Planetary Science and Cosmochemistry

Magma Ocean

This area focuses primarily on the study of planets, planetary systems, and the processes that form them.  Understanding the processes that changed the early Earth from a hot magma ocean phase to an Earth with atmosphere-ocean systems and plate tectonics similar to that we are familiar with today is essential for understanding planetary habitability.  It is a strongly interdisciplinary field that draws on knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, such as planetary astronomy, geology, geochemistry, geophysics, atmosphere and ocean science, and the study of extrasolar planets.