Strata | College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences

Strata magazine is a twice-yearly Earth science research publication produced by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Launched in 2021, the magazine seeks to inspire and inform readers about the college's top-notch research and the importance of the Earth sciences in understanding planetary change.

From the editor

The truth about geography

When I started as a science writer in CEOAS, hired to help promote the range of amazing science done in the college to diverse audiences, I already knew a fair amount about oceanography. I knew a little less about geology and atmospheric science, but they overlapped enough with my time as a marine scientist to understand those bodies of work.

But geography was another beast altogether. What is geography? I really didn’t know, honestly. I just thought it had something to do with making maps.

It has been one of the biggest joys of my job to learn the truth about geography, a discipline that is as much about people as it is about places. Geographers study how the planet is changing, and how human populations are responding to (and causing!) that change.

I am happy to introduce Strata readers to a sampling of the kinds of research CEOAS scientists are conducting that involve use or creation of geospatial data and maps. They are mapping snow, plankton, forests and bird populations. They are engaging with communities and grappling with new ways of understanding our world. Please enjoy our cover story, as well as a story focused on geographer Jim Thatcher’s work with colleagues (including students) on ferreting out remaining restrictive housing covenants in Benton County.

You’ll also find a story about how marine viruses may act as Trojan horses, and you’ll meet the new director of the Gaulke Center for Marine Innovation and Technology, along with so much more.