The mission of the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences is to understand and protect our home in the universe.
The Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at UCLA is on a mission to understand and protect our home in the universe.
We seek to understand how planets like ours form and evolve, how life on our planet developed, and whether life exists elsewhere. We study the physical and chemical conditions that prevailed 4.6 billion years ago when the planets formed, the processes that shape planetary bodies, and interactions with the space environment.
Using data from the lab, field, spacecraft, and telescopes, we study a wide range of important questions about the Earth, the Solar System, and beyond. We also characterize natural hazards so that we can better protect humanity from earthquakes, tsunamis, space weather, and asteroid impacts.
We invite you to explore our web site, epss.ucla.edu, to find out about the impressive research conducted by our students, researchers, and faculty.
Understanding and protecting our home in the universe
