We human beings are sons and daughters of the earth, progeny of its long history. The central goal for earth and planetary science is to understand our irreplaceable earth including how it compares and contrasts with other planets. To understand the workings of the planets, their past present and future, we earth and planetary scientists marshal a wide range of methods and technologies. Many phenomena that characterize the planets are complexly interrelated and take place on time and length scales too large to be reproduced in the laboratory. However, these phenomena can be analyzed and understood in terms of the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry. Founded on these scientific principles, earth and planetary science takes a planetary scale view that incorporates observation and measurement in the field with laboratory experiments and theoretical modeling to reveal universal laws that govern the how planets form and develop. The goal of our educational program is to teach and guide students so they graduate with the tools and knowledge needed to contribute to the future development of both our one and only earth and its human population.
