Earth Surface and Environmental Processes
This cross-departmental research theme focuses on the predictive understanding of modern societally relevant questions related to the Earth's surface. Earth surface and environmental processes are essential for humanity's food and water resources, which are under mounting pressures from burgeoning populations, two centuries of anthropogenic contamination, and climate change. Environmental consultancies and State and Federal Agencies consistently require broadly trained geoscientists in these areas, and many former Dartmouth EAPS students have established successful careers in this field.
Prof Meredith Kelly and Collaborators in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda
Department and Affiliated Faculty
Research areas currently include hydrology and watershed processes, including fluvial and glacial geomorphology (Chipman, Kelly, Palucis, Renshaw), and low temperature biogeochemistry in soils, water, and sediment, including carbon cycling and contaminant and solute transport (Feng, Jackson, Lacroix, Renshaw, Sharma, Slotznick). The Department already benefits from cross-departmental collaborations with Environmental Studies (Tumber-Dávila), Geography (Chipman), Biology (Chen, Hicks Pries), and the Geisel Medical School (Karagas). The affiliated faculty's research is designed to provide a quantitative and mechanistic basis of environmental processes, predict the extent and magnitude of geological problems, and to design effective remediation strategies.
DEPARTMENT FACULTY AND STAFF
Xiahong Feng (Emerita)
- Hydrochemistry and Solute Transport; Low-Temperature Geochemistry
- Analytical Geochemistry
- Glacial and Quaternary Geology, Paleoclimatology
- Soil biogeochemistry
- Short-lived Radionuclides
- Surficial Processes and Geomorphology
- Hydrology
- Radiogenic isotope geochemistry
- Mineralogy
AFFILIATED FACULTY
- Remote sensing and GIS
- Aquatic Ecology and Contamination
- Terrestrial Carbon Cycle and Soil Biogeochemistry
- Human Health and Epidemiology
Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila (ENVS)
- Terrestrial biogeochemical cycles
Groups and Facilities
The Department has excellent facilities and instrumentation in this area. Please see detailed information in the links below or in the Labs and Facilities tab.
A facility led by Dr. Slotznick for characterizing the composition and magnetism of Earth materials.
Planetary Data Analysis and Visualization Lab
A facility led by Dr. Palucis for performing analyses of planetary surface processes using advanced computing.
Planetary Surface Dynamics Lab
A facility led by Dr. Palucis for the examination of sediment transport.
A facility led by Dr. Kelly for cosmogenic nuclide dating and sediment core analysis.
A facility led by Dr. Sharma for radiogenic isotopes.
A facility led by Dr. Lacroix for studying soil redox heterogeneity and soil carbon, nutrient, and contaminant cycling.
A facility led by Dr. Feng for stable isotope geochemistry.
A cooperative research group including Drs. Renshaw and Jackson and faculty from biology, chemistry, and Geisel medical school.
Trace Elements and Analysis Core
A facility led by Dr. Jackson for major and trace element geochemistry.
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Lamar Valley, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming USA. Photo by Laura Hutchenson '19