Letter From The Chair

Welcome to the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences!

Mankind has always been curious about our environment, but there is a new urgency to our department's mission, to understand the planet Earth and to convey that understanding to our students. Only a few decades ago, Earth Science was the study of natural phenomena, but now humans are altering the Earth's climate, its landforms, and its biota. Tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural hazards have always been with us, but they are more destructive on our more crowded planet.

It is an exhilarating time to study Earth Science, both because of its importance to humanity, and because of its intellectual excitement. Evolving technologies let us see the earth as never before, generating new knowledge at an unprecedented rate. Our intellectual tools are also evolving, drawing insights from physics, chemistry, biology, statistics, mathematics, and computer science. Our ways of working go from observational studies much like those of the naturalists and explorers of an earlier era to complex computer modeling and the sophisticated laboratory techniques.

Our program at Columbia seeks to provide students at all levels with practical experiences, including hands-on research in the field and laboratory. Many graduate students are involved in shipboard experiments and surveys or in geological research overseas as well as in North America. Undergraduates should check out the summer Earth Intern Program or, if just beginning studies at Columbia, our annual geological excursion to Death Valley, California. Whether your interest is in graduate studies, in a possible undergraduate major or concentration, or in finding out a little more about the Earth and Earth science, we invite you to take a look at us through these web pages.

Prospective students should drop by our offices at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory or in the Schermerhorn Building on Columbia's Morningside campus, or make an appointment to meet with our faculty. Everyone is welcome at the Lamont Open House, held annually on a Saturday early in October at the observatory. We look forward to seeing you.

Sincerely,
Mark Cane
Chair

Columbia University | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory | The Earth Institute

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