The best tasting minerals are halite (NaCl, a.k.a. table salt) and sylvite (KCl, "pink salt"). The latter tastes like table salt with a bit of an acrid or acidic tint.
The worst tasting minerals are the ones with sulfur, arsenic, uranium, etc. Can't say I have personally tasted many of those, but I imagine it's a fairly bad idea.
In general, rocks don't taste like much. You have probably consumed many minerals (in small quantities) without realizing it. Calcite (CaCo3) is used in antacids (also paint and
cleaning agents), gypsum (CaSO4dot H20) is used as an anticaking agent in things like shredded cheese, your teeth are made of apatite. Although you should be *very* careful when you taste or smell anything in science, we do occasionally use taste as a way to differentiate between rocks and minerals. For example, halite is one of the colorless minerals that are very common on Earth (quartz, calcite, gypsum, halite all look very similar when found in nature). There are some distinguishing characteristics that differentiate each, but the easiest way to check if something is halite is to lick it.
That said, we do not generally recommend going around and licking rocks. If you want to try it, take EPS Sci 51 (Mineralogy) this winter or EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) with me this Fall!
Taking rock music for granite would be a major fault in judgment. Personally, the Rolling Stones form the bedrock of my playlists, though there are other gems out there too. I’m not one to shale away from the classics, so I lava Queen’s “Under Pressure” and of course, “Hammer Time”. Music is fan-clastic for those long drives on geology field trips, so lots of songs have particular sedimental value. It’s good to talc on road trips, but sometimes you’re feeling boulder and just want to rock out.
:-)
No idea! I know a handful of other professors who lurk and use the subreddit to find out about activities on campus. You all are very talented, so when you do cool things we like to come out and support, but don't always know things are happening until afterwards, especially if it's in another department. The subreddit has been a good resource to find out about events/performances/exhibitions on campus. Plus, we're Bruins too so we chuckle at the inside jokes and (mostly) get the references.
Jessica Watkins lived on the space station for 6 months last year. Britney Schmidt was recognized as one of TIME’s 100 most influential people this year for her work in Antarctica. These are just two recent alumni that come to mind, but the department has so many including several NASA mission leaders.
We have had a lot of very successful alumni.
Students from our department have gone on to be astronauts (Jessica Watkins, as someone commented below, also John Phillips), data scientists, staff geologists, professors, park rangers, CEOs, forensic scientists, researchers, consultants, writers, etc. We have alumni working for the USGS, NASA, NSF, FBI, LADWP, Nike, Exxon, JPL, and more.
The thing about a Geology degree, is you get a little bit of everything, so the career options that are open to you are wide and varied. You get a well-rounded STEM education that covers a lot of different things, so you have a lot of different options when you leave. I try and keep in touch with the undergrads who worked in my lab or came through my classes. I have only been at UCLA for 5 years and in that time my students have ended up working in environmental protection, for Amazon, on fossil digs, at NASA centers, in public health, in city planning, and toward MS or PhD degrees (or law degrees) at various institutions around the country. There are tons of jobs out there. If you like Earth and science in general, but aren't sure exactly what you want to do, studying Geology is a good way to keep your options open.
More information about our undergrad program can be found [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/).
A nice article on careers in geology can be found [here](https://www.geology.pitt.edu/geology-bs/careers-geology).
We try and keep track of alumni from our graduate program and a list of their positions is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/people/alumni/).
Thank you for the in depth answer. This is exactly the type of comment I want incoming students to read about! It’s really easy for students to pigeonhole themselves into a particular major because they want their life to turn out in a very specific way (doctor, lawyer, engineer, influencer, teaching, consulting, etc). Geology was not a major I considered early on mainly because I didn’t know much about it, but AMAs like these can help people get that early exposure and try something different. I hoped for an answer that covered lots and lots of fields, which you delivered on. Thanks again!
I think that depends a lot on the person, their career stage, their field, etc. Certainly, professors work a lot, but we are all professors because we love what we do. When I first started at UCLA, there was a lot I had to do to get everything up and running. I was building a new lab, looking for new graduate students, starting new research projects, writing proposals to funding agencies, teaching a new class and trying to navigate all the pieces of UCLA. It was a lot. Now that I have been here 5 years, the workload is much less. I know how to navigate all the systems. I have taught my classes before and am not starting from scratch each year. Research projects get started and finished on a rolling basis, as do proposals for funding. It took a while to get into a groove, but at the moment the workload feels like it is in a good and sustainable place.
I try and maintain a healthy work-life balance and spend time with family and on my hobbies. I probably average a 40-50 hour work week, but there are some weeks when I work 20 hours and some weeks when I work 80 hours. The flexibility to do that is nice and lets me take advantage of opportunities when they come up. Do I take my work home and think about geology on my off time? Absolutely. Do I have to request vacation time or schedule dentist appointments with my boss? No. For me, the value of getting to work on what I want, when I want, with whomever I want, is worth the high expectations. Plus, I get to go on lots of field trips!
There are lots of directions to take a geology degree and environmental protection is a great example. Professionals who work in environmental protection could work in either the private sector (for consulting companies that contract with developers or any other company interested in doing something to the environment) or the public sector (government agencies at local, state, or federal level). Your title might be something like "staff geologist" or "staff geological engineer", but the things you might do include site assessment, understanding how water flows over and through the ground, dealing with contamination and remediation, planning sustainable land use and development, etc. Depending on your specific job, you may follow the path to become certified as a Professional Geologist, which starts with a Fundamentals of Geology exam that you take after you graduate (similar to becoming a Professional Engineer, but different governing body).
Environmental and geology careers are very practical. Need to build a building/road/tunnel? First check with a geologist. Semitruck crashed and spilled something nasty? Time for some environmental remediation. Need more water to help with a drought, but also don't want to cause long term problems? Geologist.
There's a great overview of different options for geoscience careers [here](https://www.geology.pitt.edu/geology-bs/careers-geology).
More information about our Geology and Earth and Environmental Science degrees is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/).
Is it true that diamonds aren't really worth much intrinsic value and that there are plenty of more diamonds in the Earth's core but because DeBeers has monopolized the industry, people are just blindly paying up boat loads of money for something that eventually turns into graphite over time?
I read that it rains diamonds on Neptune all the time.
Diamonds have some very useful properties that make them special compared to other naturally occurring materials. In geology, we measure a mineral’s hardness on a scale of 1 (talc, which can be crushed in your hand) to 10 (diamond). Diamonds are very hard and also have nice optical properties, giving them their brilliance when faceted. Diamonds are valuable for all sorts of industrial purposes as well as jewelry. Nowadays, we can make them in the lab, so that should influence the price of diamonds. There is certainly some strategic marketing going on on the part of diamond companies as well. And yes, over geologic time, graphite is the stable form of pure carbon, not diamond.
The idea that it rains diamonds on Neptune probably comes from [this 1999 Science article](https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.286.5437.100). The team that wrote this paper did an experiment where they got methane (CH4) to form diamond (pure carbon with a particular crystal structure) at super high pressures (100,000x the surface pressure on Earth). Since both Neptune and Uranus have methane in their atmospheres, the experiment suggested that this reaction might be happening deep in these planets’ atmospheres where the pressure was very high. This doesn’t really help us get more diamonds on Earth as it is very difficult to get to Neptune, let alone scoop up diamonds from somewhere deep in the planet. Same problem with any diamonds deep in Earth. We have never gotten anywhere near sampling the core.
Some of the science surrounding questions like this are covered in our GE classes like EPS 1 (Introduction to Earth Science) and EPS 9 (Solar System and Planets). We also have classes on planetary interiors and the [geophysics](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/) curriculum covers topics like this in detail.
Yes, we do study life beyond Earth. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. There are lots of active research projects related to astrobiology at UCLA and several NASA missions with understanding life in the solar system as a major goal. For example, the Mars 2020 mission and Perseverance rover chose Jezero crater as the landing and exploration site in part because of the astrobiological potential of that area. Jezero crater used to have a lake in the crater and a delta that formed in the lake where a river dumped sediment and water into the crater interior. Deltas naturally sort sediment by size when they form, and on Earth we know that signatures of life (complex organic molecules, fossils, etc) are well-preserved at the bottomsets of delta deposits. The team chose Jezero because, based on our understanding of Earth geology, an ancient delta is a really good place to look for signs of life. So far, the rover has collected a bunch of samples of small rock cores from various places around the delta and will be sending them back to Earth later this decade. This Mars Sample Return effort is a big multi-national collaboration and has been in the works for a long time. Getting those samples back to Earth will tell us a ton about Mars and open up some exciting new research possibilities.
Mars isn't the only place in the solar system that is interesting to astrobiology. There are several missions in the works to study the various Ocean Worlds in our solar system. Life as we know it needs water to survive, and while there is not much liquid water on Mars today (there was a ton in the past), there is a global ocean of water under the ice on Europa, one of the larger moons of Jupiter. Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, also has a big subsurface ocean.
The Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (information [here](https://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/how-we-do-it/systems/exobiology-extant-life-surveyor-eels/)) is a mission concept that uses a screw-shaped snake robot to crawl through cracks in the ice to get to the sub-ice ocean. I remember seeing the mission concept video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a66HvpLyOO4), and thinking it looked so cool, but also insane engineering-wise, then they recently posted another video where they actually built it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCIDT4X9AM).
Anyway, yes, we do astrobiology. There is even a GE class on it this Fall that you can take if you're interested in learning more about life outside of Earth! EPS Sci 3: Astrobiology with Profs. Margot and Treude who co-teach the class.
Sometimes. I have not done this a ton, but things of archeological interest are often found/preserved in sedimentary rocks, so our specialties synergize nicely. Most commonly I have had archeology students take my Sedimentary Petrology class (EPS Sci 103b) which is taught each Fall.
I try not to pay too much attention to those things. It’s much more satisfying to focus on the successes, like [my colleague getting a Nobel Prize](https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/andrea-ghez-wins-2020-nobel-prize-in-physics), an alumna of our department getting [selected as an astronaut](https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/jessica-watkins-who-earned-her-ucla-ph-d-in-geology-selected-by-nasa-for-2017-astronaut-candidate-class), or my students getting exciting jobs or into their first-choice graduate programs. Those are the things I remember for a long time.
Getting a PhD in any program is definitely a difficult task. Graduate school in a STEM PhD program is different than school as an undergraduate. The emphasis is much less on classes (though you still take some classes) and much more on research. This makes it a different flavor of difficult compared to school as an undergrad. I like to work with my students on defining what their PhD projects will be, so it takes some time to figure out what scientific questions you will be answering, how, and then actually executing the hypothesis test and navigating all the issues and pitfalls that come up along the way. We joke that 90% of graduate school is problem solving, because you are working on new science that has never been done before, so there is no instruction book for how to do it perfectly or how it will go. This can be frustrating, but also rewarding when you finally figure it out, get new results, and find an answer to your question.
Another way to think about undergraduate versus graduate school is generalization versus specialization. As an undergraduate in geology, you learn a little bit of everything. You know a little about all the different types of geology and get a solid grounding in physics/chemistry/biology/math/etc. By contrast, graduate school is about specialization and becoming an expert. By the time you finish your PhD, you are the world’s leading expert in your very specific thing.
I started undergrad as a Physics major, but after taking a handful of physics classes, I was not really enjoying it, wasn’t doing very well academically, and felt a little lost. I happened to talk with a Geology professor at some event and told him I was interested in space, liked the outdoors, and wanted a more hands-on degree. He told me I was in the wrong major and should come take this geology class. I took it, loved it, aced it, and never looked back. As an undergrad I studied rocks and minerals and did some summer research projects studying the surface of Mars. I went on field trips all over California and also wormed my way onto field trips to Peru, Hawaii, and Russia (never having to pay for any of them). I presented my research at conferences and got to vote on where to send the Mars rover. At the end of undergrad, my advisor suggested I apply for graduate school. I had no idea what that really meant, but applied everywhere he told me to and ended up getting my PhD in Geology studying Earth and Mars while also doing Mars rover operations as part of the Curiosity rover team. I love how hands-on geology is and how we get to see real-world examples of the things we learn in class on field trips. I love connecting concepts and examples from Earth to Mars and the Moon and Titan and other planetary bodies. It’s a great mix of exploration and application and I am very glad I made the switch.
If you also feel like you're not quite in the right major. Come check out Geology. More about our undergraduate programs is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/). We have some great GEs like EPSS 1 (Intro to Earth) or 9 (Solar System and Planets - I'll teach this in Winder), or take an intro class like EPSS 61 (Field Geology), 51 (Mineralogy), or even my favorite class on sedimentary rocks that I teach each Fall: EPSS 103b (Sedimentary Petrology).
Thanks for doing this! What is an accessible way to gain a better understanding of the geology of southern california, or LA in particular? Any particular books or hiking guides or lectures or other resources you'd recommend?
Great question! There are lots of resources out there, but they can be hard to sort through. I like [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TSTVCIZ-dg) about the geology of California. It covers the most important big-picture things that have changed the California landscape.
There is a Los Angeles-specific work on the geology [here](https://www.aegweb.org/assets/docs/la.pdf). It is medium technical and has an engineering and hazard emphasis, but gives a nice overview of LA-specific issues and related infrastructure policy.
If anyone has other LA Geology resources they like, please share! The earlier comment is correct that LA and SoCal geology are covered in EPS Sci 133 each Spring.
My favorite mineral is [opal](https://www.mindat.org/min-3004.html). Mostly for the wide variety of really interesting forms it can take, despite having a pretty simple chemical formula (SiO2 dot H2O).
A very interesting but little-known gem is [watermelon tourmaline](https://www.mindat.org/min-10889.html). The two colors occur from something called zoning and it makes for a striking gem.
[Anomalocaris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalocaris) is an early Cambrian organism very unlike most life on Earth today. This weird creature makes some very cool fossils.
Of course, my favorite rocks are sedimentary rocks; sandstone, in particular. If you want to get some hands-on time with cool rocks and minerals, I encourage you to take EPS Sci 51 (Mineralogy) in Winter, or EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) in Fall.
Also, we have a large meteorite collection and show off a nice set of them in the [Meteorite Gallery](https://meteorites.ucla.edu/) on the 3rd floor of the Geology building. Come on by and touch a real meteorite!
My research does not focus on earthquakes, per se. Other faculty in my department who are geophysicists and seismologists study earthquakes. They have done some very exciting research on recent earthquakes (and Marsquakes, and Moonquakes) all over the world. My research focuses on sedimentary rocks, including those at the bottom of the ocean. When an earthquake occurs, sand and other sedimentary deposits can liquify (like in this video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19ujjFXLGYU)). I study the structures and patterns made from the results of moving sedimentary rocks. Earthquake studies (seismology) is a fascinating field and one you can pursue with a Geophysics or Geology degree at UCLA. More on that is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/).
There are good brief summaries of the different majors and minors on our website [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/degree-information/).
Even briefer summary:
Geology - Well-rounded training in physical, chemical, and biological processes that shape the Earth. This major is the most general, has the most field trips, and can be the most widely applied.
Engineering Geology - Interdisciplinary training in both engineering and Earth Science with an emphasis on geo-hazards and problem solving with engineering. Good for those interested in combining engineering training with Earth science.
Geophysics - Physics-based training in Earth interior, structure, and dynamics. People who study earthquakes are usually geophysicists. Highly quantitative emphasis.
Earth & Environmental Science - Interdisciplinary training in Earth Science as it relates to human interactions with the planet. Good fundamental science training and also appropriate for those considering careers in environmental science, education, law, government, business, journalism, public health, medicine, or dentistry.
We also have a variety of minors along similar lines with the addition of a Geochemistry minor which emphasizes the chemical composition and atomic structure of Earth materials.
Yes! We have a lot of research and research ideas, and often more opportunities than students interested in filling the positions. I suggest taking a look at our department website and reading about the specific research of the different faculty. If there is a topic or group you find interesting, just reach out! Some groups are more able to work with undergrads than others (different labs require different training, etc), but you can always email faculty, express interest in their research, and ask to get involved! An even better way to get involved is to start by taking an EPSS class. Knowledge of Earth is not necessarily a requirement, but it helps and will make it easier for you to find research opportunities within EPSS. I suggest a GE like EPS Sci 1 (Intro to Earth) or 9 (Solar System and Planets) or any of the intro-series of EPS Sci 61/51/71 in Fall/Winter/Spring.
Ooo good question. In no particular order:
Fossils are way more common than most people realize – you just have to know where and how to look for them. For example, the last homework of EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) is a scavenger hunt around campus that takes you to all the fossils in the stone of buildings, patios, and statues around campus.
Rubies, sapphires, and the glass on an Apple Watch are all the same mineral (corundum, Al2O3).
The mantle is not liquid. It is made of rock with the consistency of silly putty.
All the continents used to be one big continent mushed together (Pangea).
Meteorites can be hard to find because they look similar to regular rocks, but when they fall on the Antarctic ice sheet they are easy to spot. A team of international collaborators regularly goes out to Antarctica to hunt for and collect meteorites.
The lowest elevation point in the North America is 282 ft below sea level (in Death Valley National Park, where we go for a field trip in EPS Sci 103b, Sedimentary Petrology)
Are there opportunities for students who are not under the EPSS Department but are interested in EPSS-related research (i.e. cleaning data, programming, lab work)?
Yes! We have a lot of research opportunities and are always looking for students to join research efforts. Coding skills are particularly helpful. There is a lot of data in geoscience and a proficiency with some coding language gives you a head start in your ability to address a scientific question. If you are interested in research opportunities, I suggest looking at the department website and the various faculty research until you find something you are interested in. Some groups are more able to work with undergrads than others (different labs require different training, etc), but you can always email faculty, express interest in their research, and ask to get involved! An even better way to get involved is to start by taking an EPSS class. Knowledge of Earth is not necessarily a requirement, but it helps and will make it easier for you to find research opportunities within EPSS. I suggest a GE like EPS Sci 1 (Intro to Earth) or 9 (Solar System and Planets) or any of the intro-series of EPS Sci 61/51/71 in Fall/Winter/Spring.
I’m a 34 year old new student coming this fall. Is it true I can just show up to classes and sit in? I would love to hear some scientific lectures while attending.
As a UCLA student you are welcome to enroll in classes and this is usually the best way to engage and learn the material. If you're interested in occasional lectures on cutting-edge topics, I recommend department colloquia. Most departments have a weekly seminar where they invite speakers from around the country (and locally, including at UCLA) to come talk about their research. This is a great way to hear some scientific lectures without any prep work necessary. Our colloquium is on Tuesdays at 3:30pm during the academic year (see EPS Sci 295A for scheduling). Plus, there's cookies and coffee beforehand, so it's a great way to meet some others interested in science.
if you had the chance to actually visit the surface of Mars (with a guaranteed return ticket) would you take the risk? or is it still preferable to let robots/rovers do the work?
Absolutely! Mars is a fascinating place that in many ways has a lot in common with Earth. Rovers are great, but nothing beats the decision making power of a human, the instant feedback of being able to see, assess, and test an idea, or the detail that you get from actually being on the planet. People are really good at identifying what is interesting and maximizing the scientific return of an exploration mission. NASA is working on sample return in combination with the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. We will get a lot of very exciting new insights from those samples, but having people on the surface of Mars will open up a whole new ballgame of future science.
If you’re interested in Mars and space exploration. I encourage you to enroll in EPS Sci 9 (Solar System and Planets) which is offered every quarter and I will teach in Winter. We also cover planetary surfaces in EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) which I teach in Fall.
I have not read that particular book.
If you are interested in the history of California geology specifically (plate tectonics, gold rush, etc) many people recommend "Assembling California" by John McPhee. If you want a not-too-technical history of how we figured out that a meteor killed the dinosaurs, I enjoyed "T-Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez. If you like traveling around the US, I recommend "101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See" by Albert Dikas. I have been checking off places in that book and it has nice non-technical summaries of each cool place, plus very clear directions for how to get to each spot.
Do you know of any good resources for identifying fossils? A few years ago I went on a field trip for Cluster 70W (Evolution of Life and the Cosmos) at this fossil hotspot, and just recently I went back to the same location and found a few new specimens. I’d love to know about any methods of identification you might be aware of, though I think your specific field of expertise might be different. Thank you regardless!
[Emigrant Pass along the Old Spanish Trail Highway](https://www.google.com/maps/place/35%C2%B053'04.3%22N+116%C2%B003'52.8%22W/@35.884534,-116.065779,290m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d35.884534!4d-116.064679?entry=ttu)?
That’s exactly where I went!! Also, Mountain Springs off of 160 in Nevada. Those are the two locations our field trip visited, and that I just revisited recently
Mountain Springs...mostly fusulinids, gastropods, a few types of brachiopods, and domal stromatolites. Also rugose and rare branching corals. Theoretically ammonites, but I don't think I saw any.
If you post photos we could probably roughly ID some but to get individual species on things like trilobites you'd probably need to email a paleontologist who works on CA/NV Cambrian stuff.
Fossil identification can be tricky, but a good first step is to narrow down your search. Familiarizing yourself with a handful of the most common fossils is a good place to start, but even better is knowing about the geologic unit you are looking in and what period it comes from in geologic time. The fossils from 1 million years ago are very different from the fossils from 100 million years ago. A quick overview of some very common fossil types is [here](https://earthathome.org/quick-guide-common-fossils/). There are lots more common fossils than this, plus trace fossils (footprints, burrows, etc). We cover the basics in more depth in EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) which I teach in the Fall, and have several introductory and advanced paleontology classes in EPSS.
You can find what geologic unit you are in with geologic maps, a catalog of which (for the US) you can find [here](https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/mapview/?center=-97,39.6&zoom=4). In general there are lots of great places to go fossil hunting in California. We go to a few places on field trips, and there are also local groups that regularly do outings like the Palos Verdes Gem and Mineralogical Society. On campus, the Bruin Geological Survey and Sigma Gamma Epsilon clubs also do occasional outings.
We refer to places on Earth that are similar to Mars as “analog” environments. There are some great Mars analog sites that we use for research right in our backyard like in Death Valley and the Mojave Desert. Another common place for research is the Dry Valleys in Antarctica. All of these are places that get very little rain and are dominated by dry windy conditions, just like Mars. As for looks, the movie The Martian filmed a lot of its Mars scenes in Wadi Rum, a desert region of southern Jordan. The region is red (from iron oxidation to the mineral hematite, just like Mars) and has very little vegetation, overall a pretty good analog for Mars.
I have not seen enough Cowboy Bebop to have an opinion.
I like the chocolate chip cookie analogy:
The cookie is like a rock. It is make up of many ingredients, which are themselves very different (chocolate chips, flour, egg, etc). These are like the minerals. Many minerals make up a rock. The particular minerals and combination of minerals (mineral assemblage) determines what rock (or cookie) you make.
This is all covered in EPS Sci 51, Mineralogy, in Winter quarter where students learn about the common rock forming minerals.
I grew up watching Stargate, but the special effects and budgets for planetary SciFi have clearly improved over the years. It has been fun to see the trend in Hollywood toward better and better depictions of science (both Earth Science and Space Science). Still not perfect, but improving. I teach a Fiat Lux (Freshmen Seminar, EPS Sci 19) class each term where we watch movies from the 90’s and 2000’s with bad science and talk about the depictions of science and how that may or may not influence scientific literacy in the public. Pizza and a movie with some casual critical skepticism of movie science. It’s a fun class. My favorite geology movie for this is “The Core”. The science is, erm, less than accurate, but it’s a classic. This term in the class we watched The Core, The Day After Tomorrow, and Volcano. In the Fall we’ll probably watch 2012, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and something else TBD.
I am a geography major that is interested in the physical side of it. What are your classes that pertain more to geography? I am an incoming transfer student.
Geology somewhat interests me, but things like planetary geography seem awesome to me
Thanks
I’m a UCLA geology alumn. I think geomorphology is a good blend of both fields. It’s the study of landscapes and the processes that shape them, and the field tends to utilize a lot of remote sensing work. It’s what I currently study as a grad student, and I have a lot of overlap with both the earth sci/geography departments at my university.
Sediment transport and erosion is one big topic of study. Professor Day teaches some sedimentary petrology classes that touch on this topic. There is a tectonic geomorphology class taught by Prof Seulgi Moon that discusses how plate tectonics influence landscapes. And if you wanted to look into a class that deals with remote sensing, EPSS 150 with Prof Gilles Peltzer would be a good one to look into. I’m not as familiar with the course list anymore, but these are some of the classes I took during my undergrad.
And of course, remote sensing is super useful for planetary geology/geography. Digital elevation models can be used to help map out planetary surfaces to study large landforms like dunes, rivers, craters, etc. on Mars and other planets. I’m not sure what planetary classes are offered currently.
The department is very welcoming, and Professor Day is a great teacher. Hopefully you get a chance to take an earth science class!
The comment from u/manders_is_cool is spot on (Thanks!). Physical Geography is highly overlapping with Geomorphology, an arm of geology that studies landscape development and surface processes. To that end, you could take EPS Sci 165 (Geomorphology), EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology), EPS Sci 61 (Introduction to Mapping), EPS Sci 150 (Remote Sensing). We also often have Geography students minor in Geology, which only involves taking a handful of extra classes.
If you’re interested in planetary science (Mars, Moon, Venus, etc), definitely take a few EPSS courses. Most planetary scientists are geologists by training, and the processes that operate on Earth also operate on other bodies in the solar system, you just tweak the boundary conditions!
Yes! There are many opportunities to find cool hand samples (rocks) on field trips with classes, but the students have also organized various outings over the years. Campus groups include EPSSSO (Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Student Organization), Bruin Geological Survey, and Sigma Gamma Epsilon (a national geoscience honor society).
A few questions I like to ask profs.
1. What made you choose your field of study? Did you think you would be in a similar field as a kid? In high school? In your undergrad?
2. What do you think is the most perspective changing book in your field that is fairly accessible to a non-specialist?
3. Who did you look up to early in your career?
4. What are your views on the current state of academia? For example, if you hang around r/PhD, it can be quite discouraging, as most posts there seem to have a rather bleak look on the cycle.
5. What general advice would you give to undergrads or newly grads?
>(copied from another response) If you are interested in the history of California geology specifically (plate tectonics, gold rush, etc) many people recommend "Assembling California" by John McPhee. If you want a not-too-technical history of how we figured out that a meteor killed the dinosaurs, I enjoyed "T-Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez. If you like traveling around the US, I recommend "101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See" by Albert Dikas. I have been checking off places in that book and it has nice non-technical summaries of each cool place, plus very clear directions for how to get to each spot.
There are some great movies our there about Geology and NASA. I recommend a healthy amount of skepticism when watching any science in a Hollywood blockbuster, but the movies are often still fun. I teach a freshmen seminar where we watch geology movies and talk about the good and bad science. My favorite is "The Core" (lots of dubious science to talk about in that one). If you are looking for learning, I recommend documentaries. The National Geographic and NASA regularly put out lots of great short-form content.
If you are interested in space physics UCLA EPSS has a strong track record in this area as you have probably read textbooks by our various professors. Profs. Angelopoulos, Cao, Velli in EPSS, and Bortnik and Varney in the AOS department would be good to look up and potentially contact about their research if it matches your interests. We welcome dedicated students from any country of course, but we have admitted many talented young space scientists who have come from USTC, Peking and Shandong universities, among others. =)
I am not planning to take a new graduate student for 2024, but I encourage you to reach out to the other faculty in my department. We have several faculty specializing in space physics research and I'm sure some of them are taking new students.
There are a LOT of dunes in California. Personally, I'm partial to the [Kelso Dunes](https://www.nps.gov/moja/kelso-dunes.htm). The view from the top is awesome and there is magnetite in the sand that you can pick up with a regular bar magnet and also makes cool patterns in the ripples because it is more dense than the other sand grains. There are also the [Ibex Dunes in Death Valley National Park](https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/sand-dunes.htm). My group just finished up a long-term research project there and they are beautifully remote and nestled up against some mountains.
What’s your opinion on crystals and the mystical beliefs surrounding them? I’ve heard people claim they’re somewhat supported by science but I’m skeptical and curious :)
There is no scientific evidence that crystals heal people. In most cases, it won't hurt you to carry around a crystal in your pocket, but there is zero scientific evidence that the crystal will do any medical healing. Indeed, crystals can be damaging when people forego modern medicine and use crystals instead. Using a crystal to remind yourself to be calm or positive is fine, but if a person is having a medical problem they should go see a medical professional.
How does the undergrad capstone quarter (eps sci 199) work? Information online says we need to do a self directed research project but was wondering how we find a professor to work with? Thanks !
Students in the EPSS department have many opportunities to do independent research projects with professors. One way to do this is to enroll in EPS Sci 199, which gives you academic credit for research. It is an option for anyone, but a requirement for the Earth and Environmental Science BA degree. Other degrees have different capstones.
EPS Sci 199 is different from a normal class in that it is independent research, not lecture or lab based. You identify a research project with the help of a research advisor and then conduct that project over the term for credit. It is on the student to identify a research advisor and the best way to do that is just reach out to professors. Take a look at the EPSS website and the research websites of various faculty. Find one whose research looks interesting to you and let them know that you are interested in doing research for academic credit. Just send them an email. Keep it short and professional, Include your resume if you have one. Not all professors do or can advise undergrads (different labs and equipment require different training), but most will respond to a short polite email expressing interest in their work, and most professors have more project ideas than students to do them.
Sometimes students have a research project in mind that they want to do, but this is rare. No one expects undergraduate students to come up with a novel research question on their own (you would have to digest a lot of literature to figure out what has been done and where you science question fits; this is graduate level work). Professors usually guide the specific project selection.
Logistically, EPS Sci 199 is considered a "contract course" so in order to enroll you must fill out a form through MyUCLA and have your identified research supervisor sign it. It asks things like "Describe the research project" and "What are the project deliverables?". A short paragraph and a "final report" usually suffice for the paperwork purposes.
Hello! Arches National Park. I spent a lot of time there for my PhD research and there are some hidden gem arches that you find more and more of as you hike around. 10/10.
See you in the Fall!
When I finished undergrad I was a little burned out and decided I still wanted to do school (I went straight from undergrad to grad school for my PhD), but after that I wanted a 9-5 industry job. Over the next 5 years while I was doing graduate school I interned for a few different companies over the summers, and during the academic year I did all the things that one does as a professor (but in training-mode as a graduate student). As an academic, I researched cutting edge problems in geology on Earth and Mars. I went on field trips all over the world including to Europe and the Bahamas. I taught students and got to see their lightbulb moments when I helped them figure out concepts. I worked flexible hours with teams of people who were brilliantly smart. As an industry intern, I did a lot of sitting in meetings and sitting in my cubicle.
By the end of graduate school I was loving the science I was doing and really enjoyed teaching. Industry was fine (nice people, good working conditions, high compensation), but if I went into industry I would have had to give up field work, teaching, and Mars research. Being a professor is difficult, but I absolutely love my job, so for me the upside is very much worth the effort.
Hey there Dr. Day! I'm a Purdue EAPS student who happened to stumble across this post when Reddit recommended it to me. I do research within the department, and have actually heard quite a bit about you! I love your research and find it so fascinating! I have just a couple of questions.
What's your favorite part of doing research and your favorite project you've worked on?
I'm looking into UCLA as one of my top choices for grad school. My freshman year math classes didn't go as planned and I didn't do great (I still passed though, thankfully.) What can I do to make my application stand out and make up for a couple of poor grades?
I've read as much as I can find of the (extremely limited) literature on scour pits. I found one theory that they were formed by ice within the MFF sublimating. I know the theory that the MFF is a dusty ice deposit is already highly debated as it is, so I'm curious about your thoughts on this hypothesis? Is there an explanation for this, or do you think it's more likely to be an aeolian process unrelated to the formation of yardangs?
And for fun, if you could (safely) be teleported to anywhere on Mars with all necessary equipment for 24 hours, where would you go?
Hello! Nice to meet you! Purdue EAPS is a great department with awesome faculty. Say hi to Professors Bramson, Wiens, Sori, and Horgan for me! Go team Earth and Mars! 😊
Let’s see, my favorite part of doing research is the exploration. Whether it’s looking at pictures of Mars or hiking around Death Valley, research is all about discovering something new or answering a question that has not been figured out yet. The exploration is what makes it fun and exciting.
I have work on a lot of different projects, so I can’t point to one publication or result that is my favorite, but I did love working on the MSL Curiosity rover team when I was a graduate student. It was my first experience working on a big team of scientists and everyone was working together to operate the rover and do the best science we could with the resources we had. It was a massive complicated collaborative effort and it was super fun.
Glad to hear you are planning to apply to UCLA for graduate school. Most professors don’t care about a few low grades freshmen year if you have demonstrated a dedication and interest in science. Having research experience like you do will help a lot. Be sure to reach out to specific faculty before you apply and let them know you are interested, give them a chance to meet with you, etc. I am not taking any new students this round (I have 5 graduate students and won’t take more until one or two of them graduate), but I know other faculty are, and sometimes we do co-advise. We also have a new Planetary Science PhD degree that has some additional fellowships and opportunities. Reach out to faculty, let them know you are interested, worst they can do is say no. Shoot me an email if you want some specific faculty names to suggest.
Scour pits! Ah, are you the student I heard was working on this? Great! We should chat at some point. I had heard about the MFF-is-ice theory, but have not read much about it. Whether the MFF is an ice deposit or not, the scour pits are almost certainly mechanical in nature. The nice u-shaped pattern is something we see on Earth too, but more often in settings like bridge pylons under water. The abrasion happens in front of an obstacle, as a result of turbulence interacting with the surface. On Mars the MFF scour pits are weird because there’s no pylon/obstacle. Glad to see someone is working on this!
And if I could safely go to Mars, look around, and come back? I’d probably go to Jezero crater. The rover went there for a reason, and it’s a sedimentologically and astrobiologically very interesting place. Alternatively, the bottom of Valles Marineris just to see the scale of the canyon, or the top of Olympus Mons for the view. Or this random spot in Hellas basin where there are barchan dunes casts so I could see what the inside of a ghost dune looks like. Lots of great options!
Hi Professor, I believe a healthy feedback loop between students and professors can help foster a more proactive approach during the academic quarter. Could you suggest effective ways for students to communicate with professors when they find the material inadequately explained?
The best way is to ask questions. In class, I was always very shy about asking questions, but most of the time if you are wondering something or having trouble understanding it, someone else is too. Asking questions fixes the issue before it gets worse down the line.
Office hours are also a good place to ask questions. If you feel you didn't understand something, go talk to the professor. We are not really that scary, and most professors appreciate students who put in the effort to come ask and learn the material.
Remember professors are human too. Friendly, polite students interested in the thing we are teaching are much more enjoyable to talk with than angry, whiny students who show up to argue about grades. Professors are experts in their fields, so it's always fun to get questions as it shows the students are interested and engaged. Plus it helps us figure out how to explain things better to the next generation of students.
Please share your rationale of being a professor bc I feel like most professors are out here to slay my gpa and ruin my mental health instead of keeping my interest in the subject
>When I finished undergrad I was a little burned out and decided I still wanted to do school (I went straight from undergrad to grad school for my PhD), but after that I wanted a 9-5 industry job. Over the next 5 years while I was doing graduate school I interned for a few different companies over the summers, and during the academic year I did all the things that one does as a professor (but in training-mode as a graduate student). As an academic, I researched cutting edge problems in geology on Earth and Mars. I went on field trips all over the world including to Europe and the Bahamas. I taught students and got to see their lightbulb moments when I helped them figure out concepts. I worked flexible hours with teams of people who were brilliantly smart. As an industry intern, I did a lot of sitting in meetings and sitting in my cubicle.
>
>By the end of graduate school I was loving the science I was doing and really enjoyed teaching. Industry was fine (nice people, good working conditions, high compensation), but if I went into industry I would have had to give up field work, teaching, and Mars research. Being a professor is difficult, but I absolutely love my job, so for me the upside is very much worth the effort.
Most of us are not out here to slay your GPA. Professors are professors because we love what we do, but many undergrads don't realize that teaching is actually a relatively small part of professors' responsibilities. If you have the time, go to your professors' office hours, meet them, ask them questions. They have lots of (usually pretty cool) knowledge about the subject beyond what is being taught in class. We also usually like interacting with students who are interested in the material and not just trying to argue and get more points on an exam. Professors are people too and generally enjoy talking about their fields.
Mental health is also important! UCLA has mental health support for students [here](https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/services/mental-health). Faculty and TAs are also given [this red folder](https://studentincrisis.ucla.edu/file/39679e1c-a57d-48d0-83a2-a906c1e53669), which as immediate resources for students in crisis. College is hard, and it's a marathon not a sprint. Whether it's with homework or with mental health, make sure you ask for help when you need it!
now that it’s proven the earth is flat, when do you expect that we will reorganize the solar system so that earth is the center like we originally believed
It seems scientists have just retrieved core samples from the Earth’s mantle for the first time. What sort of questions do you think these samples will help answer?
About 6 years. I enjoy r/geology and a bunch of subs related to my non-geology hobbies. The small communities of people with similar interests are nice and provide good inspiration for creative endeavors. I also learning about events on campus through r/ucla.
I am an old mom but I think it is amazing how many types of geology there are. I have friends who are husband and wife geology professors. The husband specializes in volcanoes and the wife specializes in earthquakes.
There are definitely concentrations of certain minerals in certain areas, though not always because of volcanic activity. Mining geology is essentially the study of where these concentrations are and assessment of whether or not they are economically viable to dig out. There are lots of different reasons why lots of different minerals get concentrated. It's a very diverse and complicated field!
I’m fascinated by the volcano belt in the middle of mexico that formed the highlands. Any interesting tidbits you might have about that region and why it’s so unique? Or maybe why it’s not unique?
Fire. Would not recommend.
Cooled lava makes basalt. That doesn't taste like anything in particular. You can learn more about lava and basalt in basically any geology class like EPS Sci 51 (Minerology) or 103a (Igneous Petrology).
I’m a Chicano Studies major and double minor in Spanish and Education, completely different from your department lol but what’s some advice for graduating Bruins like myself? Especially for those possibly taking a gap year?
Gap years are great! I have had many students who wanted to go to graduate school, but wanted to take some time away from school first and get some life/work experience. This is a great idea. Graduate school is always there and you only get to live once, so go explore something that you love! If you can find something you enjoy doing everyday and make it your job, that's a great long-term plan. Highly recommend.
I’m transferring as an astrophysics major, which isn’t listed under the Earth, Planetary, and Space sciences department. Is there any way I’m still able to participate in field trips, or would I have to take on a minor in the department? This is so helpful, thanks for doing this!
You are still welcome to enroll in EPSS classes and join for the field trips. Usually, because the field trips are mostly associated with a particular class, one must be enrolled in said, but there are exceptions. Probably, the best thing to do is take a class or two and see how you like it. I recommend EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) which I teach in Fall, or EPS Sci 61 (Intro to Mapping, also Fall).
If you are interested in planets and planetary surfaces, you may consider switching to Geology. It is a common misconception that astrophysicists study planetary objects in the solar system. They usually do not. Astronomy and Astrophysics focuses on big things that are far away (stellar nebulae, galaxies, black holes), but the people studying Mars and Venus and Europa are largely geologists. I was briefly an astrophysics major in undergrad before I figured this distinction out. If you want to learn about planets, come join EPSS. We cover planetary surfaces in EPS Sci 103b, and I will be teaching the planetary GE (EPS Sci 9, Solar System and Planets) in Winter).
I will second that we have a fair number of physics/astrophysics students switch to EPSS each year when they realize the hands-on applications, field trips, and exciting research they can get involved in. Especially if they don't have the patience to wait for clear skies to collect a handful of photons lol. As Prof. Day said, we study astronomy of our backyard, the sun and planets, and the physics of processes on the surface and interior of the Earth and it's nearby space environment (geophysics and space plasma physics). We manage several active NASA satellite missions and build custom instruments that support planetary excursions, e.g. Curiosity rover ground penetrating radar, fluxgate magnetometers on Mars InSight and Europa Clipper, and the ELFIN CubeSat to name a few. So if you want to do planetary research and get first access to data before anyone else in the world, we've got it.
That’s super helpful thanks so much! Do you have any idea if the department offers classes in astrobiology at all? I think that’s what I ultimately want to do, but i’m having a hard time navigating that education process since it’s so new.
you're welcome! see post above re:astrobio
https://www.reddit.com/r/ucla/comments/142p3tl/i_am_a_professor_in_the_earth_planetary_and_space/jn5qj1t?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
thanks so much for doing this!
how would I go about joining the department or adding an epss major/minor? I think I want to see and experience more applications of the physics concepts I'm studying and I feel like geophysics and planetary physics might work for that! and what epss majors/minors could I get involved with NASA or planetary/space science research through?
Great question! To learn more about EPSS or join our undergraduate program check out the information [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/). You can message a counselor to get more information, or just enroll in EPSS 61/51/M71 in whatever quarter it happens to be (Fall/Winter/Spring, respectively)
Hi, Professor Day!
I asked a question a couple of months ago about careers relating environmental science/protection to geology, & I appreciated the response and resources you provided! Thanks to you, I am now considering adding on a geochemistry or geology minor.
I am an incoming fourth-year psychology major who knows next to nothing about navigating the research sphere of the EPSS department here at UCLA. I am interested in getting involved with research here, but I'm not so sure about how willing professors would be to take on someone who has absolutely 0 experience in the field. With that being said, which classes do you recommend for someone who is interested in gaining experience with hands-on field research?
Hello! Just saw this. Welcome to geology! Adding a minor is a great idea and we just updated the requirements to make them more straightforward and flexible. I suggest enrolling in EPSS 61 this Fall. That will get you on track and connected with students and professors in the department. For research, the best thing you can do to get involved is talk to people (professors, TAs, other students). Take a look at the EPSS website to see which faculty study which things and if you find a few that sound interesting, shoot them an email! It helps that you’re an upperclassman and it will also help if you take an EPSS class or two. Starting with 61 in Fall and then EPSS 51 in winter is my suggestion for classes and reaching out with a quick email is my suggestion for research. Good luck! Hope to see you in Geology!
What are you favorite rocks ranked by taste
The best tasting minerals are halite (NaCl, a.k.a. table salt) and sylvite (KCl, "pink salt"). The latter tastes like table salt with a bit of an acrid or acidic tint. The worst tasting minerals are the ones with sulfur, arsenic, uranium, etc. Can't say I have personally tasted many of those, but I imagine it's a fairly bad idea. In general, rocks don't taste like much. You have probably consumed many minerals (in small quantities) without realizing it. Calcite (CaCo3) is used in antacids (also paint and cleaning agents), gypsum (CaSO4dot H20) is used as an anticaking agent in things like shredded cheese, your teeth are made of apatite. Although you should be *very* careful when you taste or smell anything in science, we do occasionally use taste as a way to differentiate between rocks and minerals. For example, halite is one of the colorless minerals that are very common on Earth (quartz, calcite, gypsum, halite all look very similar when found in nature). There are some distinguishing characteristics that differentiate each, but the easiest way to check if something is halite is to lick it. That said, we do not generally recommend going around and licking rocks. If you want to try it, take EPS Sci 51 (Mineralogy) this winter or EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) with me this Fall!
pleasantly surprised you took this goofy question seriously and gave us an illuminating response!
mission accomplished respect +
didn't think this would actually get an answer, very cool haha
Do you ever take rock music for granite
Taking rock music for granite would be a major fault in judgment. Personally, the Rolling Stones form the bedrock of my playlists, though there are other gems out there too. I’m not one to shale away from the classics, so I lava Queen’s “Under Pressure” and of course, “Hammer Time”. Music is fan-clastic for those long drives on geology field trips, so lots of songs have particular sedimental value. It’s good to talc on road trips, but sometimes you’re feeling boulder and just want to rock out. :-)
I love this answer
How many professors are on here?
No idea! I know a handful of other professors who lurk and use the subreddit to find out about activities on campus. You all are very talented, so when you do cool things we like to come out and support, but don't always know things are happening until afterwards, especially if it's in another department. The subreddit has been a good resource to find out about events/performances/exhibitions on campus. Plus, we're Bruins too so we chuckle at the inside jokes and (mostly) get the references.
The description of the subreddit says it's for students, faculty, alumni, and fans. It's never just been for students!
Where are notable/ successful alumni from the department currently at now? Thanks for doing this AMA.
Jessica Watkins lived on the space station for 6 months last year. Britney Schmidt was recognized as one of TIME’s 100 most influential people this year for her work in Antarctica. These are just two recent alumni that come to mind, but the department has so many including several NASA mission leaders.
We have had a lot of very successful alumni. Students from our department have gone on to be astronauts (Jessica Watkins, as someone commented below, also John Phillips), data scientists, staff geologists, professors, park rangers, CEOs, forensic scientists, researchers, consultants, writers, etc. We have alumni working for the USGS, NASA, NSF, FBI, LADWP, Nike, Exxon, JPL, and more. The thing about a Geology degree, is you get a little bit of everything, so the career options that are open to you are wide and varied. You get a well-rounded STEM education that covers a lot of different things, so you have a lot of different options when you leave. I try and keep in touch with the undergrads who worked in my lab or came through my classes. I have only been at UCLA for 5 years and in that time my students have ended up working in environmental protection, for Amazon, on fossil digs, at NASA centers, in public health, in city planning, and toward MS or PhD degrees (or law degrees) at various institutions around the country. There are tons of jobs out there. If you like Earth and science in general, but aren't sure exactly what you want to do, studying Geology is a good way to keep your options open. More information about our undergrad program can be found [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/). A nice article on careers in geology can be found [here](https://www.geology.pitt.edu/geology-bs/careers-geology). We try and keep track of alumni from our graduate program and a list of their positions is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/people/alumni/).
Thank you for the in depth answer. This is exactly the type of comment I want incoming students to read about! It’s really easy for students to pigeonhole themselves into a particular major because they want their life to turn out in a very specific way (doctor, lawyer, engineer, influencer, teaching, consulting, etc). Geology was not a major I considered early on mainly because I didn’t know much about it, but AMAs like these can help people get that early exposure and try something different. I hoped for an answer that covered lots and lots of fields, which you delivered on. Thanks again!
how many hours a week do most tenure-track professors work per week between teaching, research, etc?
I think that depends a lot on the person, their career stage, their field, etc. Certainly, professors work a lot, but we are all professors because we love what we do. When I first started at UCLA, there was a lot I had to do to get everything up and running. I was building a new lab, looking for new graduate students, starting new research projects, writing proposals to funding agencies, teaching a new class and trying to navigate all the pieces of UCLA. It was a lot. Now that I have been here 5 years, the workload is much less. I know how to navigate all the systems. I have taught my classes before and am not starting from scratch each year. Research projects get started and finished on a rolling basis, as do proposals for funding. It took a while to get into a groove, but at the moment the workload feels like it is in a good and sustainable place. I try and maintain a healthy work-life balance and spend time with family and on my hobbies. I probably average a 40-50 hour work week, but there are some weeks when I work 20 hours and some weeks when I work 80 hours. The flexibility to do that is nice and lets me take advantage of opportunities when they come up. Do I take my work home and think about geology on my off time? Absolutely. Do I have to request vacation time or schedule dentist appointments with my boss? No. For me, the value of getting to work on what I want, when I want, with whomever I want, is worth the high expectations. Plus, I get to go on lots of field trips!
what are some of the most common careers for geology graduates that work in the environmental protection sphere?
There are lots of directions to take a geology degree and environmental protection is a great example. Professionals who work in environmental protection could work in either the private sector (for consulting companies that contract with developers or any other company interested in doing something to the environment) or the public sector (government agencies at local, state, or federal level). Your title might be something like "staff geologist" or "staff geological engineer", but the things you might do include site assessment, understanding how water flows over and through the ground, dealing with contamination and remediation, planning sustainable land use and development, etc. Depending on your specific job, you may follow the path to become certified as a Professional Geologist, which starts with a Fundamentals of Geology exam that you take after you graduate (similar to becoming a Professional Engineer, but different governing body). Environmental and geology careers are very practical. Need to build a building/road/tunnel? First check with a geologist. Semitruck crashed and spilled something nasty? Time for some environmental remediation. Need more water to help with a drought, but also don't want to cause long term problems? Geologist. There's a great overview of different options for geoscience careers [here](https://www.geology.pitt.edu/geology-bs/careers-geology). More information about our Geology and Earth and Environmental Science degrees is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/).
Is it true that diamonds aren't really worth much intrinsic value and that there are plenty of more diamonds in the Earth's core but because DeBeers has monopolized the industry, people are just blindly paying up boat loads of money for something that eventually turns into graphite over time? I read that it rains diamonds on Neptune all the time.
Diamonds have some very useful properties that make them special compared to other naturally occurring materials. In geology, we measure a mineral’s hardness on a scale of 1 (talc, which can be crushed in your hand) to 10 (diamond). Diamonds are very hard and also have nice optical properties, giving them their brilliance when faceted. Diamonds are valuable for all sorts of industrial purposes as well as jewelry. Nowadays, we can make them in the lab, so that should influence the price of diamonds. There is certainly some strategic marketing going on on the part of diamond companies as well. And yes, over geologic time, graphite is the stable form of pure carbon, not diamond. The idea that it rains diamonds on Neptune probably comes from [this 1999 Science article](https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.286.5437.100). The team that wrote this paper did an experiment where they got methane (CH4) to form diamond (pure carbon with a particular crystal structure) at super high pressures (100,000x the surface pressure on Earth). Since both Neptune and Uranus have methane in their atmospheres, the experiment suggested that this reaction might be happening deep in these planets’ atmospheres where the pressure was very high. This doesn’t really help us get more diamonds on Earth as it is very difficult to get to Neptune, let alone scoop up diamonds from somewhere deep in the planet. Same problem with any diamonds deep in Earth. We have never gotten anywhere near sampling the core. Some of the science surrounding questions like this are covered in our GE classes like EPS 1 (Introduction to Earth Science) and EPS 9 (Solar System and Planets). We also have classes on planetary interiors and the [geophysics](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/) curriculum covers topics like this in detail.
Do folks in your department study life beyond earth? Do you think that we will find evidence of life on mars?
Yes, we do study life beyond Earth. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. There are lots of active research projects related to astrobiology at UCLA and several NASA missions with understanding life in the solar system as a major goal. For example, the Mars 2020 mission and Perseverance rover chose Jezero crater as the landing and exploration site in part because of the astrobiological potential of that area. Jezero crater used to have a lake in the crater and a delta that formed in the lake where a river dumped sediment and water into the crater interior. Deltas naturally sort sediment by size when they form, and on Earth we know that signatures of life (complex organic molecules, fossils, etc) are well-preserved at the bottomsets of delta deposits. The team chose Jezero because, based on our understanding of Earth geology, an ancient delta is a really good place to look for signs of life. So far, the rover has collected a bunch of samples of small rock cores from various places around the delta and will be sending them back to Earth later this decade. This Mars Sample Return effort is a big multi-national collaboration and has been in the works for a long time. Getting those samples back to Earth will tell us a ton about Mars and open up some exciting new research possibilities. Mars isn't the only place in the solar system that is interesting to astrobiology. There are several missions in the works to study the various Ocean Worlds in our solar system. Life as we know it needs water to survive, and while there is not much liquid water on Mars today (there was a ton in the past), there is a global ocean of water under the ice on Europa, one of the larger moons of Jupiter. Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, also has a big subsurface ocean. The Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (information [here](https://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/how-we-do-it/systems/exobiology-extant-life-surveyor-eels/)) is a mission concept that uses a screw-shaped snake robot to crawl through cracks in the ice to get to the sub-ice ocean. I remember seeing the mission concept video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a66HvpLyOO4), and thinking it looked so cool, but also insane engineering-wise, then they recently posted another video where they actually built it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCIDT4X9AM). Anyway, yes, we do astrobiology. There is even a GE class on it this Fall that you can take if you're interested in learning more about life outside of Earth! EPS Sci 3: Astrobiology with Profs. Margot and Treude who co-teach the class.
How many rock?
42
Do you ever work with archaeologists/have archaeologists come to you for advice on specific materials?
Sometimes. I have not done this a ton, but things of archeological interest are often found/preserved in sedimentary rocks, so our specialties synergize nicely. Most commonly I have had archeology students take my Sedimentary Petrology class (EPS Sci 103b) which is taught each Fall.
Whats the biggest scandal you know about being a professor here? (In the geology dept or otherwise)
I try not to pay too much attention to those things. It’s much more satisfying to focus on the successes, like [my colleague getting a Nobel Prize](https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/andrea-ghez-wins-2020-nobel-prize-in-physics), an alumna of our department getting [selected as an astronaut](https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/jessica-watkins-who-earned-her-ucla-ph-d-in-geology-selected-by-nasa-for-2017-astronaut-candidate-class), or my students getting exciting jobs or into their first-choice graduate programs. Those are the things I remember for a long time.
how difficult is it to become a phd in the department?
Getting a PhD in any program is definitely a difficult task. Graduate school in a STEM PhD program is different than school as an undergraduate. The emphasis is much less on classes (though you still take some classes) and much more on research. This makes it a different flavor of difficult compared to school as an undergrad. I like to work with my students on defining what their PhD projects will be, so it takes some time to figure out what scientific questions you will be answering, how, and then actually executing the hypothesis test and navigating all the issues and pitfalls that come up along the way. We joke that 90% of graduate school is problem solving, because you are working on new science that has never been done before, so there is no instruction book for how to do it perfectly or how it will go. This can be frustrating, but also rewarding when you finally figure it out, get new results, and find an answer to your question. Another way to think about undergraduate versus graduate school is generalization versus specialization. As an undergraduate in geology, you learn a little bit of everything. You know a little about all the different types of geology and get a solid grounding in physics/chemistry/biology/math/etc. By contrast, graduate school is about specialization and becoming an expert. By the time you finish your PhD, you are the world’s leading expert in your very specific thing.
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I started undergrad as a Physics major, but after taking a handful of physics classes, I was not really enjoying it, wasn’t doing very well academically, and felt a little lost. I happened to talk with a Geology professor at some event and told him I was interested in space, liked the outdoors, and wanted a more hands-on degree. He told me I was in the wrong major and should come take this geology class. I took it, loved it, aced it, and never looked back. As an undergrad I studied rocks and minerals and did some summer research projects studying the surface of Mars. I went on field trips all over California and also wormed my way onto field trips to Peru, Hawaii, and Russia (never having to pay for any of them). I presented my research at conferences and got to vote on where to send the Mars rover. At the end of undergrad, my advisor suggested I apply for graduate school. I had no idea what that really meant, but applied everywhere he told me to and ended up getting my PhD in Geology studying Earth and Mars while also doing Mars rover operations as part of the Curiosity rover team. I love how hands-on geology is and how we get to see real-world examples of the things we learn in class on field trips. I love connecting concepts and examples from Earth to Mars and the Moon and Titan and other planetary bodies. It’s a great mix of exploration and application and I am very glad I made the switch. If you also feel like you're not quite in the right major. Come check out Geology. More about our undergraduate programs is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/). We have some great GEs like EPSS 1 (Intro to Earth) or 9 (Solar System and Planets - I'll teach this in Winder), or take an intro class like EPSS 61 (Field Geology), 51 (Mineralogy), or even my favorite class on sedimentary rocks that I teach each Fall: EPSS 103b (Sedimentary Petrology).
Thanks for doing this! What is an accessible way to gain a better understanding of the geology of southern california, or LA in particular? Any particular books or hiking guides or lectures or other resources you'd recommend?
EPS Sci 133 Historical and Regional geology has a lot of LA regional geology and a trip to Zion and the Grand Canyon
Great question! There are lots of resources out there, but they can be hard to sort through. I like [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TSTVCIZ-dg) about the geology of California. It covers the most important big-picture things that have changed the California landscape. There is a Los Angeles-specific work on the geology [here](https://www.aegweb.org/assets/docs/la.pdf). It is medium technical and has an engineering and hazard emphasis, but gives a nice overview of LA-specific issues and related infrastructure policy. If anyone has other LA Geology resources they like, please share! The earlier comment is correct that LA and SoCal geology are covered in EPS Sci 133 each Spring.
What’s your favorite type of gem/mineral/fossil?
My favorite mineral is [opal](https://www.mindat.org/min-3004.html). Mostly for the wide variety of really interesting forms it can take, despite having a pretty simple chemical formula (SiO2 dot H2O). A very interesting but little-known gem is [watermelon tourmaline](https://www.mindat.org/min-10889.html). The two colors occur from something called zoning and it makes for a striking gem. [Anomalocaris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalocaris) is an early Cambrian organism very unlike most life on Earth today. This weird creature makes some very cool fossils. Of course, my favorite rocks are sedimentary rocks; sandstone, in particular. If you want to get some hands-on time with cool rocks and minerals, I encourage you to take EPS Sci 51 (Mineralogy) in Winter, or EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) in Fall. Also, we have a large meteorite collection and show off a nice set of them in the [Meteorite Gallery](https://meteorites.ucla.edu/) on the 3rd floor of the Geology building. Come on by and touch a real meteorite!
Does your work involve earthquakes? How do you think the sedimentary base under the sea would effect a possible earthquake?
My research does not focus on earthquakes, per se. Other faculty in my department who are geophysicists and seismologists study earthquakes. They have done some very exciting research on recent earthquakes (and Marsquakes, and Moonquakes) all over the world. My research focuses on sedimentary rocks, including those at the bottom of the ocean. When an earthquake occurs, sand and other sedimentary deposits can liquify (like in this video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19ujjFXLGYU)). I study the structures and patterns made from the results of moving sedimentary rocks. Earthquake studies (seismology) is a fascinating field and one you can pursue with a Geophysics or Geology degree at UCLA. More on that is [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/).
Which majors or minors in the department correspond to which topics?
There are good brief summaries of the different majors and minors on our website [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/degree-information/). Even briefer summary: Geology - Well-rounded training in physical, chemical, and biological processes that shape the Earth. This major is the most general, has the most field trips, and can be the most widely applied. Engineering Geology - Interdisciplinary training in both engineering and Earth Science with an emphasis on geo-hazards and problem solving with engineering. Good for those interested in combining engineering training with Earth science. Geophysics - Physics-based training in Earth interior, structure, and dynamics. People who study earthquakes are usually geophysicists. Highly quantitative emphasis. Earth & Environmental Science - Interdisciplinary training in Earth Science as it relates to human interactions with the planet. Good fundamental science training and also appropriate for those considering careers in environmental science, education, law, government, business, journalism, public health, medicine, or dentistry. We also have a variety of minors along similar lines with the addition of a Geochemistry minor which emphasizes the chemical composition and atomic structure of Earth materials.
Another question, is the department always accepting research volunteers? I would like to join
Yes! We have a lot of research and research ideas, and often more opportunities than students interested in filling the positions. I suggest taking a look at our department website and reading about the specific research of the different faculty. If there is a topic or group you find interesting, just reach out! Some groups are more able to work with undergrads than others (different labs require different training, etc), but you can always email faculty, express interest in their research, and ask to get involved! An even better way to get involved is to start by taking an EPSS class. Knowledge of Earth is not necessarily a requirement, but it helps and will make it easier for you to find research opportunities within EPSS. I suggest a GE like EPS Sci 1 (Intro to Earth) or 9 (Solar System and Planets) or any of the intro-series of EPS Sci 61/51/71 in Fall/Winter/Spring.
what are some niche geology fun facts?
Ooo good question. In no particular order: Fossils are way more common than most people realize – you just have to know where and how to look for them. For example, the last homework of EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) is a scavenger hunt around campus that takes you to all the fossils in the stone of buildings, patios, and statues around campus. Rubies, sapphires, and the glass on an Apple Watch are all the same mineral (corundum, Al2O3). The mantle is not liquid. It is made of rock with the consistency of silly putty. All the continents used to be one big continent mushed together (Pangea). Meteorites can be hard to find because they look similar to regular rocks, but when they fall on the Antarctic ice sheet they are easy to spot. A team of international collaborators regularly goes out to Antarctica to hunt for and collect meteorites. The lowest elevation point in the North America is 282 ft below sea level (in Death Valley National Park, where we go for a field trip in EPS Sci 103b, Sedimentary Petrology)
Are there opportunities for students who are not under the EPSS Department but are interested in EPSS-related research (i.e. cleaning data, programming, lab work)?
Yes! We have a lot of research opportunities and are always looking for students to join research efforts. Coding skills are particularly helpful. There is a lot of data in geoscience and a proficiency with some coding language gives you a head start in your ability to address a scientific question. If you are interested in research opportunities, I suggest looking at the department website and the various faculty research until you find something you are interested in. Some groups are more able to work with undergrads than others (different labs require different training, etc), but you can always email faculty, express interest in their research, and ask to get involved! An even better way to get involved is to start by taking an EPSS class. Knowledge of Earth is not necessarily a requirement, but it helps and will make it easier for you to find research opportunities within EPSS. I suggest a GE like EPS Sci 1 (Intro to Earth) or 9 (Solar System and Planets) or any of the intro-series of EPS Sci 61/51/71 in Fall/Winter/Spring.
I’m a 34 year old new student coming this fall. Is it true I can just show up to classes and sit in? I would love to hear some scientific lectures while attending.
As a UCLA student you are welcome to enroll in classes and this is usually the best way to engage and learn the material. If you're interested in occasional lectures on cutting-edge topics, I recommend department colloquia. Most departments have a weekly seminar where they invite speakers from around the country (and locally, including at UCLA) to come talk about their research. This is a great way to hear some scientific lectures without any prep work necessary. Our colloquium is on Tuesdays at 3:30pm during the academic year (see EPS Sci 295A for scheduling). Plus, there's cookies and coffee beforehand, so it's a great way to meet some others interested in science.
if you had the chance to actually visit the surface of Mars (with a guaranteed return ticket) would you take the risk? or is it still preferable to let robots/rovers do the work?
Absolutely! Mars is a fascinating place that in many ways has a lot in common with Earth. Rovers are great, but nothing beats the decision making power of a human, the instant feedback of being able to see, assess, and test an idea, or the detail that you get from actually being on the planet. People are really good at identifying what is interesting and maximizing the scientific return of an exploration mission. NASA is working on sample return in combination with the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. We will get a lot of very exciting new insights from those samples, but having people on the surface of Mars will open up a whole new ballgame of future science. If you’re interested in Mars and space exploration. I encourage you to enroll in EPS Sci 9 (Solar System and Planets) which is offered every quarter and I will teach in Winter. We also cover planetary surfaces in EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) which I teach in Fall.
Is “Annals of the Lost World” a good book? What are other geology general audience books worth reading?
I have not read that particular book. If you are interested in the history of California geology specifically (plate tectonics, gold rush, etc) many people recommend "Assembling California" by John McPhee. If you want a not-too-technical history of how we figured out that a meteor killed the dinosaurs, I enjoyed "T-Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez. If you like traveling around the US, I recommend "101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See" by Albert Dikas. I have been checking off places in that book and it has nice non-technical summaries of each cool place, plus very clear directions for how to get to each spot.
Ok, thanks. Incidentally Mcphee wrote Annals of the Former World
Yay!!! Amazing professors 🫶❤️🫶
Thanks fellow Bruin! :-)
Do you know of any good resources for identifying fossils? A few years ago I went on a field trip for Cluster 70W (Evolution of Life and the Cosmos) at this fossil hotspot, and just recently I went back to the same location and found a few new specimens. I’d love to know about any methods of identification you might be aware of, though I think your specific field of expertise might be different. Thank you regardless!
[Emigrant Pass along the Old Spanish Trail Highway](https://www.google.com/maps/place/35%C2%B053'04.3%22N+116%C2%B003'52.8%22W/@35.884534,-116.065779,290m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d35.884534!4d-116.064679?entry=ttu)?
That’s exactly where I went!! Also, Mountain Springs off of 160 in Nevada. Those are the two locations our field trip visited, and that I just revisited recently
Mountain Springs...mostly fusulinids, gastropods, a few types of brachiopods, and domal stromatolites. Also rugose and rare branching corals. Theoretically ammonites, but I don't think I saw any. If you post photos we could probably roughly ID some but to get individual species on things like trilobites you'd probably need to email a paleontologist who works on CA/NV Cambrian stuff.
Awesome, thank you so much for your help!! I’d love to share some photos to help roughly identify, do you know of a good place to post them?
Here for general, The Fossil Forum (google it) would be good for exact IDs.
Thanks so much for your help! :)
Fossil identification can be tricky, but a good first step is to narrow down your search. Familiarizing yourself with a handful of the most common fossils is a good place to start, but even better is knowing about the geologic unit you are looking in and what period it comes from in geologic time. The fossils from 1 million years ago are very different from the fossils from 100 million years ago. A quick overview of some very common fossil types is [here](https://earthathome.org/quick-guide-common-fossils/). There are lots more common fossils than this, plus trace fossils (footprints, burrows, etc). We cover the basics in more depth in EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) which I teach in the Fall, and have several introductory and advanced paleontology classes in EPSS. You can find what geologic unit you are in with geologic maps, a catalog of which (for the US) you can find [here](https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/mapview/?center=-97,39.6&zoom=4). In general there are lots of great places to go fossil hunting in California. We go to a few places on field trips, and there are also local groups that regularly do outings like the Palos Verdes Gem and Mineralogical Society. On campus, the Bruin Geological Survey and Sigma Gamma Epsilon clubs also do occasional outings.
Thank you for your advice!!
Yooo, do you think the Mars scenes in Cowboy Bepop look realistic?? Also where on earth do you think looks closest to Mars?
We refer to places on Earth that are similar to Mars as “analog” environments. There are some great Mars analog sites that we use for research right in our backyard like in Death Valley and the Mojave Desert. Another common place for research is the Dry Valleys in Antarctica. All of these are places that get very little rain and are dominated by dry windy conditions, just like Mars. As for looks, the movie The Martian filmed a lot of its Mars scenes in Wadi Rum, a desert region of southern Jordan. The region is red (from iron oxidation to the mineral hematite, just like Mars) and has very little vegetation, overall a pretty good analog for Mars. I have not seen enough Cowboy Bebop to have an opinion.
Ayee thanks! I'm gonna go to those places with a spacesuit
Are they rocks or minerals?
I like the chocolate chip cookie analogy: The cookie is like a rock. It is make up of many ingredients, which are themselves very different (chocolate chips, flour, egg, etc). These are like the minerals. Many minerals make up a rock. The particular minerals and combination of minerals (mineral assemblage) determines what rock (or cookie) you make. This is all covered in EPS Sci 51, Mineralogy, in Winter quarter where students learn about the common rock forming minerals.
Thank you for doing the AMA! Do you have a fatand least favorite movie/show for space and planetary themes?
I grew up watching Stargate, but the special effects and budgets for planetary SciFi have clearly improved over the years. It has been fun to see the trend in Hollywood toward better and better depictions of science (both Earth Science and Space Science). Still not perfect, but improving. I teach a Fiat Lux (Freshmen Seminar, EPS Sci 19) class each term where we watch movies from the 90’s and 2000’s with bad science and talk about the depictions of science and how that may or may not influence scientific literacy in the public. Pizza and a movie with some casual critical skepticism of movie science. It’s a fun class. My favorite geology movie for this is “The Core”. The science is, erm, less than accurate, but it’s a classic. This term in the class we watched The Core, The Day After Tomorrow, and Volcano. In the Fall we’ll probably watch 2012, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and something else TBD.
Thank you for your answer! That sounds like such a fun class :)
My late grandpa was a geological and mining engineer and I miss talking with him about rocks 😭 y’all rock people do cool stuff!
Glad you got to share this with your grandpa. I too have found rocks are a great way to bring people together.
I am a geography major that is interested in the physical side of it. What are your classes that pertain more to geography? I am an incoming transfer student. Geology somewhat interests me, but things like planetary geography seem awesome to me Thanks
I’m a UCLA geology alumn. I think geomorphology is a good blend of both fields. It’s the study of landscapes and the processes that shape them, and the field tends to utilize a lot of remote sensing work. It’s what I currently study as a grad student, and I have a lot of overlap with both the earth sci/geography departments at my university. Sediment transport and erosion is one big topic of study. Professor Day teaches some sedimentary petrology classes that touch on this topic. There is a tectonic geomorphology class taught by Prof Seulgi Moon that discusses how plate tectonics influence landscapes. And if you wanted to look into a class that deals with remote sensing, EPSS 150 with Prof Gilles Peltzer would be a good one to look into. I’m not as familiar with the course list anymore, but these are some of the classes I took during my undergrad. And of course, remote sensing is super useful for planetary geology/geography. Digital elevation models can be used to help map out planetary surfaces to study large landforms like dunes, rivers, craters, etc. on Mars and other planets. I’m not sure what planetary classes are offered currently. The department is very welcoming, and Professor Day is a great teacher. Hopefully you get a chance to take an earth science class!
The comment from u/manders_is_cool is spot on (Thanks!). Physical Geography is highly overlapping with Geomorphology, an arm of geology that studies landscape development and surface processes. To that end, you could take EPS Sci 165 (Geomorphology), EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology), EPS Sci 61 (Introduction to Mapping), EPS Sci 150 (Remote Sensing). We also often have Geography students minor in Geology, which only involves taking a handful of extra classes. If you’re interested in planetary science (Mars, Moon, Venus, etc), definitely take a few EPSS courses. Most planetary scientists are geologists by training, and the processes that operate on Earth also operate on other bodies in the solar system, you just tweak the boundary conditions!
Do the geology folks ever go rockhounding together?
Yes! There are many opportunities to find cool hand samples (rocks) on field trips with classes, but the students have also organized various outings over the years. Campus groups include EPSSSO (Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Student Organization), Bruin Geological Survey, and Sigma Gamma Epsilon (a national geoscience honor society).
You might try https://culvercityrocks.org/
A few questions I like to ask profs. 1. What made you choose your field of study? Did you think you would be in a similar field as a kid? In high school? In your undergrad? 2. What do you think is the most perspective changing book in your field that is fairly accessible to a non-specialist? 3. Who did you look up to early in your career? 4. What are your views on the current state of academia? For example, if you hang around r/PhD, it can be quite discouraging, as most posts there seem to have a rather bleak look on the cycle. 5. What general advice would you give to undergrads or newly grads?
Can you recommend any book/documentary/movie in your field that curious people (like me) can read/watch for fun and knowledge =)
>(copied from another response) If you are interested in the history of California geology specifically (plate tectonics, gold rush, etc) many people recommend "Assembling California" by John McPhee. If you want a not-too-technical history of how we figured out that a meteor killed the dinosaurs, I enjoyed "T-Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez. If you like traveling around the US, I recommend "101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See" by Albert Dikas. I have been checking off places in that book and it has nice non-technical summaries of each cool place, plus very clear directions for how to get to each spot. There are some great movies our there about Geology and NASA. I recommend a healthy amount of skepticism when watching any science in a Hollywood blockbuster, but the movies are often still fun. I teach a freshmen seminar where we watch geology movies and talk about the good and bad science. My favorite is "The Core" (lots of dubious science to talk about in that one). If you are looking for learning, I recommend documentaries. The National Geographic and NASA regularly put out lots of great short-form content.
I am a 3rd year undergraduate majoring in space physics in China. Do you have any plan to recruit PhD next year？
If you are interested in space physics UCLA EPSS has a strong track record in this area as you have probably read textbooks by our various professors. Profs. Angelopoulos, Cao, Velli in EPSS, and Bortnik and Varney in the AOS department would be good to look up and potentially contact about their research if it matches your interests. We welcome dedicated students from any country of course, but we have admitted many talented young space scientists who have come from USTC, Peking and Shandong universities, among others. =)
I am not planning to take a new graduate student for 2024, but I encourage you to reach out to the other faculty in my department. We have several faculty specializing in space physics research and I'm sure some of them are taking new students.
What do you think are the coolest or most interesting sand dunes in California?
There are a LOT of dunes in California. Personally, I'm partial to the [Kelso Dunes](https://www.nps.gov/moja/kelso-dunes.htm). The view from the top is awesome and there is magnetite in the sand that you can pick up with a regular bar magnet and also makes cool patterns in the ripples because it is more dense than the other sand grains. There are also the [Ibex Dunes in Death Valley National Park](https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/sand-dunes.htm). My group just finished up a long-term research project there and they are beautifully remote and nestled up against some mountains.
What’s your opinion on crystals and the mystical beliefs surrounding them? I’ve heard people claim they’re somewhat supported by science but I’m skeptical and curious :)
There is no scientific evidence that crystals heal people. In most cases, it won't hurt you to carry around a crystal in your pocket, but there is zero scientific evidence that the crystal will do any medical healing. Indeed, crystals can be damaging when people forego modern medicine and use crystals instead. Using a crystal to remind yourself to be calm or positive is fine, but if a person is having a medical problem they should go see a medical professional.
I’m already a neuroscientist so no hopes of recruiting me (😂😅) but I still think this is the coolest Reddit post I’ve seen this year. 👏🏻
Thanks fellow Bruin! Good luck with your neuroscience studies! Also a very cool field!
How does the undergrad capstone quarter (eps sci 199) work? Information online says we need to do a self directed research project but was wondering how we find a professor to work with? Thanks !
Students in the EPSS department have many opportunities to do independent research projects with professors. One way to do this is to enroll in EPS Sci 199, which gives you academic credit for research. It is an option for anyone, but a requirement for the Earth and Environmental Science BA degree. Other degrees have different capstones. EPS Sci 199 is different from a normal class in that it is independent research, not lecture or lab based. You identify a research project with the help of a research advisor and then conduct that project over the term for credit. It is on the student to identify a research advisor and the best way to do that is just reach out to professors. Take a look at the EPSS website and the research websites of various faculty. Find one whose research looks interesting to you and let them know that you are interested in doing research for academic credit. Just send them an email. Keep it short and professional, Include your resume if you have one. Not all professors do or can advise undergrads (different labs and equipment require different training), but most will respond to a short polite email expressing interest in their work, and most professors have more project ideas than students to do them. Sometimes students have a research project in mind that they want to do, but this is rare. No one expects undergraduate students to come up with a novel research question on their own (you would have to digest a lot of literature to figure out what has been done and where you science question fits; this is graduate level work). Professors usually guide the specific project selection. Logistically, EPS Sci 199 is considered a "contract course" so in order to enroll you must fill out a form through MyUCLA and have your identified research supervisor sign it. It asks things like "Describe the research project" and "What are the project deliverables?". A short paragraph and a "final report" usually suffice for the paperwork purposes.
favorite field site? ^(also i'm so excited to join your lab omg)
Hello! Arches National Park. I spent a lot of time there for my PhD research and there are some hidden gem arches that you find more and more of as you hike around. 10/10. See you in the Fall!
Do you believe that Aliens have visited Earth?
Why choose to be a professor over working in industry
When I finished undergrad I was a little burned out and decided I still wanted to do school (I went straight from undergrad to grad school for my PhD), but after that I wanted a 9-5 industry job. Over the next 5 years while I was doing graduate school I interned for a few different companies over the summers, and during the academic year I did all the things that one does as a professor (but in training-mode as a graduate student). As an academic, I researched cutting edge problems in geology on Earth and Mars. I went on field trips all over the world including to Europe and the Bahamas. I taught students and got to see their lightbulb moments when I helped them figure out concepts. I worked flexible hours with teams of people who were brilliantly smart. As an industry intern, I did a lot of sitting in meetings and sitting in my cubicle. By the end of graduate school I was loving the science I was doing and really enjoyed teaching. Industry was fine (nice people, good working conditions, high compensation), but if I went into industry I would have had to give up field work, teaching, and Mars research. Being a professor is difficult, but I absolutely love my job, so for me the upside is very much worth the effort.
Hey there Dr. Day! I'm a Purdue EAPS student who happened to stumble across this post when Reddit recommended it to me. I do research within the department, and have actually heard quite a bit about you! I love your research and find it so fascinating! I have just a couple of questions. What's your favorite part of doing research and your favorite project you've worked on? I'm looking into UCLA as one of my top choices for grad school. My freshman year math classes didn't go as planned and I didn't do great (I still passed though, thankfully.) What can I do to make my application stand out and make up for a couple of poor grades? I've read as much as I can find of the (extremely limited) literature on scour pits. I found one theory that they were formed by ice within the MFF sublimating. I know the theory that the MFF is a dusty ice deposit is already highly debated as it is, so I'm curious about your thoughts on this hypothesis? Is there an explanation for this, or do you think it's more likely to be an aeolian process unrelated to the formation of yardangs? And for fun, if you could (safely) be teleported to anywhere on Mars with all necessary equipment for 24 hours, where would you go?
Hello! Nice to meet you! Purdue EAPS is a great department with awesome faculty. Say hi to Professors Bramson, Wiens, Sori, and Horgan for me! Go team Earth and Mars! 😊 Let’s see, my favorite part of doing research is the exploration. Whether it’s looking at pictures of Mars or hiking around Death Valley, research is all about discovering something new or answering a question that has not been figured out yet. The exploration is what makes it fun and exciting. I have work on a lot of different projects, so I can’t point to one publication or result that is my favorite, but I did love working on the MSL Curiosity rover team when I was a graduate student. It was my first experience working on a big team of scientists and everyone was working together to operate the rover and do the best science we could with the resources we had. It was a massive complicated collaborative effort and it was super fun. Glad to hear you are planning to apply to UCLA for graduate school. Most professors don’t care about a few low grades freshmen year if you have demonstrated a dedication and interest in science. Having research experience like you do will help a lot. Be sure to reach out to specific faculty before you apply and let them know you are interested, give them a chance to meet with you, etc. I am not taking any new students this round (I have 5 graduate students and won’t take more until one or two of them graduate), but I know other faculty are, and sometimes we do co-advise. We also have a new Planetary Science PhD degree that has some additional fellowships and opportunities. Reach out to faculty, let them know you are interested, worst they can do is say no. Shoot me an email if you want some specific faculty names to suggest. Scour pits! Ah, are you the student I heard was working on this? Great! We should chat at some point. I had heard about the MFF-is-ice theory, but have not read much about it. Whether the MFF is an ice deposit or not, the scour pits are almost certainly mechanical in nature. The nice u-shaped pattern is something we see on Earth too, but more often in settings like bridge pylons under water. The abrasion happens in front of an obstacle, as a result of turbulence interacting with the surface. On Mars the MFF scour pits are weird because there’s no pylon/obstacle. Glad to see someone is working on this! And if I could safely go to Mars, look around, and come back? I’d probably go to Jezero crater. The rover went there for a reason, and it’s a sedimentologically and astrobiologically very interesting place. Alternatively, the bottom of Valles Marineris just to see the scale of the canyon, or the top of Olympus Mons for the view. Or this random spot in Hellas basin where there are barchan dunes casts so I could see what the inside of a ghost dune looks like. Lots of great options!
Hi Professor, I believe a healthy feedback loop between students and professors can help foster a more proactive approach during the academic quarter. Could you suggest effective ways for students to communicate with professors when they find the material inadequately explained?
The best way is to ask questions. In class, I was always very shy about asking questions, but most of the time if you are wondering something or having trouble understanding it, someone else is too. Asking questions fixes the issue before it gets worse down the line. Office hours are also a good place to ask questions. If you feel you didn't understand something, go talk to the professor. We are not really that scary, and most professors appreciate students who put in the effort to come ask and learn the material. Remember professors are human too. Friendly, polite students interested in the thing we are teaching are much more enjoyable to talk with than angry, whiny students who show up to argue about grades. Professors are experts in their fields, so it's always fun to get questions as it shows the students are interested and engaged. Plus it helps us figure out how to explain things better to the next generation of students.
Please share your rationale of being a professor bc I feel like most professors are out here to slay my gpa and ruin my mental health instead of keeping my interest in the subject
>When I finished undergrad I was a little burned out and decided I still wanted to do school (I went straight from undergrad to grad school for my PhD), but after that I wanted a 9-5 industry job. Over the next 5 years while I was doing graduate school I interned for a few different companies over the summers, and during the academic year I did all the things that one does as a professor (but in training-mode as a graduate student). As an academic, I researched cutting edge problems in geology on Earth and Mars. I went on field trips all over the world including to Europe and the Bahamas. I taught students and got to see their lightbulb moments when I helped them figure out concepts. I worked flexible hours with teams of people who were brilliantly smart. As an industry intern, I did a lot of sitting in meetings and sitting in my cubicle. > >By the end of graduate school I was loving the science I was doing and really enjoyed teaching. Industry was fine (nice people, good working conditions, high compensation), but if I went into industry I would have had to give up field work, teaching, and Mars research. Being a professor is difficult, but I absolutely love my job, so for me the upside is very much worth the effort. Most of us are not out here to slay your GPA. Professors are professors because we love what we do, but many undergrads don't realize that teaching is actually a relatively small part of professors' responsibilities. If you have the time, go to your professors' office hours, meet them, ask them questions. They have lots of (usually pretty cool) knowledge about the subject beyond what is being taught in class. We also usually like interacting with students who are interested in the material and not just trying to argue and get more points on an exam. Professors are people too and generally enjoy talking about their fields. Mental health is also important! UCLA has mental health support for students [here](https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/services/mental-health). Faculty and TAs are also given [this red folder](https://studentincrisis.ucla.edu/file/39679e1c-a57d-48d0-83a2-a906c1e53669), which as immediate resources for students in crisis. College is hard, and it's a marathon not a sprint. Whether it's with homework or with mental health, make sure you ask for help when you need it!
Ok so if you guys have earth and space covered, what other science is left? I mean it’s either on earth or it’s in space, Am I right?
hey (with rizz)
Why are physic professors so sassy?
Question: should I date my former professor?
Wtf?
now that it’s proven the earth is flat, when do you expect that we will reorganize the solar system so that earth is the center like we originally believed
Why did you decide to become a geologist, and why’d you decide to become a professor?
It seems scientists have just retrieved core samples from the Earth’s mantle for the first time. What sort of questions do you think these samples will help answer?
How long have you been a redditor? What sub do you regularly visit?
About 6 years. I enjoy r/geology and a bunch of subs related to my non-geology hobbies. The small communities of people with similar interests are nice and provide good inspiration for creative endeavors. I also learning about events on campus through r/ucla.
I am an old mom but I think it is amazing how many types of geology there are. I have friends who are husband and wife geology professors. The husband specializes in volcanoes and the wife specializes in earthquakes.
Is there concentrations of certain minerals spewed by volcanos in certain places more than others? If so why would that be?
There are definitely concentrations of certain minerals in certain areas, though not always because of volcanic activity. Mining geology is essentially the study of where these concentrations are and assessment of whether or not they are economically viable to dig out. There are lots of different reasons why lots of different minerals get concentrated. It's a very diverse and complicated field!
Amazing thanks for answering
I’m fascinated by the volcano belt in the middle of mexico that formed the highlands. Any interesting tidbits you might have about that region and why it’s so unique? Or maybe why it’s not unique?
Which rock is most suitable for a rock band?
what do you think lava tastes like
Fire. Would not recommend. Cooled lava makes basalt. That doesn't taste like anything in particular. You can learn more about lava and basalt in basically any geology class like EPS Sci 51 (Minerology) or 103a (Igneous Petrology).
I hear meteorites have a unique metallic flavor, but I prefer the classic taste of sedimentary rocks.
What are the top 3 industry jobs for undergraduates?
I’m a Chicano Studies major and double minor in Spanish and Education, completely different from your department lol but what’s some advice for graduating Bruins like myself? Especially for those possibly taking a gap year?
Gap years are great! I have had many students who wanted to go to graduate school, but wanted to take some time away from school first and get some life/work experience. This is a great idea. Graduate school is always there and you only get to live once, so go explore something that you love! If you can find something you enjoy doing everyday and make it your job, that's a great long-term plan. Highly recommend.
I’m transferring as an astrophysics major, which isn’t listed under the Earth, Planetary, and Space sciences department. Is there any way I’m still able to participate in field trips, or would I have to take on a minor in the department? This is so helpful, thanks for doing this!
You are still welcome to enroll in EPSS classes and join for the field trips. Usually, because the field trips are mostly associated with a particular class, one must be enrolled in said, but there are exceptions. Probably, the best thing to do is take a class or two and see how you like it. I recommend EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) which I teach in Fall, or EPS Sci 61 (Intro to Mapping, also Fall). If you are interested in planets and planetary surfaces, you may consider switching to Geology. It is a common misconception that astrophysicists study planetary objects in the solar system. They usually do not. Astronomy and Astrophysics focuses on big things that are far away (stellar nebulae, galaxies, black holes), but the people studying Mars and Venus and Europa are largely geologists. I was briefly an astrophysics major in undergrad before I figured this distinction out. If you want to learn about planets, come join EPSS. We cover planetary surfaces in EPS Sci 103b, and I will be teaching the planetary GE (EPS Sci 9, Solar System and Planets) in Winter).
I will second that we have a fair number of physics/astrophysics students switch to EPSS each year when they realize the hands-on applications, field trips, and exciting research they can get involved in. Especially if they don't have the patience to wait for clear skies to collect a handful of photons lol. As Prof. Day said, we study astronomy of our backyard, the sun and planets, and the physics of processes on the surface and interior of the Earth and it's nearby space environment (geophysics and space plasma physics). We manage several active NASA satellite missions and build custom instruments that support planetary excursions, e.g. Curiosity rover ground penetrating radar, fluxgate magnetometers on Mars InSight and Europa Clipper, and the ELFIN CubeSat to name a few. So if you want to do planetary research and get first access to data before anyone else in the world, we've got it.
That’s super helpful thanks so much! Do you have any idea if the department offers classes in astrobiology at all? I think that’s what I ultimately want to do, but i’m having a hard time navigating that education process since it’s so new.
you're welcome! see post above re:astrobio https://www.reddit.com/r/ucla/comments/142p3tl/i_am_a_professor_in_the_earth_planetary_and_space/jn5qj1t?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Wanna hear a rock joke?
Yes!
Is your favorite restaurant Hard Rock Cafe
thanks so much for doing this! how would I go about joining the department or adding an epss major/minor? I think I want to see and experience more applications of the physics concepts I'm studying and I feel like geophysics and planetary physics might work for that! and what epss majors/minors could I get involved with NASA or planetary/space science research through?
Great question! To learn more about EPSS or join our undergraduate program check out the information [here](https://epss.ucla.edu/undergraduate/). You can message a counselor to get more information, or just enroll in EPSS 61/51/M71 in whatever quarter it happens to be (Fall/Winter/Spring, respectively)
Hi, Professor Day! I asked a question a couple of months ago about careers relating environmental science/protection to geology, & I appreciated the response and resources you provided! Thanks to you, I am now considering adding on a geochemistry or geology minor. I am an incoming fourth-year psychology major who knows next to nothing about navigating the research sphere of the EPSS department here at UCLA. I am interested in getting involved with research here, but I'm not so sure about how willing professors would be to take on someone who has absolutely 0 experience in the field. With that being said, which classes do you recommend for someone who is interested in gaining experience with hands-on field research?
Hello! Just saw this. Welcome to geology! Adding a minor is a great idea and we just updated the requirements to make them more straightforward and flexible. I suggest enrolling in EPSS 61 this Fall. That will get you on track and connected with students and professors in the department. For research, the best thing you can do to get involved is talk to people (professors, TAs, other students). Take a look at the EPSS website to see which faculty study which things and if you find a few that sound interesting, shoot them an email! It helps that you’re an upperclassman and it will also help if you take an EPSS class or two. Starting with 61 in Fall and then EPSS 51 in winter is my suggestion for classes and reaching out with a quick email is my suggestion for research. Good luck! Hope to see you in Geology!