Department of Geosciences
The Department of Geosciences has 20 regular faculty, over 90 graduate students, and nearly 100 undergraduate majors pursuing education, research, and service in the diverse fields of geography, geology, environmental sciences, and natural resources. Research strengths of the department are in igneous petrology, physical and resource geography, geographic information science (all with marine science emphases), geomorphology, geologic structure, sedimentary geology, and surficial processes. The wide range of spatial and temporal scales unique to the geosciences allows study ranging from the atomic to the global and from seconds to millions of years. Students may apply to enroll in either the Geology or Geography program. Together, the programs vertically integrate geosciences study, ranging from the geochemistry of the earth's interior to environmental policy on the earth's land surface and in the oceans. The departmental home is in Wilkinson Hall, which is physically linked to Burt Hall, where the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (COAS) is housed. Strong links to the Marine Geology Program in COAS provide breadth in the geological sciences. Geosciences’ programmatic strengths in petrology and paleoclimatology, paired with the strengths of COAS in ocean geochemistry, sediment transport, and coastal processes, make for one of the strongest combined geosciences graduate programs in the country. The department also has an internationally recognized emphasis in marine GIS.Links: