12 students stand on a mountain with owl hands in the air
I’ll end off with Zabriskie Point, a vista that gave us an amazing view of colorful lake beds and ashflows.
With that, I’d love to thank you for following along this week during my takeover! We’ll see you on the next #JohnsonFieldTrip :) -Andy
Hearing that Death Valley was experiencing its first wildflower superbloom in 10 years, we simply had to stop along the side of the road and frolic! EEPS field trips are always full of hiking and rigorous geology with lots of laughs and even singing.
A student and faculty stand with a mountain in the background, hair flying back from the wind.
Ubehebe Crater
student stands looking through binoculars
Everyone was super excited to visit Ubehebe Crater. This crater formed by an explosive eruption when magma encountered groundwater and the subsurface. We even said hello to a prairie hawk (thanks @CintyLee for always IDing geologic formations and birds).
#UbehebeCrater
student and faculty stand with a sign that reads "Badwater Basin 282 feet/855 meters below sea level"
students walk out on the salt bed at Badwater basin. Mountain is in background
students and other people walk through salty water with mountain in background
Welcome to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America! We chose just the right time to visit to walk through salty water after a rainstorm. The salty crust at Badwater Basin forms as a precipitate when water drains to the basin and evaporates. I even got to taste the salt!
Photo of happy students yelling with text "Today is the day! 24 hour challenge march 4th"
Rice’s 24-Hour Challenge is LIVE!
Make your gift now at:
🪨 EEPS Human Impacts on the Earth Fund: www.givecampus.com/s/imqfsm
🌎️ Rice Environmental Science Fund: www.givecampus.com/s/pcrx4n
#1Day1Rice #RiceENVS #AnnualGiving
8 students pretende to be terrified in pothole they climbed into.
four people stand at variosu locations on a volcanic rock bed filled with giant vertical holes.
7 students fit into a pothole in the volcanic rock, one more tries to join.
How many EEPle can fit into one pothole? That’s what we tried to find out at Fossil Falls! After accidentally going off trail, we found the site of a gorge carved through volcanic rocks by the Owens River, all with a grand backdrop of the Sierra Nevada behind us.
#FossilFalls #JohnsonFieldTrip
Thanks to Rice alumnus, Mike Johnson, MA '75, EEPS undergraduates travel on an annual field trip to a location they select.
Hi, I'm Andy, a junior from Brown. Join me this week as I take over #RiceEEPS social media on the 2026 Undergraduate Johnson field trip.
Can you guess where we chose this year?
#JohnsonFieldTrip #FieldWork #FieldTrip #Geoscience #SocialMediaTakeover @RiceNatSci
Flyer with earth in the center with text "Rice Earth, Planetary & Space Open House, Discover the mysteries of our planet and our place in the universe. -Bring your rock and we will help you identify it! -Fossil Dig - Discovery Dome - Hands-on demonstrations -free educational materials - food trucks. Saturday, February 28, Rice stadium practie bubble 10am-2pm (plan for one hour at the event) free parking. (on bottom left there is a qr code that says scan for more info: https://eeps.rice.edu/rice-k-12-earth-and-planetary-open-house)
🌍✨ Ready to explore Earth, space, and everything in between? Join us at @RiceUniversity for the Rice Earth & Planetary Open House! Free event — families welcome!
📅 Feb 28 | RSVP now: bit.ly/EEPSxOPENHouse
#RiceEEPS #RiceU #OpenHouse #Space #Houston #FreeEventHTX #HTXFreeEvents #Science #STEM #HISD
Photo of to smiling people with rice logo and text 24 hour challenge March 4th, Early giving is open.
Early giving is now open for this year’s 24-Hour Challenge.
Help us get a strong start by making your gift now:
🪨 EEPS Human Impacts on the Earth Fund: www.givecampus.com/s/imqfsm
🌎️ Rice Environmental Science Fund: www.givecampus.com/s/pcrx4n
#1Day1Rice #RiceENVS #AnnualGiving
Photo of Sylvia dee with map in background and text "“This work is about expanding our scientific community’s ability to study the water cycle across space and time.” -Dr. Sylvia Dee"
Dr. Sylvia Dee is among an international team working on the Water Isotope Model Intercomparison Project (WisoMIP). This effort models 45 years of current climate data to trace the global water cycle.
Read more at news.rice.edu/news/2026/mu...
#ClimateScience #ClimateModels #EarthScience
Flyer with earth in the center with text "Rice Earth, Planetary & Space Open House, Discover the mysteries of our planet and our place in the universe. -Bring your rock and we will help you identify it! -Fossil Dig - Discovery Dome - Hands-on demonstrations -free educational materials - food trucks. Saturday, February 28, Rice stadium practie bubble 10am-2pm (plan for one hour at the event) free parking. (on bottom left there is a qr code that says scan for more info: https://eeps.rice.edu/rice-k-12-earth-and-planetary-open-house)
🌍✨ Ready to explore Earth, space, and everything in between? Join us at @RiceUniversity for the Rice Earth & Planetary Open House! Free event — families welcome!
📅 Feb 28 | RSVP now: bit.ly/EEPSxOPENHouse
#RiceEEPS #RiceU #OpenHouse #Space #Houston #FreeEventHTX #HTXFreeEvents #Science #STEM #HISD
Attended the event and have feedback? Fill out our feedback form to make next year even better: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
🌿Special thanks to Rice Natural Sciences, The Center for Career Devlopment, The Center for Environmental Studies, The Rice Sustainability Office for their support.
students stand at multiple tables at green career forum in rice grand hall
two students stand at table with yellow table cloth talking to exhibitor
a row of tables at green career forum with people at each table.
two people speak to an exhibtor at Fervo Energy at green career forum with large windows in background
Last month, EEPS & The Environmental Science Program hosted 38 organizations for the 2nd Annual Rice Green Career Forum. Rice students and beyond explored all the different ways you can work in a "Green" career. Thank you to all of our amazing exhibitors, speakers, & round table discussion leaders!
flyer that says "Igenous is bliss @battle of the bands, Friday February 6th, 7:00 pm, Willy's Pub (RMC Basement)
🌋 Igneous is Bliss will be returning to the Battle of the Bands THIS FRIDAY, and we want YOU there! See you this Friday, February 6th at 7:00 p.m. in Willy's Pub (RMC Basement).
If you believe it's time that the 🪨ROCK is put back into ROCK MUSIC, be sure to come to the show!
📷️ Olympic Flag. The Olympics
To schedule an interview, contact media relations specialists Marcy de Luna at marcy.deluna@rice.edu and Rachel Leeson at rachel.leeson@rice.edu.
Learn more: news.rice.edu/news/2026/ri...
Olympic flag behind Dr. Sylvia Dee with text: "Rice expert, Dr. Sylvia Dee, now available to discuss 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games"
Interested in how weather conditions during Olympic events may be impacted by Earth's evolving climate? EEPS climate Scientist Dr. Sylvia Dee is available to answer all of your questions.
#WinterOlympics #RiceUniversity #RiceEEPS #RiceENVS #Climate #EnvironmentalScience
To schedule an interview, contact media relations specialists Marcy de Luna at marcy.deluna@rice.edu and Rachel Leeson at rachel.leeson@rice.edu.
Learn more: news.rice.edu/news/2026/ri...
Artemis II mission ad with cut out of Rice expert Kirsten Siebach with text "Rice Expert Kirsten Siebach now available to discuss NASA's Artemis II
As the Artemis II mission approaches, #RiceEEPS own Kirsten Siebach is standing by to answer your questions about how robotic exploration of planets such as #Mars can aid upcoming human missions to the moon (Artemis II youtu.be/Ke6XX8FHOHM?...).
📷️ Artemis II mission. NASA
The background is an image of Tim Diedesch kneeling on a rocky plane surrounded by a group of students, all holding notepads. He appears to be demonstrating or lecturing in an outdoor field setting near water. The text on the slide is the post title, which reads: "Rice Lecturer Dr. Tim Diedesch is redefining Field Methods for the 21st Century."
The background of this slide is an image of students wearing backpacks are examining a large, weathered rock formation in a sunny outdoor setting with scattered trees. The text on this slide explains that Diedesch is broadening the focus and inclusivity of field education to make the study of geology relevant and accessible to all students.
The background of this slide is a dramatic landscape photo of the Wave rock formation in New Mexico. The text summarizes the methods and conclusion, stating that Diedesch makes fieldwork accessible with virtual technology, enriches the capstone trip with interactive lessons with Native American partners, and ensures these modernized experiences develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills for any professional challenge.
For Rice lecturer Tim Diedesch, the field is a dynamic classroom where Earth’s stories come alive. By revitalizing field methods with active learning, virtual technologies, and culturally informed partnerships, his work expands the accessibility and relevance of geological training.
#RiceEEPS
Featured from left to right: Top Row: Ellie Moreland, Nyla Hartigan; Bottom Row: Sylvia Dee, Kirsten Siebach
Picture of EEPS scientists: Ellie Moreland, Nyla Hartigan, Sylvia Dee, and Kirsten Siebach with text "EEPS scientists foudn that "Thin ice may have protected lake water on frozen Mars"
#RiceEEPS PhD student Ellie Moreland, undergraduate Nyla Hartigan, and faculty Sylvia Dee and Kirsten Siebach highlighted after using #ClimateModel to help resolve long-standing puzzles about sustained liquid surface water on early #Mars.
Read more here: news.rice.edu/news/2026/th...
Seminar advertisement: The Billion $$$ Samples: Managing Data for NASA's Sample-Return Missions and Samples from Earth. Special guest: Dr. Kerstin Lehnert, January 22nd, 2026, 1 pm; KWGL room 100. Picture of Kerstin with text "Senior Research Scientist, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory"
Join Dr. Kerstin Lehnert, Senior Research Scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, TOMORROW, for a talk titled "The Billion $$$ Samples: Managing Data for #NASA's #SampleReturn Missions and Samples from Earth".
🗓️ Jan 22nd @ 1 pm
📍KWGL, Room 100
#RiceEEPS
Ad that says: Gems, dirt, and oil: A geologic Journey trough civilization starting March 24 picture of gem, lightbold, gold mineral, oil barrel, wind turbine, and hands with dirt in them
Join #RiceContinuingStudies for a short, non-credit course: Gems, Dirt, and Oil: A Geologic Journey Through Civilization, this spring!
This course is open to the public and delivered in person. Learn more here: continue.rice.edu/course?id=58...
#GlasscockSchool #RiceEEPS #RiceU
Slide 3. Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposum- FT. Senior Department Administrator - Lee Willson, Professor Carrie Masiello, and Mary Anne Lebar
Slide 4. Advanced Petrology Field Trip - Grand Canyon - FT. Dr. Cin-Ty Lee
Slide 1. Advanced Petrology Field Trip - Grand Canyon - FT. EEPS Alumni/Current Staff Proteek Chowdhury & Alumni James Eguchi
Slide 2. Cryosphere Field Trip - Whidbey Island - FT. EEPS Alumni
two students sit on an outcrop overlooking the grand canyon
4 people including 2nd from left lee willson (eeps senior department administrator) and first on right (Dr. Carrie Masiello) stare off camera.
a group of students stand in front of a mountain, one points towards it
Dr. Cin-Ty Lee pointing at rock features with the grand canyon in background
What was #RiceEEPS...errr... Rice Earth Science doing in #2016?
✅ Excellent research
✅ Exciting field Work
✅ Amazing outreach
✅ Pointing at outcrops
#2016 #nostalgia #2026 @rains_natsci
Rice EEPS Seminar "Periodic dike intrusions in Kilauea's middle east Rift zone continue post 2018. Special guest: Dr. Emily Montgomery Brown. research geophysicist with the US geological survey. January 15th, 2026 1 pm KWGL room 100.
Join Dr. Emily Montgomery-Brown, Research Geophysicist for the
#USGS, TOMORROW, for a talk titled “ Periodic dike intrusions in Kīlauea's middle East Rift Zone continue post-2018".
🗓️ January 15th @ 1 pm
📍Keith-Wiess Geological Laboratories, Room 100
#RiceEEPS #EarthScience
IRESS 2026 (Industry-Rice Earth Science Symposium) New Frontiers for Geothermal Energy: From Hot Rocks to a Future Low-Carbon Grid April 9-10 - James A. Baker Hall Hosted by Rice University's Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences in partnership with The Rice Sustainability Institute & the Baker Institute's center for energy studies. Full agenda and registration details coming soon: https://eeps.rice.edu/iress-2026
Join Rice University's Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences in partnership with the Rice Sustainability Institute and the #BakerInstitute Center for Energy Studies for #IRESS2026, April 9 and 10th.
#EEPS #EnergyStudies #EarthScience #RiceU, #RiceNatSci
picture of 5 eeps students hiking towards a foggy mountain
Welcome back EEPS! 🥂 Here's to a spring semester filled with smiles, exemplary research, and quality time with our fantastic community.
#RiceEEPS #RiceU #WelcomeBackOwls
