Earth and Mineral Sciences

Department of Geosciences

Latest News

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Two women in a minerals processing lab hold up a bag that says mining rocks

Department of Energy visits Penn State to tour facilities, meet mining students

September 08, 2026

Student conducts research in lab in Japan

Students take advantage of experiential learning opportunities

September 02, 2026

A woman with red hair smiling

Sept. 4 talk to focus on training neural networks to improve volcano monitoring

August 31, 2026

Four scientists are shown collecting samples from a groundwater well in a grassy field in front of a forest in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Natural gas drilling could raise salt levels, in turn boosting radium in water

August 24, 2026

Lightning during thunderstorm over water

Thunderquakes: A new way to image the Earth’s subsurface

August 21, 2026

Penn State student Declan Goldhawk is surrounded by other interns at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power in Fairbanks

Earth science and policy student spends summer exploring Arctic geothermal options

August 05, 2026

woman in purple shirt looks through telescope

Penn State ranks No. 20 in space science in US News 2026-27 'Global Universities'

June 24, 2026

A drone photo showcasing a group of five researchers standing on a road embankment in front of a research facillity in the vast, flat envioronment of Northern Alaska.

Digital twins could help melt the mystery of Alaska’s thawing permafrost

June 16, 2026

Graduate students on a boat collecting core samples

Rwenzori Mountains’ first major fire in 12,000 years marked new era for climate

May 19, 2026

Penn State students taking a study-abroad embedded course on museums tour London's National Portrait Gallery over spring break.

Course on science museums travels to the United Kingdom

May 05, 2026

Zuleima Karpyn presenting Shimin Liu with Wilson Excellence in Research Award

Faculty, student excellence recognized at annual EMS Wilson Awards celebration

April 21, 2026

Students walk the coastline of San Salvador island

Marine biogeochemistry students visit island as their 'lab' during spring break

April 20, 2026

Four people pose with a colorful image

Winners announced for 18th annual Materials Visualization Competition

April 09, 2026

Students including Eva SinhaRoy meet with Penn State President

Science-minded student charts research, service path at Penn State

March 18, 2026

Two individuals in front of a cartoon drawing of a volcano

Ask a scientist: What happens to animals during a volcanic eruption?

January 28, 2026

An artist's interpretation of life and death after the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.

New species emerged faster than thought after dinosaur extinction, study finds

January 28, 2026

Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment, one institute, one world

Institute of Energy and the Environment welcomes 15 new faculty members

January 27, 2026

Christelle Wauthier sits on a rough volcanic rock during fieldwork.

Coffee Hour starts Jan. 23 with talk on volcanic hazards and remote sensing

January 20, 2026

Plant Bowen in Bartow County, Georgia, is among the largest coal-fired power plants in the U.S.

Center for CO2 storage begins 2026 with interdisciplinary momentum

January 14, 2026

Jason Wright, Adam Frank and Nadia Drake sit on stage

Heard on Campus: Experts on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

December 12, 2025

Abstract DNA and data science lines appear in blue.

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences funds eight mid-scale seed grants

December 12, 2025

Research Professor Tim White, left, and postdoctoral scholar Nick Sullivan will deliver a talk Oct. 27 as part of the EarthTalks speaker series.

Postponed EarthTalk: Lithium patterns evident in long-mined Pa. formation

December 09, 2025

A rock formation on a clear blue day.

Dinosaur extinction shaped modern forests and rivers, researchers find

December 05, 2025

Gale Blackmer is the Pennsylvania state geologist.

EarthTalks: Pa. sees ‘promising opportunities’ for critical minerals production

December 01, 2025

EMS millennium scholars

Millennium Scholars credit program for highlighting path to doctoral degrees

December 01, 2025

Christina Lopano is a research physical scientist in the National Energy Technology Laboratory's Research and Innovation Center.

EarthTalks: Research about coal byproducts a window into critical minerals

November 26, 2025

Six new members to alumni boards for College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

New members appointed to Earth and Mineral Sciences alumni boards

November 25, 2025

A group of collaborators including Penn State faculty member Sarah Ivory, center, is photographed on the second day of a three-day trek near Kilembe village, Uganda, on June 26, 2025.

Uganda community collaboration targets climate hazards with reforestation

November 24, 2025

Sarah Ivory in Dhofar’s Nejd Desert

$13.9M grant to investigate how fire, climate, people shaped Africa’s landscapes

November 06, 2025

A rusted pipe leaks water in a forest.

Defunct Pennsylvania oil and gas wells may leak methane, metals into water

November 06, 2025

EarthTalks: Data illuminates ore containing critical minerals

November 03, 2025

Geochemist Rens Verburg is a senior vice president at the engineering and professional services firm WSP USA.

EarthTalks: Executive to address mine development, needs in critical minerals

October 27, 2025

Students stand at their research posters with symposium attendees.

ICDS Symposium spotlights student, faculty research

October 22, 2025

Sarma Pisupati working in a lab at Penn State University Park.

EarthTalks highlights critical minerals research with fall series

October 21, 2025

The Arctic Ocean along the coast of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, on Aug. 2, 2024. Chunks of sea ice are visible.

Decoding dangers of Arctic sea ice with seismic, radar method

October 16, 2025

Reddish Martian soil is seen with flecks of Martian ice.

Are there living microbes on Mars? Check the ice, researchers say

October 15, 2025

An aerial view of the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980.

New tool helps forecast volcano slope collapses and tsunamis

October 03, 2025

Delaware Memorial Bridge

Saltwater contamination threatens water supplies

September 30, 2025

Illustration of fiber optic cable lines used for telecommunications

Fiber optic cables could act as early warning system for geohazards, study finds

September 29, 2025

Maureen Feineman is an associate research professor of geosciences at Penn State.

EarthTalks: How Pennsylvania’s industrial past can support tech, energy

September 16, 2025

Erin DiMaggio collecting a sample of an altered volcanic ash deposit.

Q&A: Dating fossils from hotbed period of early human evolution

September 09, 2025

Bridget Reheard

Bridget Reheard named summer 2025 College of Earth and Mineral Sciences marshal

August 15, 2025

Many fish swimming in clear water around rocks, coral and shells

Imperfect underground processes help filter wastewater in Florida Keys

August 04, 2025

Peter Heaney and Mara Grigore

Q&A: Professor emeritus reflects on his research, teaching career in geosciences

July 18, 2025

A dual degree environmental engineering and biogeochemistry graduate student stands for a photo outdoors.

Graduate student earns NSF fellowship to study carbon in river systems

July 16, 2025

Aerial view of Thwaites Glacier

Measuring how – and where – Antarctic ice is cracking with new data tool

July 09, 2025

Geosciences student Kaitlin Dasovich holds mastodon tusk

Geosciences undergraduate uses research tools to solve mastodon mysteries

May 13, 2025

Fossil leaf of a Kapur Paya tree (Dryobalanops rappa)

First fossil evidence of endangered tropical tree discovered

May 08, 2025

EMS student marshals

College of Earth and Mineral Sciences names spring 2025 student marshals

April 30, 2025

Jasmine Fields greets public at outdoor booth.

State College sustainability coordinator got start at Penn State

April 30, 2025

Geosciences graduate student Amina Abdulsalam shows how streams impact the landscape.

For fourth graders, earth science lessons come to life at Penn State

April 23, 2025

Student shows off a dire wolf fossil

Rare dire wolf bone logged by undergraduate student at Penn State

April 22, 2025

Olivia DiPrinzio, who graduated in 2024 with honors in energy engineering and earth science and policy, is now associate director of the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium.

Penn State grad aims to advance sustainability education across Pennsylvania

April 16, 2025

Lee Kump and JP Maria

Earth and Mineral Sciences faculty and students honored at college's awards ceremony

April 08, 2025

Geography Coffee Hour to feature Richard Alley on sea-level rise and ice sheets

March 31, 2025

Old Main viewed through Armillary Sphere

Four Penn State faculty elected AAAS Fellows

March 27, 2025

Lake Mead under blue skies showing decreased depth due to less water

Q&A: Wading into the shrinking waters of the Colorado River

March 19, 2025

EarthTalks: Widga to discuss museums as partners in broader impact activities

February 25, 2025

A panoramic photo showing dune-like shapes on Mars

Gulf of Mars: Rover finds evidence of ‘vacation-style’ beaches on Mars

February 24, 2025

2025 NAE class - Susan Brantley, Long-Qing Chen and Russell Johns

Three Penn State faculty elected to National Academy of Engineering

February 18, 2025

Anak Krakatau volcano in October 2013

Satellite data identifies warning signs ahead of 2018 volcanic eruption, tsunami

February 07, 2025

Researchers visit the Laguna del Hunco fossil rainforest site in Argentina

Fossils show leaf-eating insects tracked gum trees for millions of years

February 04, 2025

‘Growing Impact’ explores monitoring environmental activity with fiber optics

February 03, 2025

Nicolas Choquette-Levy

Climate risk researcher joins the Institute of Energy and the Environment

January 28, 2025

A person standing next to a computer screen holds two rocks.

Predicting lab earthquakes with physics-informed artificial intelligence

January 23, 2025

Susan Brantley, Evan Pugh University Professor and Barnes Professor of Geosciences

Evan Pugh Professor Susan Brantley to retire after 40 years at Penn State

December 02, 2024

Latest News

Penn State News RSS Feed

Two women in a minerals processing lab hold up a bag that says mining rocks

Department of Energy visits Penn State to tour facilities, meet mining students

September 08, 2026

Student conducts research in lab in Japan

Students take advantage of experiential learning opportunities

September 02, 2026

A woman with red hair smiling

Sept. 4 talk to focus on training neural networks to improve volcano monitoring

August 31, 2026

Four scientists are shown collecting samples from a groundwater well in a grassy field in front of a forest in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Natural gas drilling could raise salt levels, in turn boosting radium in water

August 24, 2026

Lightning during thunderstorm over water

Thunderquakes: A new way to image the Earth’s subsurface

August 21, 2026

Penn State student Declan Goldhawk is surrounded by other interns at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power in Fairbanks

Earth science and policy student spends summer exploring Arctic geothermal options

August 05, 2026

woman in purple shirt looks through telescope

Penn State ranks No. 20 in space science in US News 2026-27 'Global Universities'

June 24, 2026

A drone photo showcasing a group of five researchers standing on a road embankment in front of a research facillity in the vast, flat envioronment of Northern Alaska.

Digital twins could help melt the mystery of Alaska’s thawing permafrost

June 16, 2026

Graduate students on a boat collecting core samples

Rwenzori Mountains’ first major fire in 12,000 years marked new era for climate

May 19, 2026

Penn State students taking a study-abroad embedded course on museums tour London's National Portrait Gallery over spring break.

Course on science museums travels to the United Kingdom

May 05, 2026

Zuleima Karpyn presenting Shimin Liu with Wilson Excellence in Research Award

Faculty, student excellence recognized at annual EMS Wilson Awards celebration

April 21, 2026

Students walk the coastline of San Salvador island

Marine biogeochemistry students visit island as their 'lab' during spring break

April 20, 2026

Four people pose with a colorful image

Winners announced for 18th annual Materials Visualization Competition

April 09, 2026

Students including Eva SinhaRoy meet with Penn State President

Science-minded student charts research, service path at Penn State

March 18, 2026

Two individuals in front of a cartoon drawing of a volcano

Ask a scientist: What happens to animals during a volcanic eruption?

January 28, 2026

An artist's interpretation of life and death after the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.

New species emerged faster than thought after dinosaur extinction, study finds

January 28, 2026

Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment, one institute, one world

Institute of Energy and the Environment welcomes 15 new faculty members

January 27, 2026

Christelle Wauthier sits on a rough volcanic rock during fieldwork.

Coffee Hour starts Jan. 23 with talk on volcanic hazards and remote sensing

January 20, 2026

Plant Bowen in Bartow County, Georgia, is among the largest coal-fired power plants in the U.S.

Center for CO2 storage begins 2026 with interdisciplinary momentum

January 14, 2026

Jason Wright, Adam Frank and Nadia Drake sit on stage

Heard on Campus: Experts on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

December 12, 2025

Abstract DNA and data science lines appear in blue.

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences funds eight mid-scale seed grants

December 12, 2025

Research Professor Tim White, left, and postdoctoral scholar Nick Sullivan will deliver a talk Oct. 27 as part of the EarthTalks speaker series.

Postponed EarthTalk: Lithium patterns evident in long-mined Pa. formation

December 09, 2025

A rock formation on a clear blue day.

Dinosaur extinction shaped modern forests and rivers, researchers find

December 05, 2025

Gale Blackmer is the Pennsylvania state geologist.

EarthTalks: Pa. sees ‘promising opportunities’ for critical minerals production

December 01, 2025

EMS millennium scholars

Millennium Scholars credit program for highlighting path to doctoral degrees

December 01, 2025

Christina Lopano is a research physical scientist in the National Energy Technology Laboratory's Research and Innovation Center.

EarthTalks: Research about coal byproducts a window into critical minerals

November 26, 2025

Six new members to alumni boards for College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

New members appointed to Earth and Mineral Sciences alumni boards

November 25, 2025

A group of collaborators including Penn State faculty member Sarah Ivory, center, is photographed on the second day of a three-day trek near Kilembe village, Uganda, on June 26, 2025.

Uganda community collaboration targets climate hazards with reforestation

November 24, 2025

Sarah Ivory in Dhofar’s Nejd Desert

$13.9M grant to investigate how fire, climate, people shaped Africa’s landscapes

November 06, 2025

A rusted pipe leaks water in a forest.

Defunct Pennsylvania oil and gas wells may leak methane, metals into water

November 06, 2025

EarthTalks: Data illuminates ore containing critical minerals

November 03, 2025

Geochemist Rens Verburg is a senior vice president at the engineering and professional services firm WSP USA.

EarthTalks: Executive to address mine development, needs in critical minerals

October 27, 2025

Students stand at their research posters with symposium attendees.

ICDS Symposium spotlights student, faculty research

October 22, 2025

Sarma Pisupati working in a lab at Penn State University Park.

EarthTalks highlights critical minerals research with fall series

October 21, 2025

The Arctic Ocean along the coast of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, on Aug. 2, 2024. Chunks of sea ice are visible.

Decoding dangers of Arctic sea ice with seismic, radar method

October 16, 2025

Reddish Martian soil is seen with flecks of Martian ice.

Are there living microbes on Mars? Check the ice, researchers say

October 15, 2025

An aerial view of the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980.

New tool helps forecast volcano slope collapses and tsunamis

October 03, 2025

Delaware Memorial Bridge

Saltwater contamination threatens water supplies

September 30, 2025

Illustration of fiber optic cable lines used for telecommunications

Fiber optic cables could act as early warning system for geohazards, study finds

September 29, 2025

Maureen Feineman is an associate research professor of geosciences at Penn State.

EarthTalks: How Pennsylvania’s industrial past can support tech, energy

September 16, 2025

Erin DiMaggio collecting a sample of an altered volcanic ash deposit.

Q&A: Dating fossils from hotbed period of early human evolution

September 09, 2025

Bridget Reheard

Bridget Reheard named summer 2025 College of Earth and Mineral Sciences marshal

August 15, 2025

Many fish swimming in clear water around rocks, coral and shells

Imperfect underground processes help filter wastewater in Florida Keys

August 04, 2025

Peter Heaney and Mara Grigore

Q&A: Professor emeritus reflects on his research, teaching career in geosciences

July 18, 2025

A dual degree environmental engineering and biogeochemistry graduate student stands for a photo outdoors.

Graduate student earns NSF fellowship to study carbon in river systems

July 16, 2025

Aerial view of Thwaites Glacier

Measuring how – and where – Antarctic ice is cracking with new data tool

July 09, 2025

Geosciences student Kaitlin Dasovich holds mastodon tusk

Geosciences undergraduate uses research tools to solve mastodon mysteries

May 13, 2025

Fossil leaf of a Kapur Paya tree (Dryobalanops rappa)

First fossil evidence of endangered tropical tree discovered

May 08, 2025

EMS student marshals

College of Earth and Mineral Sciences names spring 2025 student marshals

April 30, 2025

Jasmine Fields greets public at outdoor booth.

State College sustainability coordinator got start at Penn State

April 30, 2025

Geosciences graduate student Amina Abdulsalam shows how streams impact the landscape.

For fourth graders, earth science lessons come to life at Penn State

April 23, 2025

Student shows off a dire wolf fossil

Rare dire wolf bone logged by undergraduate student at Penn State

April 22, 2025

Olivia DiPrinzio, who graduated in 2024 with honors in energy engineering and earth science and policy, is now associate director of the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium.

Penn State grad aims to advance sustainability education across Pennsylvania

April 16, 2025

Lee Kump and JP Maria

Earth and Mineral Sciences faculty and students honored at college's awards ceremony

April 08, 2025

Geography Coffee Hour to feature Richard Alley on sea-level rise and ice sheets

March 31, 2025

Old Main viewed through Armillary Sphere

Four Penn State faculty elected AAAS Fellows

March 27, 2025

Lake Mead under blue skies showing decreased depth due to less water

Q&A: Wading into the shrinking waters of the Colorado River

March 19, 2025

EarthTalks: Widga to discuss museums as partners in broader impact activities

February 25, 2025

A panoramic photo showing dune-like shapes on Mars

Gulf of Mars: Rover finds evidence of ‘vacation-style’ beaches on Mars

February 24, 2025

2025 NAE class - Susan Brantley, Long-Qing Chen and Russell Johns

Three Penn State faculty elected to National Academy of Engineering

February 18, 2025

Anak Krakatau volcano in October 2013

Satellite data identifies warning signs ahead of 2018 volcanic eruption, tsunami

February 07, 2025

Researchers visit the Laguna del Hunco fossil rainforest site in Argentina

Fossils show leaf-eating insects tracked gum trees for millions of years

February 04, 2025

‘Growing Impact’ explores monitoring environmental activity with fiber optics

February 03, 2025

Nicolas Choquette-Levy

Climate risk researcher joins the Institute of Energy and the Environment

January 28, 2025

A person standing next to a computer screen holds two rocks.

Predicting lab earthquakes with physics-informed artificial intelligence

January 23, 2025

Susan Brantley, Evan Pugh University Professor and Barnes Professor of Geosciences

Evan Pugh Professor Susan Brantley to retire after 40 years at Penn State

December 02, 2024

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