UTK Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences

09/08/2026

Hiking canyons can be dangerous when storms hit – what you need to know to stay safe. Our own Dr. Anner Paldor talks about why canyons are prone to flash floods and how to stay safe.

The image shown is an elevation map of the Grand Canyon. Steep slopes and narrow passageways channel rain water downstream through the canyon, causing flash floods.

Link (also in bio): https://theconversation.com/hiking-canyons-can-quickly-turn-deadly-when-storms-hit-what-you-should-know-before-going-in-291122

Image credit: Anner Paldor; Data Basin, using ESRI, Census Bureau, NOAA, National Ocean Service, National Geodetic Survey, USGS, TomTom, CC BY

09/03/2026

The Society of Economic Geologist’s UTK student chapter hosted Kayla Young from Crucible to talk about her work with the Halleck Creek Rare Earth Element Project!

Kayla described a potentially novel deposit type in Wyoming and walked through what the future of the site could look like.

08/26/2026

PhD student in environmental geoscience Taylor Wishart discusses how the success of green roofs depends on more than just good intentions and engineering—they need long-term love and care.

The green roof is at the Agriculture & Natural Resources building here on campus. A special thanks to the Plant Sciences department for their hard work in maintaining the green roof.

Article Link: https://theconversation.com/green-roofs-can-help-cool-cities-in-the-summer-heat-but-building-them-is-only-the-first-step-many-dont-survive-288874

08/19/2026

Welcome to the Fall 2026 semester!🍊

If you are new to the Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences (EEPS) or are a returning major/minor looking for upcoming opportunities in the department, please join us for a welcome event on Tuesday, August 25th at 5:00 pm in 740 Strong Hall.

We will discuss the different concentrations, research opportunities, future career opportunities, departmental resources, student organizations, and more. You will also have the opportunity to talk with your faculty advisors and fellow students. Drinks and snacks will be provided.

08/17/2026

We’re celebrating the start of the new semester with a brand new installation on our seventh floor! These pieces of artwork by Miles Mayhall (EEPS BS 2025) feature the geologic time scales for Earth, the Moon, and Mars.

08/10/2026

We are excited to feature our newest faculty member, Sean Fettrow's, newest paper! This paper showcases some of Dr. Fettrow's work on permafrost melt impacts arctic environments and geochemical systems

Arctic permafrost regions contain the largest terrestrial carbon stocks on the globe. Thermokarst wetlands are increasingly forming in these Arctic systems due to ground subsidence caused by permafrost thaw, necessitating understanding of how these changing landscapes function and their feedback wit...

07/08/2026

07/02/2026

Congratulations Mariana!

05/21/2026

Some of our grad students, accompanied by Assistant Professors Chelsea Mackaman-Lofland and Manuel Scharrer, kicked off the start of summer with a trip to Utah to practice field skills and examine spectacular real-world examples of orogenic systems and sequence stratigraphy – topics covered in their spring semester classes. Thank you to our alumni and Advisory Board whose contributions supported these field experiences.

05/04/2026

On Thursday, the Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Department celebrated our students and faculty with Awards Day. Annually, undergraduates, graduates and faculty receive recognition for the awesome things they do in this department.

Be on the lookout for more post about awards day throughout the week!