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Research topics.

The Earth Science Division at NASA Ames performs a breadth of research that deepens humanity’s understanding of the planet and the processes within.

The Earth Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Ames Research Center is the organization assigned responsibility to meet the Agency’s Earth science goals. The Division accomplishes its task through programs in research and applied science that develop and test new tools and techniques for observing the Earth from space; applying these observations to better understand fundamental Earth processes at global and regional scales; and using these observations and their research conclusions to benefit society by enhancing decision making in a world of rapid and unanticipated change.

Nine topics comprise NASA’s Earth science research program: ocean science, terrestrial ecology, atmospheric composition and dynamics, climate science, water resources, Earth surface and interior, fire science, instrument development, and airborne science. In support of these research areas, the Earth Science Division develops, launches and operates research instruments on spaceborne and airborne platforms; maintains data systems and archives to generate data products from the observations that are available to the research community and the public; and develops and applies models combining NASA observations with other data for greater insight on fundamental Earth processes and better prediction of future change.

Research Topics:

Ocean Science

Terrestrial Ecology

Atmospheric Composition & Dynamics

Climate Science

Water Resources

Earth Surface and Interior

Fire Science

Instrument Development

Airborne Science

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What are Earth sciences?

What do the earth sciences entail, what are earth science topics.

Earth sciences

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• LiveScience - What is Earth Science?
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Earth sciences are the fields of study concerned with the solid Earth , its waters , and the air that envelops it. They include the geologic , hydrologic , and atmospheric sciences with the broad aim of understanding Earth’s present features and past evolution and using this knowledge to benefit humankind. Earth scientists observe, describe, and classify all features of Earth to generate hypotheses with which to explain their presence and their development.

Earth sciences study largely inaccessible objects: many rocks , water bodies, and oil reservoirs are at great depths in the Earth, while air masses circulate high above it. Also required is an understanding of time , as Earth scientists consider how Earth evolved, examining such matters as the physical and chemical conditions operating on Earth and on the Moon billions of years ago and the evolution of the oceans , the atmosphere , and life itself.

There are six groups of Earth science topics. One includes disciplines examining water and air at or above Earth’s surface, while another studies the makeup of the solid Earth. A third group considers landforms , and another examines Earth’s history . A fifth group considers Earth science’s beneficial practical applications—whether related to energy use and construction or guarding against natural hazards—whereas a sixth, made up of astrogeology and similar disciplines, studies celestial bodies’ rock record.

Earth sciences , the fields of study concerned with the solid Earth , its waters, and the air that envelops it. Included are the geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric sciences.

The broad aim of the Earth sciences is to understand the present features and past evolution of Earth and to use this knowledge, where appropriate, for the benefit of humankind. Thus, the basic concerns of the Earth scientist are to observe, describe, and classify all the features of Earth, whether characteristic or not, to generate hypotheses with which to explain their presence and their development, and to devise means of checking opposing ideas for their relative validity. In this way the most plausible, acceptable, and long-lasting ideas are developed.

The physical environment in which humans live includes not only the immediate surface of the solid Earth but also the ground beneath it and the water and air above it. Early humans were more involved with the practicalities of life than with theories, and, thus, their survival depended on their ability to obtain metals from the ground to produce, for example, alloys, such as bronze from copper and tin, for tools and armour, to find adequate water supplies for establishing dwelling sites, and to forecast the weather , which had a far greater bearing on human life in earlier times than it has today. Such situations represent the foundations of the three principal component disciplines of the modern Earth sciences.

The rapid development of science as a whole over the past century and a half has given rise to an immense number of specializations and subdisciplines, with the result that the modern Earth scientist, perhaps unfortunately, tends to know a great deal about a very small area of study but only a little about most other aspects of the entire field . It is therefore very important for the layperson and the researcher alike to be aware of the complex interlinking network of disciplines that make up the Earth sciences today, and that is the purpose of this article. Only when one is aware of the marvelous complexity of the Earth sciences and yet can understand the breakdown of the component disciplines is one in a position to select those parts of the subject that are of greatest personal interest.

It is worth emphasizing two important features that the three divisions of the Earth sciences have in common. First is the inaccessibility of many of the objects of study. Many rocks, as well as water and oil reservoirs, are at great depths in Earth, while air masses circulate at vast heights above it. Thus, the Earth scientist has to have a good three-dimensional perspective. Second, there is the fourth dimension: time. The Earth scientist is responsible for working out how Earth evolved over millions of years. For example, What were the physical and chemical conditions operating on Earth and the Moon 3.5 billion years ago? How did the oceans form, and how did their chemical composition change with time? How has the atmosphere developed? And finally, How did life on Earth begin? and From what did humankind evolve?

Today the Earth sciences are divided into many disciplines, which are themselves divisible into six groups:

• Those subjects that deal with the water and air at or above the solid surface of Earth. These include the study of the water on and within the ground (hydrology), the glaciers and ice caps (glaciology), the oceans (oceanography), the atmosphere and its phenomena (meteorology), and the world’s climates (climatology). In this article such fields of study are grouped under the hydrologic and atmospheric sciences and are treated separately from the geologic sciences, which focus on the solid Earth.
• Disciplines concerned with the physical-chemical makeup of the solid Earth, which include the study of minerals (mineralogy), the three main groups of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic petrology), the chemistry of rocks (geochemistry), the structures in rocks (structural geology), and the physical properties of rocks at Earth’s surface and in its interior (geophysics).
• The study of landforms (geomorphology), which is concerned with the description of the features of the present terrestrial surface and an analysis of the processes that gave rise to them.
• Disciplines concerned with the geologic history of Earth , including the study of fossils and the fossil record (paleontology), the development of sedimentary strata deposited typically over millions of years (stratigraphy), and the isotopic chemistry and age dating of rocks (geochronology).
• Applied Earth sciences dealing with current practical applications beneficial to society. These include the study of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas , and coal); oil reservoirs; mineral deposits; geothermal energy for electricity and heating; the structure and composition of bedrock for the location of bridges, nuclear reactors, roads, dams, and skyscrapers and other buildings; hazards involving rock and mud avalanches, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and the collapse of tunnels; and coastal, cliff , and soil erosion .
• The study of the rock record on the Moon and the planets and their satellites (astrogeology). This field includes the investigation of relevant terrestrial features—namely, tektites (glassy objects resulting from meteorite impacts) and astroblemes (meteorite craters).

With such intergradational boundaries between the divisions of the Earth sciences (which, on a broader scale, also intergrade with physics , chemistry, biology , mathematics , and certain branches of engineering), researchers today must be versatile in their approach to problems. Hence, an important aspect of training within the Earth sciences is an appreciation of their multidisciplinary nature.

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NASA studies our own planet more than any other. We operate 26 missions in orbit and sponsor hundreds of research programs and studies each year. We observe our planet’s oceans, land, ice, and atmosphere, and measure how a change in one drives change in others. We develop new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected systems and we build long-term data records of how our planet evolves. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world.

PACE will help us better understand our ocean and atmosphere by measuring key variables associated with cloud formation, particles and pollutants in the air, and microscopic, floating marine life (phytoplankton).…

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A mission to better understand earth’s polar regions.

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211 of the Most Interesting Earth Science Topics

Are you looking for the best and most interesting earth science topics? Sure you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this blog post. Well, we have some very good news for you. Our expert writers and editors created a list of 211 interesting and 100% original topics about all the major fields of earth science. But why would you choose our topics and not continue your search?

Choose Our List of Earth Science Research Topics

We want to make it clear right from the start that all of these earth science research topics are 100% original at the time of writing. We have created each and every one of them ourselves, so you won’t find them on other website. In addition, because our staff has extensive experience writing academic papers, we can assure you that these ideas are not only interesting, but relatively easy as well. This means you don’t have to spend a week or more doing the research and writing the paper. In most cases, you will find more than enough information about the topic with a simple Google search.

Another reason to choose our list of earth science topics is the fact that all these topics are provided for free. You are not required to give us any credits. You are absolutely free to reword our topics as well. Our company is here to help students get top grades on their academic papers, so don’t hesitate to recommend us to your friends and peers. For now, we realize you’re anxious to see the topics. Here are our top 211 ideas for your next earth science essay or research paper:

Earth and Space Science Topics

Would you like to write about something related to earth and space? No problem! Check out these wonderful earth and space science topics and choose the one you like the most right now:

• Discuss climate and seasons on Earth-like planets
• The effects of the Moon on our planet
• Discuss Earth’s magnetic field
• The effects of planetary bodies on Earth
• Negative effects of a meteor strike
• Discuss the minerals present on Mars
• Harvesting energy from the Sun effectively
• Research the Earth-Moon system
• The effects of our galaxy on planet Earth
• Peculiarities of our solar system
• What would Earth be without the Sun?

Earth Science Regents Topics

Are you looking for the most interesting earth science regents topics? Our experienced writers have created a list of exceptional topics that any student can use right away, with no changes:

• What is the role of the atmosphere?
• Discuss the evolution of life on Earth
• Talk about the geologic history if the Everest
• Discuss the Sun-Moon-Earth relationship
• Pressing climate change topics in 2023
• Talk about plate tectonics
• What role does astronomy have?
• Talk about the evolution of meteorology
• Celestial motion in our Solar system
• Dwindling supply from water sources on Earth
• Analyze 3 rocks and minerals in your area
• Analyze the change in landscape in your area

Geophysics Topics

If you are interested in the field of geophysics, our experts have some of the most interesting geophysics topics you could ever find right here. Check them out:

• Why is oceanography so important?
• Discuss the importance of fluid dynamics in geophysics
• Mineral physics and radioactivity
• Magnetism in Earth’s magnetosphere
• Discuss the apparition of water on planet Earth
• The use of geophysics in the search for petroleum
• The concept of heat flow in geophysics
• The role of electromagnetic waves on our planet
• What is the most important benefit of gravity?
• The link between geophysics and atmospheric sciences
• Compare and contrast geophysics with geology
• Research the hydrological cycle in the Atlantic Ocean
• Magnetism in the ionosphere
• Problems caused by our Moon on Earth
• The effects of the Sun on planet Earth

Earth Science Topics for High School

Of course, we have plenty of earth science topics for high school students as well. Take a look at the list below and pick the topic you like the most:

• Discuss the composition of Earth’s crust
• An in-depth look at mantle convection
• The difference between fusion and fission
• How can we determine the age of our planet?
• Research the Alfred Wegener theory
• Talk about how planets are formed
• What is the magnetic polar wandering effect?
• What causes a subduction zone?
• Mountains and the tectonic forces beneath them
• The importance of accurate weather prediction
• Talk about the environmental policies in the European Union
• The worst natural disasters in 2023
• Preserving the mangrove forests
• Talk about the effects of using nuclear fusion as an energy source

Complex Earth Science Research Topics

Do you want to give a more complex topic a try? This can be a good way to impress your professor. Take a look at these complex earth science research topics and choose one:

• The effect of melting glaciers on our oceans
• Various types of minerals found in the UK
• Will the human species run out of clean water?
• Discuss the process by which rocks are formed
• What causes rocks to weather?
• Talk about metamorphic rocks
• An in-depth look at plate tectonics in the United States
• What is a Plutonic body?
• Why is the Earth round?
• 3 of the most important metals on Earth
• How is oil produced?
• The subtle signs of a powerful earthquake
• Why is the gravitational force so important?
• How long before we deplete our natural resources?

Interesting Earth Science Topics

We have selected the most interesting earth science topics across all the relevant fields and have placed them in this list. Select one of these ideas and get a top grade on your next essay:

• The formation of fossil fuels on Earth
• Talk about the continental drift (causes and effects)
• Discuss the composition of planet Earth
• How is oil formed?
• The most important rocks on Earth
• How are diamonds formed?
• Talk about the dangers of seismic waves
• An in-depth look at the interior of our planet
• Discuss the process of glaciation
• What causes faulting on Earth’s surface?
• Talk about industrial practices that can cause earthquakes
• Is Mars an inhabitable planet?
• Talk about physical weathering

Geochemistry Topics

Are you interested in geochemistry? It is a field of earth science, so you can safely write an essay about it. In fact, we have some excellent geochemistry topics for you right here:

• Differences between geology and geodesy
• What is major element geochemistry?
• Breakthroughs in elemental geochemistry in 2023
• Why is geochemistry important for the mining industry?
• Essential characteristics of IOCG-type mineral deposits
• The best software for geochemistry analysis
• Conducting a geochemical analysis on tap water in the United States
• Talk about low temperature aqueous geochemistry

Earth Science Topics for College

Our experts have years of experience writing academic papers for college students, so you can safely pick any of these earth science topics for college:

• The importance of petroleum geophysics
• The composition of Earth’s atmosphere
• Talk about the four spheres of Earth
• Talk about mining geophysics
• What is the Lithosphere and what makes it so special?
• What causes El Nino?
• Physical forms created by lightning strikes
• The damage caused by coal mining on our planet
• Talk about the lithosphere deformation effect
• An in-depth look at the Clean Air Act
• Discuss the biodiversity in the Amazon Forest
• The dangers of tropical cyclones
• The process of identifying a mineral
• The importance of hyperspectral remote sensing

Soil Science Topics

It may not sound like a difficult thing to do, but writing a research paper about soil science can take days. Here are some soil science topics that both interesting and easier to write:

• Discuss the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in soil
• Effectively managing municipal waste
• Talk about the importance of soil
• Compare and contrast alpine and arctic soils
• What causes soil erosion?
• Talk about the importance of rotating crops in the US
• The major applications in soil sustainability
• The benefits of manure for the soil
• Talk about the nutrient availability in eroded soil
• Negative effects of fertilizer on the soil

8th Grade Earth Science Topics

We have plenty of topics to 8th graders, of course. Don’t worry, these 8th grade earth science topics are not difficult to write about (and you will surely get an A or A+ on them):

• Describe the Moon and talk about its features
• What causes the tidal force? (talk about high tides and low tides)
• How is gold created?
• Why are diamonds so hard?
• How is rain created?
• What makes hydrology so important?
• How can we measure the age of the Earth?
• Why do you want to become a geologist?
• What is a tectonic plate?
• How old is our Moon?
• Talk about climate change and its causes
• Discuss the biodiversity in the United Kingdom
• What is magma?
• What are the 3 major types of rock?
• How is quartz formed?

Hydrology Topics

Writing about something in hydrology can be fun, and it could also persuade your professor to give you some bonus points. Here are our best hydrology topics for students:

• Talk about the soil hydrology in your area
• The hydrologic cycle in North America
• Talk about the chemical nature of water
• Discuss the process of melting ice
• Best ways to conserve water in 2023
• An in-depth look at reclaimed water
• The worrying effects of ocean pollution
• Plastics pollution at its worst
• The effects of the lack of water on the land
• Methods of supplying water in ancient Rome
• The many dangers posed by large bodies of water

Awesome Astronomy Topics

Did you know that writing about astronomy can lead to a top grade? It’s not an easy field, we know. However, we have some pretty awesome astronomy topics right here:

• Discuss the life of Aristotle
• The ongoing search for exoplanets
• The life and works of Ptolemy
• Is there any way we can travel back in time?
• What happens during a Sun eclipse?
• Why are black holes named this way?
• An in-depth analysis of a supernova
• Breakthroughs in space exploration in 2023
• What is a star cluster and how does it form?

Earth and Life Science Topics

Yes, we have plenty of earth and life science topics for students of all ages. We realize professors really like this field, so you should seriously consider choosing one of these ideas:

• The apparition of life on planet Earth
• The importance of meteorology studies
• An in-depth look at the temperate deciduous forest biome
• Talk about breakthroughs in oceanography
• Analyze the biodiversity of the ocean floor
• Effects of deforestation on gorilla habitats
• Analyze the biodiversity of a coral reef
• The amazing nature of termite mounds
• What can we say about the biosphere?
• Research the tropical rainforest biome

Environmental Science Research Topics

If you are searching for the best environmental science research topics, you have arrived at the right place. Check out our ideas and select the one you think would work best for you:

• What is driving the current climate change?
• Talk about the most important effects of bioremediation
• What is noise pollution and how can it be stopped?
• Renewable energy production in 2023
• A solution to our overpopulation problem
• Talk about signs of severe ocean acidification
• What would complete ozone layer depletion mean for humans?
• Analyze the 10 best ways to reduce pollution
• Effects of oil spills on the biodiversity in our oceans

Physical Geography Topics

Our list of physical geography topics will impress even the most demanding of professors. Pick any of these ideas and start writing your research paper today:

• Major breakthroughs in climatology
• Studying the formation of glaciers over the past 100,000 years
• The latest advancements in the field of biogeography
• An in-depth analysis of the worst climate change in 100 years
• Breakthroughs that can change the face of oceanography
• Making effective use of farmland in Venezuela
• Research rural health in mainland China
• We are rapidly running out of water sources

Easy Earth Science Research Paper Topics

Yes, we know you don’t want to spend too much time writing the essay. This is why we have compiled a list of easy earth science research paper topics just for you:

• What is a meteorite and why does one pose a problem if it strikes our planet?
• Talk about the human ecological footprint
• What would happen if the Moon would drift away?
• The negative effects of acid rain in China
• Can our Sun die? (talk about the effects of this)
• Analyze the Canadian environmental policy in the Arctic region
• Analyze 3 invasive plants in your area
• The main causes of drought in sub-Saharan African countries

Controversial Earth Science Topics List

If you want to pick a controversial topic to write about, you will be thrilled to learn that we have a controversial earth science topics list right here:

• Is global warming really as dangerous as people would have us believe?
• Putting a stop on the spread of microplastics in our oceans
• Negative effects of factory farming
• Drought and its effects in 2023 (does it spread?)
• How did our planet form? (was it the Big Bang?)
• Potential dangers of Ocean floor volcano eruptions
• A closer look at the decline of marine biodiversity
• The melting of the Arctic ice sheet and the rise of ocean levels

Best Earth Science Essay Topics for 2023

Because our writers are so experienced at writing about earth science, they can predict which topics will get you top grades in the near future. Check out our list of the best earth science essay topics for 2023:

• The evidence that supports the Big Bang theory
• An in-depth look at the concept of metapopulations
• Discuss the earth science behind wireless 5G networks
• Predicting the next major volcano eruption
• Why were constellations so important to ancient humans?
• Discuss the occurrence of dark matter in outer space
• Estimating the amount of rare metals on a meteorite
• The link between earthquakes and tsunamis

Topics for College and University Students

We have some topics that are a bit more complex than the average topic. These are aimed at college and university students. Here are our best topics for college and university students:

• Why did life in the oceans appear 150 million years before life on land?
• Which fossil fuel is found at the greatest depth and why?
• Explain how coal deposits are being formed
• Metal extraction methods in Medieval Europe

Geological Phenomena Topics

Yes, geological phenomena are a part of earth science. This means you can write your research paper on any of these unique geological phenomena topics:

• What causes excess production of methane?
• What is a fractal and why is it important?
• Talk about the processes involved in plate tectonics
• An in-depth look at the various igneous formation processes
• What causes moraines to appear in glaciated regions?
• Talk about the causes behind the continental drift
• Talk about the a sedimentary formation process in your area
• An in-depth look at the processes behind geysers and hot springs
• What can cause a landslide in the absence of water?
• Talk about the magnetic field of planet Earth

Our Expert Writers Are Ready to Help

Did you know that we can do much more than just provide students with the best topics? Our expert writers have extensive academic writing experience, so they can write a top-notch essay for you in no time. Because we have some of the best writers (all of them have at least a PhD degree) on the Internet, we can help you with any kind of paper, including theses and dissertations.

Getting a custom research paper fast and cheap has never been easier. All you need to do is get in touch with us and tell us exactly what you need done. Our professional ENL writers will handle everything from finding the right topic to writing, editing and proofreading your paper. Everything is done online, so you always know the status of your project.

We can assure you that your professor will appreciate our work. After all, our experts have written thousands of research papers about all the fields in earth science. This is why we are certain you will receive only high grades if you choose to work with us. Get in touch with our customer support department today, and don’t forget to ask us about our latest offers and discounts!

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Science News

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Earth Science

• Commencement 2024

Harvard’s researchers are exploring Earth’s past, predicting its future, and working to understand the hidden mysteries of our home.

The bedrock of Earth science

Explore how the slow, powerful forces within the Earth continue to create and alter the places we call home.

Tectonic plates

Researchers studying when tectonic plates began to shift found that it began much earlier than previously thought, launching the creation of continents, oceans, and other landforms.

Learn more about tectonic plates

How do we predict earthquakes?

A team of Harvard scientists created numerical models to predict an earthquake’s final magnitude 10 to 15 seconds faster than the current best algorithms.

What’s in a volcanic eruption?

Volcanic eruptions include lava and “smoke,” which is actually a mix of water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur gases, and ash.

Are all faults dangerous?

To understand which faults may be the most dangerous, researchers have developed large-scale models of the fault systems in the western United States, Japan, Turkey, and other locations across the globe.

In real time

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The melting of polar ice is shifting Earth itself

As glacial ice from Greenland, Antarctica, and the Arctic Islands melts, Earth’s crust warps, an impact that can be measured thousands of miles away.

A 2022 volcano eruption altered the chemistry of the stratosphere, reducing ozone levels

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• Climate Action

Research Topics & Ideas: Environment

100+ Environmental Science Research Topics & Ideas

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. Here, we’ll explore a variety research ideas and topic thought-starters related to various environmental science disciplines, including ecology, oceanography, hydrology, geology, soil science, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, and environmental ethics.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the environmental sciences. This is the starting point though. To develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. Also be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to develop a high-quality research topic from scratch.

Overview: Environmental Topics

• Ecology /ecological science
• Atmospheric science
• Oceanography
• Soil science
• Environmental chemistry
• Environmental economics
• Environmental ethics
• Examples  of dissertations and theses

Topics & Ideas: Ecological Science

• The impact of land-use change on species diversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes
• The role of disturbances such as fire and drought in shaping arid ecosystems
• The impact of climate change on the distribution of migratory marine species
• Investigating the role of mutualistic plant-insect relationships in maintaining ecosystem stability
• The effects of invasive plant species on ecosystem structure and function
• The impact of habitat fragmentation caused by road construction on species diversity and population dynamics in the tropics
• The role of ecosystem services in urban areas and their economic value to a developing nation
• The effectiveness of different grassland restoration techniques in degraded ecosystems
• The impact of land-use change through agriculture and urbanisation on soil microbial communities in a temperate environment
• The role of microbial diversity in ecosystem health and nutrient cycling in an African savannah

Topics & Ideas: Atmospheric Science

• The impact of climate change on atmospheric circulation patterns above tropical rainforests
• The role of atmospheric aerosols in cloud formation and precipitation above cities with high pollution levels
• The impact of agricultural land-use change on global atmospheric composition
• Investigating the role of atmospheric convection in severe weather events in the tropics
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and global atmospheric ozone levels
• The impact of sea surface temperature on atmospheric circulation and tropical cyclones
• The impact of solar flares on the Earth’s atmospheric composition
• The impact of climate change on atmospheric turbulence and air transportation safety
• The impact of stratospheric ozone depletion on atmospheric circulation and climate change
• The role of atmospheric rivers in global water supply and sea-ice formation

Topics & Ideas: Oceanography

• The impact of ocean acidification on kelp forests and biogeochemical cycles
• The role of ocean currents in distributing heat and regulating desert rain
• The impact of carbon monoxide pollution on ocean chemistry and biogeochemical cycles
• Investigating the role of ocean mixing in regulating coastal climates
• The impact of sea level rise on the resource availability of low-income coastal communities
• The impact of ocean warming on the distribution and migration patterns of marine mammals
• The impact of ocean deoxygenation on biogeochemical cycles in the arctic
• The role of ocean-atmosphere interactions in regulating rainfall in arid regions
• The impact of ocean eddies on global ocean circulation and plankton distribution
• The role of ocean-ice interactions in regulating the Earth’s climate and sea level

Tops & Ideas: Hydrology

• The impact of agricultural land-use change on water resources and hydrologic cycles in temperate regions
• The impact of agricultural groundwater availability on irrigation practices in the global south
• The impact of rising sea-surface temperatures on global precipitation patterns and water availability
• Investigating the role of wetlands in regulating water resources for riparian forests
• The impact of tropical ranches on river and stream ecosystems and water quality
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and local hydrologic cycles and water resources for agriculture
• The role of snow cover and mountain hydrology in regulating regional agricultural water resources
• The impact of drought on food security in arid and semi-arid regions
• The role of groundwater recharge in sustaining water resources in arid and semi-arid environments
• The impact of sea level rise on coastal hydrology and the quality of water resources

Topics & Ideas: Geology

• The impact of tectonic activity on the East African rift valley
• The role of mineral deposits in shaping ancient human societies
• The impact of sea-level rise on coastal geomorphology and shoreline evolution
• Investigating the role of erosion in shaping the landscape and impacting desertification
• The impact of mining on soil stability and landslide potential
• The impact of volcanic activity on incoming solar radiation and climate
• The role of geothermal energy in decarbonising the energy mix of megacities
• The impact of Earth’s magnetic field on geological processes and solar wind
• The impact of plate tectonics on the evolution of mammals
• The role of the distribution of mineral resources in shaping human societies and economies, with emphasis on sustainability

Topics & Ideas: Soil Science

• The impact of dam building on soil quality and fertility
• The role of soil organic matter in regulating nutrient cycles in agricultural land
• The impact of climate change on soil erosion and soil organic carbon storage in peatlands
• Investigating the role of above-below-ground interactions in nutrient cycling and soil health
• The impact of deforestation on soil degradation and soil fertility
• The role of soil texture and structure in regulating water and nutrient availability in boreal forests
• The impact of sustainable land management practices on soil health and soil organic matter
• The impact of wetland modification on soil structure and function
• The role of soil-atmosphere exchange and carbon sequestration in regulating regional and global climate
• The impact of salinization on soil health and crop productivity in coastal communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Chemistry

• The impact of cobalt mining on water quality and the fate of contaminants in the environment
• The role of atmospheric chemistry in shaping air quality and climate change
• The impact of soil chemistry on nutrient availability and plant growth in wheat monoculture
• Investigating the fate and transport of heavy metal contaminants in the environment
• The impact of climate change on biochemical cycling in tropical rainforests
• The impact of various types of land-use change on biochemical cycling
• The role of soil microbes in mediating contaminant degradation in the environment
• The impact of chemical and oil spills on freshwater and soil chemistry
• The role of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in shaping water and soil chemistry
• The impact of over-irrigation on the cycling and fate of persistent organic pollutants in the environment

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Economics

• The impact of climate change on the economies of developing nations
• The role of market-based mechanisms in promoting sustainable use of forest resources
• The impact of environmental regulations on economic growth and competitiveness
• Investigating the economic benefits and costs of ecosystem services for African countries
• The impact of renewable energy policies on regional and global energy markets
• The role of water markets in promoting sustainable water use in southern Africa
• The impact of land-use change in rural areas on regional and global economies
• The impact of environmental disasters on local and national economies
• The role of green technologies and innovation in shaping the zero-carbon transition and the knock-on effects for local economies
• The impact of environmental and natural resource policies on income distribution and poverty of rural communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Ethics

• The ethical foundations of environmentalism and the environmental movement regarding renewable energy
• The role of values and ethics in shaping environmental policy and decision-making in the mining industry
• The impact of cultural and religious beliefs on environmental attitudes and behaviours in first world countries
• Investigating the ethics of biodiversity conservation and the protection of endangered species in palm oil plantations
• The ethical implications of sea-level rise for future generations and vulnerable coastal populations
• The role of ethical considerations in shaping sustainable use of natural forest resources
• The impact of environmental justice on marginalized communities and environmental policies in Asia
• The ethical implications of environmental risks and decision-making under uncertainty
• The role of ethics in shaping the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future for the construction industry
• The impact of environmental values on consumer behaviour and the marketplace: a case study of the ‘bring your own shopping bag’ policy

Examples: Real Dissertation & Thesis Topics

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various environmental science-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• The physiology of microorganisms in enhanced biological phosphorous removal (Saunders, 2014)
• The influence of the coastal front on heavy rainfall events along the east coast (Henson, 2019)
• Forage production and diversification for climate-smart tropical and temperate silvopastures (Dibala, 2019)
• Advancing spectral induced polarization for near surface geophysical characterization (Wang, 2021)
• Assessment of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Thamnocephalus platyurus as Tools to Monitor Cyanobacterial Bloom Development and Toxicity (Hipsher, 2019)
• Evaluating the Removal of Microcystin Variants with Powdered Activated Carbon (Juang, 2020)
• The effect of hydrological restoration on nutrient concentrations, macroinvertebrate communities, and amphibian populations in Lake Erie coastal wetlands (Berg, 2019)
• Utilizing hydrologic soil grouping to estimate corn nitrogen rate recommendations (Bean, 2019)
• Fungal Function in House Dust and Dust from the International Space Station (Bope, 2021)
• Assessing Vulnerability and the Potential for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Sudan’s Blue Nile Basin (Mohamed, 2022)
• A Microbial Water Quality Analysis of the Recreational Zones in the Los Angeles River of Elysian Valley, CA (Nguyen, 2019)
• Dry Season Water Quality Study on Three Recreational Sites in the San Gabriel Mountains (Vallejo, 2019)
• Wastewater Treatment Plan for Unix Packaging Adjustment of the Potential Hydrogen (PH) Evaluation of Enzymatic Activity After the Addition of Cycle Disgestase Enzyme (Miessi, 2020)
• Laying the Genetic Foundation for the Conservation of Longhorn Fairy Shrimp (Kyle, 2021).

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. To create a top-notch research topic, you will need to be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you’ll need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Need more help?

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your environmental science dissertation or research project, be sure to check out our private coaching services below, as well as our Research Topic Kickstarter .

Need a helping hand?

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11 Comments

research topics on climate change and environment

I wish to learn things in a more advanced but simple way and with the hopes that I am in the right place.

Thank so much for the research topics. It really helped

the guides were really helpful

Research topics on environmental geology

Thanks for the research topics….I need a research topic on Geography

hi I need research questions ideas

Implications of climate variability on wildlife conservation on the west coast of Cameroon

I want the research on environmental planning and management

I want a topic on environmental sustainability

It good coaching

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Earth Sciences

Earth scientists at JPL conduct research to characterize and understand the atmosphere, land, and oceans on our home planet to make better predictions of future changes. Research is carried out in laboratory studies, aircraft, balloon, ground and space-based observations, theoretical modeling, and data analysis.

Atmospheric science at JPL is conducted by a diverse set of researchers who track ozone recovery, quantify tropospheric pollutants such as aerosols, ozone, and carbon monoxide, and develop state-of-the-art atmospheric models. All of these efforts complement each other as instrument, lab study, and modeling teams collaborate to improve their measurements and understandings of current atmospheric conditions.

Earth Science research at JPL on the carbon cycle and ecosystems focuses on carbon cycle-climate interactions, impacts of climate on ecosystem structure, function, and composition, as well as on disturbance processes, such as wildfire.

Researchers at JPL develop and use remotely sensed data products and measurements for sea level change analysis, as well as Earth system models for ocean and ice.  They focus on improving current estimates of sea level change and its contributions using remotely sensed data. 

Solid earth research focuses on researching processes that occur within Earth’s crust, mantle, and core.  Researchers at JPL use data from multiple NASA missions, both space and airborne.

JPL researchers focus on observing and understanding total land water storage, soil moisture, surface water (rivers and lakes), and snow.

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50 Best Environmental Science Research Topics

May 31, 2023

Environmental science is a varied discipline that encompasses a variety of subjects, including ecology, atmospheric science, and geology among others. Professionals within this field can pursue many occupations from lab technicians and agricultural engineers to park rangers and environmental lawyers. However, what unites these careers is their focus on how the natural world and the human world interact and impact the surrounding environment. There is also one other significant commonality among environmental science careers: virtually all of them either engage in or rely on research on environmental science topics to ensure their work is accurate and up to date.

In this post, we’ll outline some of the best environmental science research topics to help you explore disciplines within environmental science and kickstart your own research. If you are considering majoring in environmental science or perhaps just need help brainstorming for a research paper, this post will give you a broad sense of timely environmental science research topics.

What makes a research topic good?

Before we dive into specific environmental science research topics, let’s first cover the basics: what qualities make for a viable research topic. Research is the process of collecting information to make discoveries and reach new conclusions. We often think of research as something that occurs in academic or scientific settings. However, everyone engages in informal research in everyday life, from reading product reviews to investigating statistics for admitted students at prospective colleges . While we all conduct research in our day-to-day lives, formal academic research is necessary to advance discoveries and scholarly discourses. Therefore, in this setting, good research hinges on a topic in which there are unanswered questions or ongoing debates. In other words, meaningful research focuses on topics where you can say something new.

However, identifying an interesting research topic is only the first step in the research process. Research topics tend to be broad in scope. Strong research is dependent on developing a specific research question, meaning the query your project will seek to answer. While there are no comprehensive guidelines for research questions, most scholars agree that research questions should be:

1) Specific

Research questions need to clearly identify and define the focus of your research. Without sufficient detail, your research will likely be too broad or imprecise in focus to yield meaningful insights. For example, you might initially be interested in addressing this question: How should governments address the effects of climate change? While that is a worthwhile question to investigate, it’s not clear enough to facilitate meaningful research. What level of government is this question referring to? And what specific effects of global warming will this research focus on? You would need to revise this question to provide a clearer focus for your research. A revised version of this question might look like this: How can state government officials in Florida best mitigate the effects of sea-level rise?

 2) Narrow

Our interest in a given topic often starts quite broad. However, it is difficult to produce meaningful, thorough research on a broad topic. For that reason, it is important that research questions be narrow in scope, focusing on a specific issue or subtopic. For example, one of the more timely environmental science topics is renewable energy. A student who is just learning about this topic might wish to write a research paper on the following question: Which form of renewable energy is best? However, that would be a difficult question to answer in one paper given the various ways in which an energy source could be “best.” Instead, this student might narrow their focus, assessing renewable energy sources through a more specific lens: Which form of renewable energy is best for job creation?

 3) Complex

As we previously discussed, good research leads to new discoveries. These lines of inquiry typically require a complicated and open-ended research question. A question that can be answered with just a “yes” or “no” (or a quick Google search) is likely indicative of a topic in which additional research is unnecessary (i.e. there is no ongoing debate) or a topic that is not well defined. For example, the following question would likely be too simple for academic research: What is environmental justice? You can look up a definition of environmental justice online. You would need to ask a more complex question to sustain a meaningful research project. Instead, you might conduct research on the following query: Which environmental issue(s) disproportionately impact impoverished communities in the Pacific Northwest? This question is narrower and more specific, while also requiring more complex thought and analysis to answer.

4) Debatable

Again, strong research provides new answers and information, which means that they must be situated within topics or discourses where there is ongoing debate. If a research question can only lead to one natural conclusion, that may indicate that it has already been sufficiently addressed in prior research or that the question is leading. For example, Are invasive species bad? is not a very debatable question (the answer is in the term “invasive species”!). A paper that focused on this question would essentially define and provide examples of invasive species (i.e. information that is already well documented). Instead, a researcher might investigate the effects of a specific invasive species. For example: How have Burmese pythons impacted ecosystems in the Everglades, and what mitigation strategies are most effective to reduce Burmese python populations?

Therefore, research topics, including environmental science topics, are those about which there are ample questions yet to be definitively answered. Taking time to develop a thoughtful research question will provide the necessary focus and structure to facilitate meaningful research.

10 Great Environmental Science Research Topics (With Explanations!)

Now that we have a basic understanding of what qualities can make or break a research topic, we can return to our focus on environmental science topics. Although “great” research topics are somewhat subjective, we believe the following topics provide excellent foundations for research due to ongoing debates in these areas, as well as the urgency of the challenges they seek to address.

1) Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Although climate change is now a well-known concept , there is still much to be learned about how humans can best mitigate and adapt to its effects. Mitigation involves reducing the severity of climate change. However, there are a variety of ways mitigation can occur, from switching to electric vehicles to enforcing carbon taxes on corporations that produce the highest carbon emission levels. Many of these environmental science topics intersect with issues of public policy and economics, making them very nuanced and versatile.

In comparison, climate change adaptation considers how humans can adjust to life in an evolving climate where issues such as food insecurity, floods, droughts, and other severe weather events are more frequent. Research on climate change adaptation is particularly fascinating due to the various levels at which it occurs, from federal down to local governments, to help communities anticipate and adjust to the effects of climate change.

Both climate change mitigation and adaptation represent excellent environmental science research topics as there is still much to be learned to address this issue and its varied effects.

2) Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is another fairly mainstream topic in which there is much to learn and research. Although scientists have identified many forms of sustainable energy, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, questions remain about how to best implement these energy sources. How can politicians, world leaders, and communities advance renewable energy through public policy? What impact will renewable energy have on local and national economies? And how can we minimize the environmental impact of renewable energy technologies? While we have identified alternatives to fossil fuels, questions persist about the best way to utilize these technologies, making renewable energy one of the best environmental science topics to research.

3) Conservation

Conservation is a broad topic within environmental science, focusing on issues such as preserving environments and protecting endangered species. However, conservation efforts are more challenging than ever in the face of a growing world population and climate change. In fact, some scientists theorize that we are currently in the middle of a sixth mass extinction event. While these issues might seem dire, we need scientists to conduct research on conservation efforts for specific species, as well as entire ecosystems, to help combat these challenges and preserve the planet’s biodiversity.

4) Deforestation

The Save the Rainforest movement of the 1980s and 90s introduced many people to the issue of deforestation. Today, the problems associated with deforestation, such as reduced biodiversity and soil erosion, are fairly common knowledge. However, these challenges persist due, in part, to construction and agricultural development projects. While we know the effects of deforestation, it is more difficult to identify and implement feasible solutions. This is particularly true in developing countries where deforestation is often more prevalent due to political, environmental, and economic factors. Environmental science research can help reduce deforestation by identifying strategies to help countries sustainably manage their natural resources.

Environmental Science Topics (Continued)

5) urban ecology.

When we think of “the environment,” our brains often conjure up images of majestic mountain ranges and lush green forests. However, less “natural” environments also warrant study: this is where urban ecology comes in. Urban ecology is the study of how organisms interact with one another and their environment in urban settings. Through urban ecology, researchers can address topics such as how greenspaces in cities can reduce air pollution, or how local governments can adopt more effective waste management practices. As one of the newer environmental science topics, urban ecology represents an exciting research area that can help humans live more sustainably.

6) Environmental Justice

While environmental issues such as climate change impact people on a global scale, not all communities are affected equally. For example, wealthy nations tend to contribute more to greenhouse-gas emissions. However, less developed nations are disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change . Studies within the field of environmental justice seek to understand how issues such as race, national origin, and income impact the degree to which people experience hardships from environmental issues. Researchers in this field not only document these inequities, but also identify ways in which environmental justice can be achieved. As a result, their work helps communities have access to clean, safe environments in which they can thrive.

7) Water Management

Water is, of course, necessary for life, which is why water management is so important within environmental science research topics. Water management research ensures that water resources are appropriately identified and maintained to meet demand. However, climate change has heightened the need for water management research, due to the occurrence of more severe droughts and wildfires. As a result, water management research is necessary to ensure water is clean and accessible.

8) Pollution and Bioremediation

Another impact of the increase in human population and development is heightened air, water, and soil pollution. Environmental scientists study pollutants to understand how they work and where they originate. Through their research, they can identify solutions to help address pollution, such as bioremediation, which is the use of microorganisms to consume and break down pollutants. Collectively, research on pollution and bioremediation helps us restore environments so they are sufficient for human, animal, and plant life.

9) Disease Ecology

While environmental science topics impact the health of humans, we don’t always think of this discipline as intersecting with medicine. But, believe it or not, they can sometimes overlap! Disease ecology examines how ecological processes and interactions impact disease evolution. For example, malaria is a disease that is highly dependent on ecological variables, such as temperature and precipitation. Both of these factors can help or hinder the breeding of mosquitoes and, therefore, the transmission of malaria. The risk of infectious diseases is likely to increase due to climate change , making disease ecology an important research topic.

10) Ecosystems Ecology

If nothing else, the aforementioned topics and their related debates showcase just how interconnected the world is. None of us live in a vacuum: our environment affects us just as we affect it. That makes ecosystems ecology, which examines how ecosystems operate and interact, an evergreen research topic within environmental science.

40 More Environmental Science Research Topics

Still haven’t stumbled upon the right environmental science research topic? The following ideas may help spark some inspiration:

• The effects of agricultural land use on biodiversity and ecosystems.
• The impact of invasive plant species on ecosystems.
• How wildfires and droughts shape ecosystems.
• The role of fire ecology in addressing wildfire threats.
• The impact of coral bleaching on biodiversity.
• Ways to minimize the environmental impact of clean energies.
• The effects of climate change on ocean currents and migration patterns of marine species.

Environmental Justice and Public Policy

• Opportunities to equalize the benefits of greenspaces for impoverished and marginalized communities.
• The impact of natural disasters on human migration patterns.
• The role of national parks and nature reserves in human health.
• How to address inequalities in the impact of air pollution.
• How to prevent and address the looming climate refugee crisis.
• Environmentally and economically sustainable alternatives to deforestation in less developed countries.
• Effects of environmental policies and regulations on impoverished communities.
• The role of pollutants in endocrine disruption.
• The effects of climate change on the emergence of infectious diseases.

AP Environmental Science Research Topics (Continued)

Soil science.

• Effects of climate change on soil erosion.
• The role of land management in maintaining soil health.
• Agricultural effects of salinization in coastal areas.
• The effects of climate change on agriculture.

Urban Ecology

• How road construction impacts biodiversity and ecosystems.
• The effects of urbanization and city planning on water cycles.
• Impacts of noise pollution on human health.
• The role of city planning in reducing light pollution.

Pollution and Bioremediation

• The role of bioremediation in removing “forever” chemicals from the environment.
• Impacts of air pollution on maternal health.
• How to improve plastic recycling processes.
• Individual measures to reduce consumption and creation of microplastics.
• Environmental impacts of and alternatives to fracking.

Environmental Law and Ethics

• Ethical implications of human intervention in the preservation of endangered species.
• The efficacy and impact of single-use plastic laws.
• Effects of religious and cultural values in environmental beliefs.
• The ethics of climate change policy for future generations.
• Ethical implications of international environmental regulations for less developed countries.
• The impact and efficacy of corporate carbon taxes.
• Ethical and environmental implications of fast fashion.
• The ethics and efficacy of green consumerism.
• Impacts of the hospitality and travel industries on pollution and emissions.
• The ethical implications of greenwashing in marketing.
• Effects of “Right to Repair” laws on pollution.

Final Thoughts: Environmental Science Research Topics

Environmental science is a diverse and very important area of study that impacts all aspects of life on Earth. If you’ve found a topic you’d like to pursue, it’s time to hit the books (or online databases)! Begin reading broadly on your chosen topic so you can define a specific research question. If you’re unsure where to begin, contact a research librarian who can connect you with pertinent resources. As you familiarize yourself with the discourse surrounding your topic, consider what questions spring to mind. Those questions may represent gaps around which you can craft a research question.

Interested in conducting academic research? Check out the following resources for information on research opportunities and programs:

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Emily Smith

Emily earned a BA in English and Communication Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in English from Wake Forest University. While at UNC and Wake Forest, she served as a tutor and graduate assistant in each school’s writing center, where she worked with undergraduate and graduate students from all academic backgrounds. She also worked as an editorial intern for the Wake Forest University Press as well as a visiting lecturer in the Department of English at WFU, and currently works as a writing center director in western North Carolina.

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Geobiology is a field of scientific research that explores the interactions between the physical earth and the biosphere. it is a relatively young field, and its borders are fluid., faculty in geobiology.

Erik Sperling

Jonathan Payne

Kevin Boyce

Jane Kathryn Willenbring

Page Chamberlain

Andrew Leslie

Classes in geobiology:.

Fundamentals of Geobiology (GS 205): Lecture and discussion covering key topics in the history of life on Earth, as well as basic principles that apply to life in the universe. Co-evolution of Earth and life; critical intervals of environmental and biological change; geomicrobiology; paleobiology; global biogeochemical cycles; scaling of geobiological processes in space and time.

Terms: Aut | Units: 3 Instructors: Boyce, C. (PI) ; Francis, C. (PI)

Sedimentary Geochemistry and Analysis (EPS 135/235)  (Formerly GEOLSCI 135 and 235): Introduction to research methods in sedimentary geochemistry.  Proper laboratory techniques and strategies for generating reliable data applicable to any future labwork will be emphasized. This research-based course will examine how the geochemistry of sedimentary rocks informs us about local and global environmental conditions during deposition. Students will collect geochemical data from a measured stratigraphic section in the western United States. These samples will be collected during a four-day field trip at the end of spring break (attendance encouraged but not required). In lab, students will learn low-temperature geochemical techniques focusing on the cycling of biogeochemical elements (O, C, S, and Fe) in marine sediments throughout Earth history. The focus will be on geochemistry of fine-grained siliciclastic rocks (shale) but the geochemistry of carbonates will also be explored. This is a lab-based course complemented with lectures. Students who wish to take the course for less than 4 units must receive approval from the instructor. This course must be taken for a minimum of 3 units and a letter grade to be eligible for Ways credit. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences). | UG Reqs: WAY-SMA

Topics in Geobiology (EPS 208) (Formerly GEOLSCI 208 ): Reading course addressing current topics in geobiology. Topics will vary from year to year, but will generally cover areas of current debate in the primary literature, such as the origin of life, the origin and consequences of oxygenic photosynthesis, environmental controls on and consequences of metabolic innovations in microbes, the early evolution of animals and plants, and the causes and consequences of major extinction events. Participants will be expected to read and present on current papers in the primary literature. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences).

Last offered: Winter 2023 | Repeatable 5 times (up to 5 units total)

Macroevolution (EPS 136, BIO 136, BIO 236, EPS 236) (Formerly GEOLSCI 136 and 236) The course will focus on the macroevolution of animals. We will be exploring how paleobiology and developmental biology/genomics have contributed to our understanding of the origins of animals, and how patterns of evolution and extinction have shaped the diversity of animal forms we observe today. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences). | UG Reqs: WAY-SMA

The Sixth Extinction (and the Other Five) (EPS 137, BIO 169, BIO 237, EARTHSYS 127A, EARTHSYS 227A, EPS 237) (Formerly GEOLSCI 137 and 237) Are we living through Earth's sixth major mass extinction event? The course will address the causes and consequences of extinction. It will review current understanding of background and mass extinction in the fossil record, including aclose examination of three major mass extinction events. It will assess the intensity, selectivity, and trends in the current biodiversity crisis and assess the options and prospects for approaches to mitigating and, ultimately, recovering from this sixth extinction. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences). | UG Reqs: WAY-SMA | Repeatable 3 times (up to 9 units total)

Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems (BIO 148, EARTHSYS 128, EPS 128, EPS 228): Formerly GEOLSCI 128 and 228) The what, when, where, and how do we know it regarding life on land through time. Fossil plants, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates (yes, dinosaurs) are all covered, including how all of those components interact with each other and with changing climates, continental drift, atmospheric composition, and environmental perturbations like glaciation and mass extinction. The course involves both lecture and lab components. Graduate students registering at the 200-level are expected to write a term paper, but can opt out of some labs where appropriate. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences).

Quantitative Methods in Paleobiology (EPS 161 / 261) (Formerly GEOLSCI 161 and 261) The advent of large, publicly accessible sources of data relevant to paleobiology has opened new avenues for quantifying large-scale patterns in the history of life and for identifying their underlying causes. How and why has biodiversity changed over time? What factors control evolutionary trends within clades? How have environmental changes affected the evolution of life? In this course, we will introduce several of the most widely accessed sources of data for paleobiological analysis, such as the Paleobiology Database and Macrostrat, develop techniques for downloading and cleaning these data, and then explore several of the most commonly used statistical techniques in paleobiology, including phylogenetic analysis, phylogenetic regression and model fitting, logistic regression, ordination, and subsampling to analyze these data. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences). Repeatable 3 times (up to 9 units total) Terms: Win | Units: 4

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Research topics.

Faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students in the Department of Earth Sciences, as well as affiliated faculty from other departments, conduct research that commonly transcends the boundaries of classic sub-disciplines in Earth Science. Below we provide some information about our three broad focus areas within the department, although we encourage you to visit the individual websites of our community members for more information!

MAJOR RESEARCH THEMES

• Earth and Planetary History  

June 25, 2024

How Earth Went from a Sterile Rock to a Lush, Living Planet

From microbes to mammoths, life has transformed Earth into one big living system, says Ferris Jabr, author of Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life

By Allison Parshall

Ricardo Lima/Getty Images

According to the Gaia hypothesis, life created Earth—or at least the Earth we know today. This theory, first formulated by chemist James Lovelock in the 1970s, was a hit with the media and the public but wasn’t taken seriously by fellow scientists.

“The scientific community harshly criticized and ridiculed” the Gaia hypothesis, recounts Ferris Jabr , author of the new book Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life. That’s because scientists at the time tended to think of evolution as a one-way street; they thought that while the planet’s environment shaped life, life did not meaningfully shape its environment. Yet we know now that life left an indelible mark on the planet. The very air we breathe, for example, would not exist if cyanobacteria hadn’t begun spewing oxygen 2.4 billion years ago. Microbes carve subterranean caverns and transform barren rock into fertile soil. Large herbivores summon grasslands by trampling the ground. Life in the Amazon rainforest summons half of the rain that sustains it, making it a sort of “garden that waters itself,” Jabr writes.

We are now beginning to see that life has transformed its home planet in ways more diverse and wondrous than most of us could imagine. “This gives a sort of new, expansive truth to the trite phrase that we’ve heard over and over—that everything is interconnected,” says Jabr, a contributing editor at Scientific American . “Life is not just something that resides on the planet; it’s an extension of the planet. What we call ‘life’ is the matter of Earth, animated.”

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Scientific American spoke with Jabr about his skyscraping adventures in writing his new book, the incredible ways that life transformed our world and humanity’s responsibility in the face of climate catastrophe.

[ An edited transcript of the interview follows. ]

What was the first spark of this book?

Learning about the Amazon’s self-generated rain cycle was a huge moment for me. That was back in [journalism] graduate school, around 2010. I was writing a lot about plant behavior and communication and learning how much agency plants have in their environment and in their evolution. And I learned about the Amazon’s self-generated rain cycle. What astonished me was that it was not just about plants pulling water from the soil and moving it to the atmosphere [where it would then rain down]. The process also involved all of these bioaerosols—these tiny biological particles that were derived from plants and fungi and microbes and animals. It’s really the entire forest participating actively in the water cycle and changing weather throughout the continent.

That just made me think of the relationship between Earth and life in a totally different way. I was not used to thinking of life so profoundly transforming its environment and even changing the weather itself. And I wanted to know: What are the other examples of this phenomenon? How else has life dramatically transformed the planet?

There’s a strong sense of awe running through the whole book. Was there anything you learned in your research that left you particularly awestruck?

I remember learning that if you take a piece of chalk from the White Cliffs of Dover [on the coast of England] and look at it under a powerful microscope, you’ll see these tiny, bonelike pegs arranged in little archways. And that’s because the White Cliffs of Dover are made of the compacted remains of ancient single-celled ocean plankton that encased themselves in an intricate chalky exoskeleton. Most of the major chalk formations on the planet are made of the remains of tiny, ancient life—and therefore all the monuments we’ve ever made with limestone are made of plankton and other ancient sea creatures. That just really blew my mind. What I had previously seen as just huge pieces of rock were actually made by and of life. For me, that was very illustrative of this reciprocity of geology and biology, of earth and life.

You got to see some of that reciprocity up close in your travels and even got to climb a very tall tower to see the Amazon rainforest make its own rain. Can you tell me about that experience?

I learned about the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory [in Brazil] early on in my research, but I had to wait more than two years to get there because of the pandemic. And when I finally got there, I was standing at the bottom of this tower [in the middle of the rainforest] and looking up, and I was like, “Huh, I don’t know if I’m actually ready to climb this thing.” If you climb the Eiffel Tower, which is approximately the same height [at about 1,000 feet], it is wrapped in safety barriers. But this tower in the forest is as bare-bones as it can possibly be; there are huge gaps that your whole body could fit through. I was prepared to be very scared, but I found it exhilarating to see the forest from so many different levels. You get to the very top and you really feel the wind. It’s just so incredible. I’ve never seen the Amazon from that perspective before, even from a plane.

The 1,066-foot-high Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil.

Raphael Alves/AFP via Getty Images

At that point in my research, I now understood so much more than I had in the very beginning. And I could see the clouds and the blue sky, the soil and plant life below me, and the rain that was about to come down. This was all made by life or a product of life in some way. I already felt so much reverence for nature and for our living world, but this [reporting process] really amplified that for me because I just hadn’t realized how thoroughly intertwined biology is in the planet’s structure and chemistry and all of its geological processes. What I previously saw as pure geology or pure meteorology, I now see as infused with life. And wherever it is infused with life, it becomes all the more wondrous.

You mentioned reverence, and there’s almost a spirituality to this idea of all living things being one. It seems like that’s part of why Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis was laughed off by scientists. Why do you think science is now starting to embrace this?

In the decades since, a huge amount of evidence has shown that some of the core tenets of what Lovelock was saying are indeed true. His initial insight was that wherever life emerges, it inevitably transforms its home planet. When Lovelock was working for NASA to help find life on other planets, he realized that you should just look at the atmospheric chemistry of other planets because if there’s life there, it has probably changed that chemistry dramatically. The idea that wherever life emerges, it transforms Earth— that is now universally accepted within science because we have so much more evidence than he had back then. We understand much better how life oxygenated the planet; how life was involved in the water cycle; how life made fire possible; how life was involved in geology and made new mineral species possible; and how soil came from life.

It’s not that the planet simply has a layer of life on it; it’s that life and Earth are continually changing each other through a single process. Claiming that Earth itself is alive remains provocative and controversial, and yet I have found scientists ranging from astrobiologists to paleontologists to atmospheric chemists who completely embrace the notion of a living planet now or are increasingly open to that perspective. These ideas have really come to the forefront now, and I think we’re going see it emphasized a lot in the very near future.

It seems like wherever Earth and life have found an equilibrium, we humans have found a way to tip that out of balance. How have you come to think about our species’ impact on the planet?

I don’t want to make too strong of an analogy between ecosystems and organisms, but sometimes I think of the immune system when I’m thinking about this. The immune system, on a day-to-day basis, does an incredible job of protecting us from threats that we’re not even aware of. But it goes wrong all the time, [such as with] autoimmune disorders and allergies. You change the wrong variable in the right way and it can turn on you.

There’s an analogous thing that happens with the Earth system. If you perturb it in the wrong way or to too great an extent, the whole thing starts to fall apart. But that’s happened so many times throughout Earth’s history, and every single time, Earth has not only recovered but has also arguably become more complex and diverse than it was before. Earth has this astonishing ability to endure these catastrophes, pull back to its fundamentals and then reflourish over time. I take a lot of solace in that.

Unfortunately, as a species and as a civilization, we cannot depend on these super long-term processes [to save us]. The living planet is probably going to be okay regardless of what we do—millions of years from now, it will recover. But we, or our way of life, may not survive if we allow it to go too far. That is exactly why we have to intervene as rapidly as possible.

You made an observation that really struck me in the book—that we are only coming to understand the complexity and interconnectedness of the living Earth system as we’re on the verge of destroying it. How you think about where that leaves us and our responsibility?

I think the Anthropocene has underscored for us what is truly vital and essential in this world. Anything we do as living creatures influences our environment, and then that loops back to influence us directly. In contrast to many nonhuman life-forms, which have gradually co-evolved these rhythms that tend to stabilize the planet, we’ve done the opposite and, in a geological blink, have massively perturbed those rhythms. I think that clarifies for us exactly what our responsibility is, compared with all other life-forms. We may all be part of the system and participating in it, but as far as we know, only we are consciously aware of the system as a whole. We’re the only ones building supercomputers that can model the entire Earth system and debating what to do about climate change.

There’s something empowering about this framework. Whereas most species are stuck to the very slow process of evolutionary change, we humans can consciously choose in the moment to change what we are doing. We have both this privilege and responsibility, not just to each other and to other life-forms but to the larger living system of which we are a part. That’s something we’re seeing with this increasing movement of personhood rights for nature: for ecosystems, for mountains, and for rivers and forests. We have to recognize that this moral responsibility extends to our environments as well, not just to living things and certainly not just to our species.

Orange Alert

Scientists untangle interactions between the earth’s early life forms and the environment over 500 million years.

Syracuse University Thonis Family Professor Zunli Lu leads an interdisciplinary group exploring how biology and the physical environment co-evolved.

June 27, 2024, by John H. Tibbetts

The atmosphere, the ocean and life on Earth interacted over the past 500-plus million years in ways that improved conditions for early organisms to thrive. Now, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has produced a perspective article of this co-evolutionary history published in multidisciplinary open-access journal National Science Review (Oxford University Press, Impact Factor 20.7).

“One of our tasks was to summarize the most important discoveries about carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere and ocean over the past 500 million years,” says Syracuse University geochemistry professor Zunli Lu , lead author on the paper. “We reviewed how those physical changes affected the evolution of life in the ocean. But it’s a two-way street. The evolution of life also impacted the chemical environment. It is not a trivial task to understand how to build a habitable Earth over long time scales”

The team from Syracuse University, Oxford University and Stanford University explored the intricate feedbacks among ancient life forms, including plants and animals, and the chemical environment in the current Phanerozoic Eon, which began approximately 540 million years ago.

At the start of the Phanerozoic, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were high, and oxygen levels were low. Such a condition would be difficult for many modern organisms to thrive. But ocean algae changed that. They absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, locked it into organic matter and produced oxygen through photosynthesis.

The ability of animals to live in an ocean environment was affected by oxygen levels. Lu is studying where and when ocean oxygen levels may have risen or fallen during the Phanerozoic using geochemical proxies and model simulations. Co-author Jonathan Payne , professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Stanford University, compares an ancient animal’s estimated metabolic requirements to places where it survived or disappeared in the fossil record.

As photosynthetic algae removed atmospheric carbon into sedimentary rocks to lower carbon dioxide and raise oxygen levels, the algae’s enzymes became less efficient in fixing carbon. Therefore, algae had to figure out more complicated ways of doing photosynthesis at lower carbon dioxide and higher oxygen levels. It accomplished this by creating internal compartments for photosynthesis with control over the chemistry.

“For algae, it is changes in the environmental ratio of O2/CO2 that seems to be key to driving improved photosynthetic efficiency,” says co-author Rosalind Rickaby , who is a professor of geology at Oxford. “What is really intriguing is that these improvements in photosynthetic efficiency may have expanded the chemical envelope of habitability for many forms of life.”

Ancient photosynthesizers had to adapt to changes in the physical environment that they themselves had created, notes Lu. “The first part of the history of the Phanerozoic is increasing habitability for life, and then the second part is adaptation.”

If scientists want to further understand this interplay between life and the physical environment, as well as the drivers and limits on habitability, the authors suggest that mapping out the spatial patterns of ocean oxygen, biomarkers for photosynthesis and metabolic tolerance of animals shown in fossil records will be a key future research direction.

Zunli Lu Thonis Family Professor: Low-Temperature Geochemistry and Earth System Evolution

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John H. Tibbetts

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Earth Science Matters - Volume 18, Spring 2024

This issue of Earth Science Matters highlights recent work from the Climate Research and Development Program, that contributes to an improved understanding of how changing land use, climate, and environment affect communities, ecosystems, and the services they provide.

Coring Expedition to Palmyra Atoll

Helping managers better understand pre-human vegetation, climate variability, and sea level changes.

Assessing giant sequoia mortality and regeneration following high severity wildfire

In the wake of prolonged drought and massive fires in the western U.S., the fate and future of the iconic giant sequoia has been a top concern for many. USGS scientists are partnering with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service to gather data on fire effects on giant sequoia populations. These crucial data are allowing managers to tackle difficult conservation and management decisions.

In monarch butterfly decline mystery, scientists rule out habitat loss in migration zone

DENVER, Colo.  — A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey and partners in the U.S. and Mexico lends new insight into the puzzle of monarch butterfly population declines, showing that migration habitat in Texas and Mexico has largely remained intact over the period of decline.

Snow Avalanche Research at the USGS that Supports Partners

Snow avalanches are a major natural hazard with substantial impacts on society, including human safety and commerce. USGS researchers are studying them in order to better inform avalanche forecasting efforts, hazard mitigation, and land-use planning in avalanche terrain. 

Blue Carbon Science Explorer Topic

A new hub for blue carbon work from across the bureau.

Past patterns of marine temperature and ecosystem health help predict future ecosystem behavior

Have you ever wondered how scientists test and develop their climate models of what the future may be like? The answer lies in the past! Climate models are tested against reconstructions of past climate conditions. Those reconstructions are pieced together using proxy evidence buried in sediments and preserved in fossils.

Fire, Ecosystems, Climate: It’s Complicated

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• Published: 26 June 2024

Strategizing Earth Science Data Development

• Zhong Liu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8150-7556 1 &
• Tian Yao   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1006-6102 2  

Scientific Data volume  11 , Article number:  693 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Developing Earth science data products that meet the needs of diverse users is a challenging task for both data producers and service providers, as user requirements can vary significantly and evolve over time. In this comment, we discuss several strategies to improve Earth science data products that everyone can use.

Introduction

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and cloud computing are making Earth science data an increasingly valuable resource for research, applications, and education. Producing Earth science data everyone can use will enhance data-driven scientific research, develop effective action plans for mitigating climate change and natural disasters, maximize investment in global observations, research, and modeling efforts, and educate the next generation to be well-prepared for environmental changes.

User needs for Earth science data can vary significantly and evolve over time. For example, weather forecasters rely on low-latency observations and model data. Climate scientists seek long-term, high-quality datasets. Although most Earth science data products are openly available and searchable, only a few, if they exist, are close to or meet user needs. To understand these specific requirements, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has annually conducted the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey 1 of users of NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) 2 since 2004. Survey results indicate that non-professional users face greater challenges discovering NASA Earth data than professionals, such as university professors. The 2022 community assessment report 3 for NASA’s Atmosphere Observing System (AOS) mission highlights varied user needs across disciplines, including latency, spatiotemporal resolution, data coverage, and data continuity. With global warming and more frequent hazard events, the demand for data to train AI/ML models and inform decision-making has surged, bringing a significant challenge to developing Earth science data products that meet user needs.

The data product development lifecycle includes the analysis of user needs, data collection, product development and processing, production dissemination, and metrics. There are many articles and discussions about the Earth system user needs, products, data services, data sharing, standards, and the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperability, and reusable) principles 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 . However, discussions about solutions and strategies to systematically improve data products for a broader user community are limited. Based on previous studies 5 , we outline strategies for each component of the data product development lifecycle below.

User needs are paramount because, ultimately, it is the user who decides if data products are appropriate for their needs, which are diverse. User needs are also closely related to all four areas of the FAIR guiding principles 4 and more (e.g., data quality, data ethics, and latency).

Findability 4 , 7 is arguably the most important, but also challenging. Users mostly depend on search engines to find data. Because there are so many data repositories around the world, developing standardized data catalogs for all data is imperative, requiring cross-organizational and international collaboration. One obstacle is the development of standardized data products with metadata that are FAIR-compliant, which can be costly (e.g., reprocessing existing products for compliance) and involve a culture challenge (e.g., additional work and cost for product development).

In the current environment, users are dependent on the data products that are available. In many cases, data products need to be customized by them to meet their individual needs. In theory, user needs should be analyzed first to guide strategies for data collection, product development, and product dissemination. However, for mainly historical reasons, this is often not the case. Data products are typically generated by principal investigators or teams for specific missions or projects. When a project ends, it is very likely that their product development and maintenance activities will stop as well. Without continuous support and sustainable long-term plans, the usefulness of such a product can be limited. As an example, if product updates cease, activities and services that are dependent upon the product may cease as well.

In short, collecting and analyzing user needs should be integrated into strategies for data product development.

Data Collection

Over the past several decades, advancements in space-borne, air-borne, and ground-based remote sensing instruments have significantly expanded and enhanced the collection of Earth observations. Despite many efforts to collect data, gaps in observations still exist, especially over vast oceans and remote continental areas.

Data gaps can influence data quality, which impacts a wide range of activities such as continuously monitoring Earth’s conditions and studying climate and disaster events. It can be challenging to develop high spatiotemporal resolution products that many users need for local and regional applications due to gaps in the data. Data gaps are often filled with products of mixed quality when there are insufficient global or regional observation networks. It is also not easy to provide data quality information for such integrated data products. Further research activities are needed to better communicate with users, such as providing data quality information and guidelines for using data products properly.

Figure  1a , for example, shows a daily orbital mosaic 14 of the first space-borne weather radar (Ku-band) onboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 15 (TRMM), a joint satellite mission launched in 1997 by NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency 16 (JAXA). As seen, large data gaps exist in space and time (Fig.  1a ). To provide continuous monitoring of global precipitation, data gaps in observations are currently filled from a constellation of international satellites. However, the quality of satellite sensors (e.g., passive microwave and infrared sensors) in this constellation varies, and the resulting data products can be affected. Figure  1b is the daily global precipitation map at 0.1 degree x 0.1 degree grid resolution on the same date as in Fig.  1a , generated from NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement 17 (GPM) mission precipitation product 18 , the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG). The IMERG product contains far fewer data gaps compared to the radar product.

Global daily precipitation maps on July 1, 2012: ( a ) Mosaic of snapshots/orbits of precipitation estimates from the first space-borne Ku-band weather radar onboard the NASA-JAXA TRMM satellite, showing marked data gaps in both space and time with measurements from a single satellite; and ( b ) Daily accumulation of the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) product utilizing a constellation of international satellites with calibration from ground-based observations, improving data availability significantly. However, the data quality of each pixel may vary.

Data quality information, including consistency, continuity, uncertainty, bias, latency, and resolution, is a major concern for scientific and application users. Requirements for quality information also vary between user communities. For example, real-time data may not have the same quality as their climate data records, which are well calibrated and consistent. It is difficult for scientists to develop specific products for each research or application scenario. Strategies that utilize data services will be described in Product Dissemination.

Over the years, Earth observations have been carried out by different organizations (e.g., NASA, NOAA, USGS) and activities (e.g., field campaigns), and more observations will be available through new missions, such as the NASA Earth System Observatory 19 . In recent years, commercial companies have increasingly played an important role in Earth observation activities. Without a platform and standards, sharing data to fill existing data gaps and making data FAIR-compliant are difficult. Evolving information technologies have enabled scientific communities to become more and more interactive and collaborative through Internet-based platforms 6 to break data and knowledge silos and organizational boundaries. As data needs increase, it has become more urgent to support and explore various solutions or open data-sharing platforms by integrating data from government, private, and non-government sources, such as a proposed consortium solution 6 supported by stakeholders. On the other hand, planning future satellite missions requires a balance between filling observational data gaps and experimenting with new observation methods to improve scientific knowledge and data quality.

Product Development

In theory, ideal data products consist of long-term, global, well-calibrated, consistent, bias-free, low-uncertainty, low-latency data records at fine spatial and temporal scales. Realistically, such products are very limited and difficult to locate.

Strategies need to be developed for continuously improving data products. First, data product availability and quality improvement require a long-term, sustained commitment. Otherwise, it can be difficult for users, especially operational users, to plan, use, and depend on data products in their activities. Dedicated resources must be available to support a product’s life cycle. NASA’s Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments 20 (MEaSUREs) program is an example of producing climate data records through data integration. However, when a project ends, product support and updates often end as well. Essential climate variables 21 proposed by the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are increasingly being used across a diverse range of domains and disciplines, especially in the environmental sciences, which could be the starting point for producing data products through systematic data integration.

Data assimilation products will increasingly play a critical role in providing Earth’s information. Data assimilation uses a technique to analyze the state of the Earth by combining model data and observations. For example, numerical-model-based precipitation estimates (e.g., NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) 22 ) may have the potential to add value in high latitudes due to shortcomings in microwave measurement 23 . Combining both models and observations may generate higher quality global precipitation products. However, data assimilation products still need improvements (e.g., spatiotemporal resolution) to meet the requirements of the ideal products mentioned earlier.

Implementing these new strategies can be a challenge because data producers need to address all data-related issues, such as quality, consistency, and long-term availability. But fewer, higher-quality data products will benefit users who may have a hard time finding a suitable product among many similar products, encouraging long-term commitment.

For diverse user communities, their product needs can vary significantly. For example, some seek daily products, while others seek 10-day products. A strategy is for data producers to focus on the development of their ideal data products and rely on data service providers to generate customized data products for specific user communities.

Product Dissemination

Product dissemination plays a key role in research, applications, and data democratization. Without proper product dissemination, the best products may have difficulty reaching their potential users and therefore limit their usefulness and impact. For example, the most recent NASA “Earth Science to Action Strategy 2024–2034” 24 outlines that the Earth Information Center (EIC) is designated to function as a unified portal, facilitating access to data, information, tools, and solutions to support a diverse range of users, stakeholders, decision-makers, policymakers, and the public. There are many challenges to product dissemination, such as making data FAIR and open 25 .

One strategy is to develop more FAIR-compliant, value-added, processing-oriented data services to facilitate data access and exploration (e.g., NASA’s Giovanni 26 ) as well as reduce data egress and related costs. These services can produce customized data products that are not in data repositories. For example, the daily IMERG product (Fig.  1b ) is generated from the original half-hourly product that is sent to the archive center. Customized products, including data quality, can be a part of analysis ready data (ARD) development to facilitate data analysis and increase scientific productivity. For instance, the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) has established a CEOS-ARD framework and strategy 27 , 28 . The CEOS Land Surface Information Virtual Constellation (LSI-VC) has been leading the CEOS Analysis Ready Data (CARD4L) initiative for a few years. To date, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 2 has been processed and has a CEOS ARD seal of approval and recognition. ARD services are also needed for non-satellite products (e.g., in-situ observations, model data). The involvement of data producers is a must to ensure that data processing is handled properly.

Data dissemination can be further expanded for users with different backgrounds. Based on user needs, analytical functions and visualizations can be developed to facilitate data exploration, scientific discovery, learning, and outreach activities. Different tools need to be provided by data service providers to disseminate data and information to different users. For example, ordinary people often use smartphone apps (e.g., weather apps) to obtain Earth’s environmental information. Data service providers need to provide such apps accordingly.

Metrics 29 are essential for monitoring, analyzing, and benchmarking all data and service-related activities, ranging from problems that users encounter to service operation, collection, data product quality, and FAIR compliance (e.g., NASA’s ACSI survey).

There are several strategies to improve product development, including plans to: 1) identify relevant parameters for collecting metrics in all areas of the product life cycle; 2) collect metrics (e.g., FAIR-compliant); and 3) develop holistic analysis methods. Metrics evolve over time; therefore, adjustments or new metrics need to be considered. An example is the development of metrics for interdisciplinary data and services 29 .

Most metrics are for internal consumption, but they are also increasingly being used in research and other applications. For instance, publishers include metrics (e.g., citations, downloads) in their published articles. By publishing the metrics, users can assess the suitability of a particular dataset or product for their specific application, and data producers can evaluate the usage and impact of a particular data product or service.

Implementation

We have presented several strategies for improving the development processes of Earth data products to broaden their use for supporting a wide range of activities. Now, the question is: how do we implement these strategies?

In the short term, efforts should be focused on the adoption of best practices and community standards to update or develop data products that are FAIR-compliant. For example, new requirements can be incorporated into data management plans in a research proposal, which has been implemented by some U.S. federal agencies, such as NASA.

For long-term solutions, next-generation infrastructures for Earth science data and computing are needed to allow these strategies to work seamlessly. The infrastructures include data collection, data archives, data services, and scientific computing. For example, NASA’s Earth observations and model data are being migrated to NASA’s Earth data cloud environment 30 , an important component of such infrastructures. Once the migration finishes, datasets at all DAACs will be archived and distributed in one place, the Earthdata cloud 31 , to facilitate new product development and other activities (e.g., interdisciplinary science, applications, and education). The migration will also enable computing close to data, a key improvement for a range of activities such as data product development, validation, and data services down the road.

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Acknowledgements

We thank NASA for sponsoring this activity. Zhong Liu is supported by the Joint GeoInformatics Laboratory (JGIL), Phase VII: Cooperative Geoinformation Research with NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (grant number: 80NSSC21M0236). Tian Yao is supported by NASA’s Earth Science Division Earth Action Program.

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A systematic analysis of research trends on the permeable reactive barrier in groundwater remediation

• Published: 27 June 2024

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• M. Vakili   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0003-6468-0375 1 ,
• T. Ebadi   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3566-9623 1 &
• M. Hajbabaie 1  

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Groundwater, one of the most important freshwater resources on Earth, is currently experiencing degradation in both quality and quantity. This has prompted scientists to seek solutions to this problem, one of which is permeable reactive barriers. While many researchers have studied PRBs, few have conducted comprehensive literature reviews. In this article bibliometric analysis has been done on permeable reactive barriers publications from 1995 to 2023. This study systematically analyzed various aspects of permeable reactive barriers research, including countries and sponsors, authors, journals, and keywords. This bibliometric analysis of permeable reactive barriers research revealed that China has become the leading country in publication output, due to its strong performance in recent years. The top journal in this field is Environmental Science and Technology, with 60 publications and 5726 citations. The author with the most publications is Faisal A.H., with 24 publications primarily published recently. Keyword analysis and clustering were performed to identify the leading and most popular topics in permeable reactive barriers research. Six clusters were identified, with heavy metals being the most popular topic. Nowadays, researchers are also showing a growing interest in sustainable and biological remediation. In the end, an in-depth comparison that compares different permeable reactive barrier methods with the conventional Pump and Treat approach has been carried out, with a particular emphasis on long-term sustainability and life-cycle cost considerations. Researchers can use the findings in this study as a helpful reference and comprehensive overview for their works.

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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection,data analysis, data visualization and writing first draft were performed by Mobin Vakili. Taghi Ebadi provided supervision and conducted the final review, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the manuscript. Mohammadreza Hajbabaie layed a pivotal role in the conceptualization of the study, guiding its overall research direction. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Vakili, M., Ebadi, T. & Hajbabaie, M. A systematic analysis of research trends on the permeable reactive barrier in groundwater remediation. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-024-05775-6

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Received : 27 December 2023

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-024-05775-6

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