Research in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine focuses on how the atmosphere, land and oceans interact as a system and how the Earth will change over a human lifetime. ESS faculty research interests vary widely from climate, atmospheric chemistry, and biogeochemistry to oceanography and hydrology. The department ranks among the top U.S. universities for the impact of its publications in the geosciences. In addition to their research, faculty work to inform and educate policy makers and the community at large on a range of issues affecting the environment and quality of life.
| Atmospheric Chemistry | Biogeochemical Cycles | Human Systems | Physical Climate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESS Faculty | ESS Faculty | ESS Faculty | ESS Faculty |
| Claudia Czimczik | Claudia Czimczik | Steven J. Davis | Kathleen Johnson |
| Ellen Druffel | Steven J. Davis | Nathan Mueller | Gudrun Magnusdottir |
| Alex Guenther | Ellen Druffel | Mathieu Morlighem | |
| Saewung Kim | Michael Goulden | Francois Primeau | |
| Michael Prather | Kate Mackey | Mike Pritchard | |
| Eric Saltzman | Adam Martiny | Eric Rignot | |
| Charles Zender | Keith Moore | Isabella Velicogna | |
| Francois Primeau | Jin-Yi Yu | ||
| James Randerson | Charles Zender | ||
| Eric Saltzman | |||
| John Southon | |||
| Susan Trumbore | |||
| Affiliated & Emeritus Faculty | Affiliated & Emeritus Faculty | Affiliated & Emeritus Faculty | |
| Ralph Cicerone | Steven Allison | Kristen Davis | |
| Jasper Vrugt | William Reeburgh | Soroosh Sorooshian | |
| Jasper Vrugt | |||
| The study of the chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere using environmental chemistry, physics, meteorology, computer modeling, and oceanography | The study of biological processes in ecosystem, regional, and global carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles, and how this role is changing due to human activities | The study of Earth's climate system involving interactions between the ocean, land, atmosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere | |