The School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences prepares students for professional careers in environmental science and meteorology, and research careers in climate dynamics, atmospheric chemistry and air quality, oceanography, aqueous geochemistry and biogeochemistry, paleoclimatology, geophysics and geohydrology.

GRACE is a joint project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Deutsches Zentrum fr Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR). The primary Science Objective of the GRACE mission is to provide with unprecedented accuracy, global and high-resolution estimates of the constant and time-variable part of the Earth's gravity field. Secondary objective is the measurement of several hundred globally distributed profiles per day of the excess delay or bending angle of GPS measurements caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere, which can be converted to total electron content and/or refractivity, respectively.

On February 16, 2005, 61 countries agreed to a plan that, over the next 10 years, will revolutionize the understanding of Earth and how it works. Agreement for a 10-year implementation plan for a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, known as GEOSS, was reached by member countries of the Group on Earth Observations at the Third Observation Summit held in Brussels. Nearly 40 international organizations also support the emerging global network. The GEOSS project will help all nations involved produce and manage their information in a way that benefits the environment as well as humanity by taking a pulse of the planet. GEOSS is envisioned as a large national and international cooperative effort to bring together existing and new hardware and software, making it all compatible in order to supply data and information at no cost. The U.S. and developed nations have a unique role in developing and maintaining the system, collecting data, enhancing data distribution, and providing models to help all of the world's nations. EPA has a strong commitment to the GEOSS initiative.

The Hawaii Mapping Research Group of the University of Hawaii operates several seafloor mapping systems (the HAWAII MR 1 towed seafloor mapping sysstem, the IMI30 high resolution deep towed mapping system, the IMI12 imaging and mapping instrument), a seafloor map data archive (MR1, Arctic, and East Pacific Rise (EPR) archives), and provides data processing services for Kilo Moana multibeam systems and the WHOI DSL-120A deep towed mapping system.

Although renowned for more than 50 years of pioneering ocean research the world over, the scientists of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have always maintained a keen interest in their own backyard - the Hudson River and Estuary. In fact, one of the first major projects undertaken at Lamont involved using the newly created tools of seismology to survey the riverbed prior to construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge in the early 1950s. Since then, a steady stream of Columbia research has delved into a wide range of river issues - from sediment transport to PCB contamination to carbon and nutrient cycles to the myriad effects of global climate change. Over the last 15 years in particular, the breadth and pace of Hudson River research at Columbia has accelerated in step with the ever-increasing development pressures born of an economic boom and a burgeoning population. With no fewer than the six major research initiatives currently underway within the Hudson River watershed, Columbia is striving to create a knowledge base that will enable more effective long-term management of this vital natural resource.

Hydrothermal processes at mid-ocean ridges, Susan E. Humphris, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Introduction. Distribution and Temporal Variability of Submarine Hydrothermal Systems. East Pacific Rise at 9-10 N. Juan de Fuca Ridge. Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Working Models Relating Hydrothermalism to Volcanic and Tectonic Activity. Rock-Water Interactions in the Oceanic Crust. Evolution of Permeability and its Relation to Off-Axis Hydrothermal Circulation. Outstanding Problems and Future Directions. References.
U.S. National Report to IUGG, 1991-1994, Rev. Geophys. Vol. 33 Suppl., 1995 American Geophysical Union.

The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology is a university research consortium dedicated to exploring the Earth's interior through the collection and distribution of seismographic data. IRIS programs contribute to scholarly research, education, earthquake hazard mitigation, and the verification of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Support for IRIS comes from the National Science Foundation, other federal agencies, universities, and private foundations.

The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) strives for excellence in research, education, and outreach related to Earth System Science and Global Change in high-latitude, alpine, and other environments. INSTAAR is located at the University of Colorado within the Graduate School and affiliated with departments of Anthropology, CEA Engineering, Environmental Studies, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Geological Sciences, and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC). INSTAAR also participates in interdepartmental graduate education programs such as Hydrologic Sciences.

The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) is a leading academic research group in geology and geophysics. Founded in 1972 by geophysicist/oceanographer, Maurice Ewing, it conducts geophysical investigations of the history, structure, and dynamics of the earth's crust and of earthquake phenomena. UTIG is a research component of the Jackson School of Geosciences, which conducts basic and applied geophysical research and graduate student training for The University of Texas at Austin.

The UCSC branch of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) was officially established during the 1999-2000 academic year. IGPP is a multicampus research unit (MRU) of the University of California, which dates back to 1946 when the founding branch was established at UCLA. There are presently IGPP branches at 5 campuses (UCLA, UCSC, UCSD, UCR, UCI) and at two of the national laboratories administered by the University of California (LLNL and LANL). The IGPP Charter defines a mission: to promote and coordinate basic research on the understanding of the origin, structure, and evolution of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe, and on the prediction of future changes, as they affect human life. In practice, this mandate spans topics from the early accretion, orbital dynamics and internal structure of planetary bodies through to the present dynamics of the terrestrial hydrosphere and atmosphere. As such, the IGPP mission encompasses aspects of the traditional academic disciplines of astronomy, earth sciences, and ocean/atmospheric sciences. All of the latter disciplines are actively engaged in the IGPP branch at UCSC.

The Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) seeks to provide a comprehensive framework to harmonize the common interests of the major space-based and in-situ systems for global observation of the Earth. IGOS is a strategic planning process, involving a number of partners, that links research, long-term monitoring and operational programmes, as well as data producers and users, in a structure that helps determine observation gaps and identify the resources to fill observation needs.

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is a non-governmental organisation whose aim is to encourage and facilitate cooperation in all aspects of arctic research, in all countries engaged in arctic research and in all areas of the arctic region. The IASC member organisations are national science organisations covering all fields of arctic research. Each national member organisation has a mechanism to provide ongoing contact between its council member and its arctic science community. IASC draws on this structure to identify scientific priorities, members of working groups, etc. An international science programme planned or recommended by IASC should be of high priority to arctic or global science.

Knowledge of the composition, structure and evolution of the Earth's crust and of processes which continue to modify it, is becoming increasingly important for the wise management of the Earth's resources and environment, consistent with the principles of sustainable development. In the light of the societal importance of these issues, and the capability of scientific drilling to make a quantum leap in the scientific understanding, the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) is an essential component of responsible management strategies for the resources and environment of the dynamic Earth.

InterRidge is an initiative concerned with facilitating international and multi-disciplinary research associated with mid-ocean ridges. The InterRidge Office is hosted by the Leibniz-Institut fr Meereswissenschaften for the next threeyear term - from 2004 to 2006. Representatives from the Member Nations form the Steering Committee, which plans and directs InterRidge activities. Working Groups are established by the Steering Committee to oversee development and execution of various aspects of the In terRidge program. The scientific objectives of InterRidge are outlined in the Science Plan. The National Correspondents, are a vital component of InterRidge, representing the main nodes of communication between InterRidge and participating countries.

Seismic Monitor allows you to monitor global earthquakes in near real-time, visit seismic stations around the world, and search the web for earthquake or region-related information. You can also view seismograms and make dataset requests via its WILBER interface.