Earth Science

Liz Hajek studies sedimentary rocks to understand how landscapes change and evolve. Hajek and her students often conduct fieldwork in rugged places and use computer models and experiments to reveal the rhythms and dynamics of earth's surface.

Rivers are one of nature's most powerful forces -- they bulldoze mountains and carve up the earth, and their courses are constantly moving. Understanding how they form and how they'll change is important for those that call their banks and deltas home. In this visual-packed talk, geoscientist Liz Hajek shows us how rocks deposited by ancient rivers can be used as a time machine to study the history of the earth, so we can figure out how to more sustainably live on it today