Paleontology, Sedimentary Basins & Surface Processes

The surface of the Earth is the interface between the solid outer shell of the planet and its fluid cover. As such, there are many interactions that occur there which are of critical importance to human kind. At Cornell, we emphasize the links between sedimentary processes and the biosphere, lessons that can be learned from the fossil record about the capacity of the biosphere to adapt to ongoing environmental change, chemical exchanges that are mediated by life, solving the problems of sustainable energy supply, as well as links between surface deformation, topography, and climate.