Department of Earth Sciences

Terms such as “ice sheet instability” and “marine carbon and nutrient cycling” may not mean much to the average person walking around today. However, the information that is held within those scientific terms is important for all of us. Allyson Tessin, Ph.D., assistant professor in Kent State University’s Department of Earth Scienc...

Eric Taylor, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, leads a group of students in the wetland research area on the campus of Kent State University at Stark. The students are measuring the water table at wells of different depths and also testing water quality.  The area serves as an outdoor learning and r...

The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials occurred on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Nearly three weeks later, the media spotlight continues to shine on the village of 4,700 located about 50 miles southeast from the city of Kent. Kent State University faculty members have been contacted by various media ou...

On Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, dozens of Norfolk Southern rail cars derailed, 11 of which contained hazardous materials. In an effort to start repairing the situation, Arcadis, an international company hired by the railroad company, has developed a plan to clean the air, ground and water in the village. On Feb. 14, WFMJ-TV in Yo...

Jessie Maisano graduated in 1994 from Kent State University’s Honors College with her bachelor’s degree in Geology.   Maisano started her time at Kent State University as a Fashion Merchandising major, but once she met Honors College professor, Don Palmer, she was inspired to change her major to Geology and pursue a career path ...

One of Kent State University’s newest faculty members in the Department of Geology has already made her mark with the recent publication of her and her colleagues’ work to better understand the effects of global warming as it relates to the arctic ocean. Allyson Tessin, Ph.D., assistant professor, specializes in biochemistry, oceanograp...

What was even more of a departure than taking classes remotely? Many summer research experiences were moved online this year as well. Fortunately, with creativity and an open mind, there are lots of opportunities to do important scientific research using online tools and data. In summer 2020, the Environmental Science and Design Re...

Most would agree that the main goal of science is to work toward better understanding by sorting out competing hypotheses to find the underlying theories. So, isn’t it ironic that the history of science is sometimes quite messy, for a variety of reasons? When you add decades of systemic oppression of women scientists to the mix, getting at...

Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Geology at Kent State University, was part of an international team of researchers that co-authored an article about a deadly tsunami that occurred about 1,000 years ago in Tanzania. The study suggests that the tsunami risk in East Africa could be higher th...

Scientists report that nearly 14,600 years ago marine-based regions of the Eurasian Ice Sheet melted rapidly, contributing to a major sea-level rise. Does this rapid collapse of massive ice give us clues as to the vulnerability of Earth’s remaining ice sheets? Joseph D. Ortiz, Ph.D., professor and assistant chair in the College of Arts ...