Earth Environmental and Planetary Sciences

Exploring climate change through wine

Among the courses recently offered at the Rice Global Paris Center was “Climate Change, Economics and the Wine Industry,” which brought students to Paris for three weeks in May.

Rice and Houston ISD partner to launch planetary science education program for K-12 students and teachers

Rice University and the Houston Independent School District (HISD) will collaborate on a space and planetary science pilot program to inspire the next generation of Earth, planetary and space enthusiasts and professionals.

Faculty, staff, students honored for excellence in teaching, mentoring, service

Each year, Rice honors members of the university community who have served students through outstanding teaching, dedication and service.

Rice to offer new master’s in energy transition and sustainability

Rice University will launch a Master of Energy Transition and Sustainability (METS) program this fall designed to equip students with the tools needed to thrive in the evolving energy industry landscape.

Rice’s Mark Torres wins NSF CAREER Award to examine river water chemistry

Mark Torres, assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University, has won a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to unlock new insights in river water chemistry, including its implications for addressing environmental concerns.

Study sheds light on how Earth cycles fossil carbon

Rice’s Mark Torres and collaborators used rhenium as a proxy for fossil carbon in order to quantify the rate at which Earth naturally releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and found that high rates of carbon breakdown persist across the different geographical profiles of a river basin.

Global temperature variations impact the planet’s water cycle

A new study by Rice climate scientist Sylvia Dee and an international team of collaborators sheds light on the impact that global temperature variation over the past 2,000 years has had on the planet’s hydrological cycle.

Fenglin Niu named fellow of the American Geophysical Union

Rice University seismologist Fenglin Niu has been elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union in honor of his leading-edge research in high-resolution seismic imaging.

Decontamination method zaps pollutants from soil

A rapid, high-heat electrothermal soil remediation process developed by Rice scientists and collaborators at the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center flushes out both organic pollutants and heavy metals in seconds without damaging soil fertility.

DOE backs Rice study of how soils store carbon

Two Rice University scientists have won a 3-year grant from the Department of Energy to study clay mineral formation processes in a watershed in order to develop a model of how soils store carbon as organic matter.

Asteroid named for Rice planetary scientist

An asteroid has been named for Rice planetary scientist André Izidoro, a newly appointed assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.

Order in chaos: Atmosphere’s Antarctic oscillation has natural cycle

Rice researchers have discovered a natural cycle that repeats every 150 days in the north-south oscillation of the Southern Hemisphere’s prevailing westerly winds.

Iron-rich rocks unlock new insights into Earth’s planetary history

A new study by Rice University scientists suggests iron-rich ancient sediments may have helped cause some of the largest volcanic events in the planet’s history.

Rice graduate programs land among nation’s best in US News rankings

Numerous Rice University graduate programs ranked in the nation’s top 25 in their respective categories in the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” rankings.

Rice mourns passing of Manik Talwani

Rice is mourning the death of Manik Talwani, professor emeritus in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.