistry, climate, and biogeochemical cycles.

The graduate program in Earth System Science is both exciting and challenging. Graduate coursework includes a multidisciplinary curriculum covering physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the Earth System. Coursework is designed to develop a mechanistic understanding of Earth Systems, and to provide the conceptual and analytical tools needed for research in this rapidly growing field. The graduate student body is diverse (including students with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, etc.), reflecting the wide range of disciplines involved in Earth System Science.

Research is the most important element of our graduate program. The Department has a wide spectrum of active research programs, ranging from supercomputer simulations of global climate and biogeochemical systems, to remote sensing observations of changes in the hydrological cycle, to field studies of carbon cycling in the remote Amazon jungle, to ice core drilling in Antarctica. Our faculty has grown rapidly in recent years, with a new group focused on Abrupt Climate Change. Information about ongoing research programs and facilities in the Department is available on our web site, where you can also find information about our current and past graduate students.

We encourage you to apply to the program if you have an interest in graduate studies in Earth System Science. Please contact us (either the Department or individual faculty members) if you have any questions. If you find an opportunity to visit the UCI campus, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Susan Trumbore
Professor & Chair