Research and graduate education in the Department of Earth Sciences focuses on the following subfields: (a) Geophysics: tectonics, seismology, remote sensing, and fault mechanics, as well as earthquake hazards; (b) Volcanology: geochemistry, physical volcanology, igneous petrology, and volcanic systems modeling; (c) Climate science: glaciology, paleoclimate and glacial modeling, oceanography, and ice physics; (d) Paleontology: vertebrate paleontology, paleoecology, paleobiogeography, and phylogenetics; (e) Surface processes: Geochemical modeling, hydrology, soil and aqueous geochemistry, landslides, sedimentology and stratigraphy, geomorphology, and fluid mechanics; (f) Planetary Geology: space physics, astrobiology, and planetary interiors. The Meierjurgen Fellowship provides a visiting opportunity for distinguished professionals in the field of geology, such as faculty on sabbatical and researchers from other universities and institutes, to collaborate with those in the Department of Earth Sciences.