Understanding volcanoes is important for unlocking the history of our planet and advancing climate science. In today's #RedditAMA, ask @umdgeology.bsky.social's Megan Newcombe your questions about volcanoes on the Earth, the Moon and Mars: redd.it/1u68jcl #astro

Meet the new chair of @umdgeology.bsky.social, Sarah Penniston-Dorland! Since joining the department, Sarah has held various leadership roles on and off campus and mentored over 40 students and postdocs. Read about Sarah's research on metamorphic rocks and more ➡️ go.umd.edu/penniston-dorland

We pleased to announce that Professor Sarah Penniston-Dorland has been named Chair of the Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, effective July 1, 2026. You can read the announcement here: cmns.umd.edu/news-events/...

Tune in for our 2026 Master's and Graduate Certificate Commencement Ceremony today at 8 a.m. ET! Watch the ceremony—including a speech from Tauksik Anil Kumar (M.S. '26, data science)—on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@UMDscience

PhD Student Elizabeth Huang recently competed in the final round of the university-wide Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Elizabeth was one of only 20 3MT Finalists across every college, representing CMNS with her presentation entitled "A Tapestry of Stone." youtu.be/FRIia_5Pxrk?...

Commencement is next week, and we're so excited to celebrate our incredible #ScienceTerp graduates 🎓🎉 CMNS Graduate Commencement: go.umd.edu/1zb9 CMNS Undergraduate Commencement: go.umd.edu/1zbb

Maryland Day was a big success this year! Check out the photo album to see the fun the visitors had at our events. photos.app.goo.gl/8mkzJJ3WUnGo...

By studying volcanic rocks in the Pacific, @umdgeology.bsky.social's Val Finlayson discovered chemical fingerprints dating back 4.5 billion years. Learn what her team's discovery reveals about Earth's history ⤵️ 🪨

Congratulations James!

Jay Kaufman is the recipient of the 2026 the Francis J. Pettijohn Medal for Sedimentology, awarded by the Society for Sedimentary Geology. Jay has been recognized for his "Excellence in Sedimentology." The award ceremony is planned for the 2026 GSA Connects in Denver, October 19-22.

#GivingDayUMD is your chance to support and uplift #ScienceTerps! Even small gifts can have a huge impact. Learn how you can give back to our department programs and support geology students: go.umd.edu/givingdaycmns

Dr. Sujay Kaushal was named as the Goldschmidt Conference F. Earl Ingersol Lecturer for the upcoming meeting in Montreal. F. Earl Ingerson was a founder and the first president of the Geochemical Society. The Ingerson Lecture is named in his honor, and is awarded annually.

At the 2025 University of Maryland Convocation ceremony, Professor Emeritus Michael Brown received the honor of being named a Distinguished University Professor. Watch Provost Rice's citation and Michael's remarks. youtu.be/RlCQxbrUYHw

@umdgeology.bsky.social's Karen Prestegaard studies the links between precipitation, stream baseflow, stormwater runoff and evapotranspiration in the mid-Atlantic region. Ask Karen your questions about freshwater and stormwater flooding in today's Reddit Ask-Me-Anything: redd.it/1ntaqz0

Congrats Mike!

New research revealed that Mars' innermost core appears to be a solid hunk of metal just like Earth's. @umdgeology.bsky.social's Nick Schmerr weighed in on these findings with @sciencex.bsky.social, noting that questions regarding Mars' core are far from settled. 🔭 #PlanetaryScience

Tommaso Mandolini and Travis Hager (University of Maryland) perform hydrostatic mineral carbonation experiments on cylindrical MgO ceramic samples using a triaxial deformation apparatus, GSECARS, June 2025. @umdgeology.bsky.social

@umdgeology.bsky.social Professor Sujay Kaushal's body of research has established that freshwater ecosystems are growing saltier year-round. @washingtonpost.com featured Sujay's important work studying and protecting freshwater ecosystems 🛶

Tune in for our 2025 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony today at 2:30 p.m. ET! Watch the ceremony—including speeches from Adam Wenchel (B.S. '99, computer science) and Jade LeSchack (B.S. '25, physics; B.S. '25, mathematics)—on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@UMDscience

Tune in for our 2025 Graduate Commencement Ceremony this afternoon at 2 p.m. ET! Watch the full ceremony—including our keynote from DataRobot CEO Debanjan Saha (M.S. '93, Ph.D. '95, computer science)—on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/umdscience

Congratulations to Professor Michael Brown who has been selected as a Distinguished University Professor. The title of Distinguished University Professor is the highest appointment bestowed on a tenured faculty member.

If only real volcanoes were this predictable. #mdday

Wenlu Zhu, Megan Ryan, Tommaso Mandolini, and Travis Hager (University of Maryland) conduct an experimental investigation of chemical-mechanical feedback during mineral carbonation, 13 BMD, April 2025. @umdgeology.bsky.social

Congratulations to professor emerita Ann Wylie who has been elected as a 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) "for distinguished contributions to both the field of mineralogy and university administration." cmns.umd.edu/news-events/...

Last week we had our Helz Distinguished Lecture with Dr. Alexander Halliday from Columbia University. He spoke about climate change and how universities and colleges are well suited for the cross-disciplinary research needed to find solutions. youtu.be/3gprr_ETM-E

Geologists Explore Tasmania’s Hidden Gems Through Mud and Mines, Students and Faculty Uncovered Garnets’ Rich Geological Stories today.umd.edu/geologists-e...

#GivingDayUMD is your chance to support and uplift #ScienceTerps! Even small gifts can have a huge impact. Learn how you can give back to our department programs and support geology students: www.geol.umd.edu/giving

Moon is Not As “Geologically Dead” As Previously Thought, New Study Reveals cmns.umd.edu/news-events/...

From the Winter 2025 TERP Magazine... Salt Life: Take a Home Tour to Learn How We’re Worsening Salinity Around the World with Professor Sujay Kaushal. terp.umd.edu/salt-life

Congratulations to Fang-Zhen Teng (Ph.D '05) who was awarded a UMD Alumni Excellence Award in Research. This award recognizes alumni that make positive impacts on the world through their research. Read more about his work: alumni.umd.edu/news/excelle...