Terrain | Environmental data science at UCLA

67Faculty

11Datasets

10Projects

17Programs

Live demo · UCLA campus emissions tracker

ucla_carbon_tracker.Rmd Live

Is UCLA keeping its carbon promise?

Verified campus emissions (Scopes 1–3) vs. UC’s current climate commitment (90% below 2019 by 2045).

N/A

Latest reported

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2045 UC target (t CO₂e)

N/A

Progress to 2045 goal

Reported emissions Linear trend (since 2015) UC commitment path to 2045

Explore the full UC climate dashboard

How it works

How to get started

No prerequisites and no paid software. A clear path from your first dataset to a finished project you can show in class or on a resume.

Grab a dataset

Choose from free environmental datasets on air quality, climate, and pollution burden. Each one includes notes on how to use it, so you can skip the hardest part of getting started.

Follow a starter project

Open a starter notebook in Colab or RStudio and work through it step by step. Several projects and skills lessons include mentor walkthrough videos.

Build something that matters

Apply what you learned in a faculty lab, a community project, or a UCLA research program. Browse programs

Datasets

Real data, ready to use

Selected datasets from our library. All are public, free, and useful for environmental work, with short explainers and starter notebooks.

Environmental Justice

CalEnviroScreen

California's map of pollution burden and community vulnerability, down to the census tract. The backbone of most EJ analysis.

Open explainer →

Air Quality

EPA AirNow

Live and historical air quality readings across the U.S. Great for your first time-series or mapping project.

Open explainer →

Climate

NOAA Climate Data

Temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather records going back decades. A reliable starting point for climate analysis.

Open explainer →

Satellite

NASA Earthdata

Earth observation data from orbit: ice, vegetation, and surface temperature. More advanced formats, but a standard source for satellite work.

Open explainer →

Local

UCLA Emissions Reports

Third-party verified campus GHG inventories (Scopes 1–3) from UC Annual Sustainability Reports. Source for Terrain's carbon tracker.

Open explainer →

Water

USGS Water Data

Streamflow, groundwater, and quality measurements nationwide. Perfect for a drought or watershed project.

Open explainer →

Browse full datasets

Starter projects

Learn by building, with help on hand

One recommended starter at each level. Each has a runnable notebook; several include mentor walkthrough videos.

Use EPA AirNow data to build your first air quality map. The notebook walks you through each step—no prior coding experience required.

EPA AirNowPython~45 min

Watch walkthrough View in project library

Use USGS streamflow data to follow how a river system responds before, during, and after a dry spell. Introduces joining multiple sites and seasonality.

USGS Water DataPython~2 hr

Watch walkthrough View in project library

Download Climate TRACE facility-level greenhouse gas inventory for California, rank the biggest sources by sector, and map where emissions concentrate.

Climate TRACEPython~3 hr

View in project library Read the explainer

Browse all projects Try a Terrain Mission

Faculty directory

Faculty We Recommend

Statistics & Data Science faculty plus IoES-affiliated researchers in AOS, Geography, Environmental Health Sciences, and related departments. Search by name or topic, then draft or copy an email from any card.

How to email a professor

Keep it short (about 150 words). Mention something specific about their work, say what you have done so far, and ask for a 15-minute meeting.

Use your UCLA email and proofread before you send. New to research? See Undergraduate Research (URC).

Programs

What to do after your first project

Selected programs from our full guide: degrees, capstones, fellowships, and research opportunities, with links to official UCLA pages.

Capstone · Undergrad

IoES Senior Practicum

A full year solving a real environmental problem for a real client. NRDC, LA County, NPS, and more. The main applied experience for Environmental Science majors.

Full year · 14 units · seniors

Official overview ↗

Fellowship · Stipend

Field Fellowship for Environmental Justice

Paid placements with environmental justice organizations through the Luskin Center for Innovation. Fellows do action research with mentorship from community partners.

220+ hrs · $4k–$7.5k stipend

How to apply ↗

Internship · NASA

NASA EarthRISE Developers Academy

10-week satellite data projects for real partners (wildfire, water, air quality). Many UCLA students participate through the JPL node in Pasadena.

10 weeks · spring / summer / fall

NASA program page ↗

Browse all programs

Get updates when we add new material

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