Earth & Environmental Sciences : University of Rochester

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Cliffs above New River

Earth and Environmental Sciences Departmental Goals

Professor and students on a boat on Lake Ontario

Taking Part in a First-of-its-kind Study

Cerdas Formation

Studying Earth Structure, Formation, Climate, and Dynamics

Exploring Global Environmental Issues

Petrenko Ice Lab

Leading Faculty and Researchers

Majors & Minors

Choose from geology, environmental science, environmental studies, and geomechanics.

Graduate Studies

A variety of research choices allows students to specialize in one area, or explore a vast array of interdisciplinary studies.

Research

We specialize in geochemistry, environmental sciences, palaeomagnetism, geodynamics, geological structure and tectonics.

A depiction of Earth, first without an inner core; second, with an inner core beginning to grow, around 550 million years ago; third, with an outermost and innermost inner core, around 450 million years ago.

Feature Story

How did Earth avoid a Mars-like fate? Ancient rocks hold clues

New paleomagnetic research suggests Earth’s solid inner core formed 550 million years ago and restored our planet’s magnetic field.

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News

New Mineral Named After University Alumnus

Dave Mao, '66 MS and '68 PhD had a new mineral named in his honor.

Spotlight

Matt Loman, PhD Candidate

What got you interested in Earth and Environmental Sciences?

A love of nature and a desire to understand and do something about climate change.

Seismograph recording an earthquake

Earthquakes andVolcanoes

Ice Sampling at the Pakitsoq site, West Greenland

Climate andOcean Science

Students doing field work

Plate Tectonics andPaleomagnetism