Students can learn about the Earth using techniques ranging from seismological and satellite-tracking investigations of crustal motions to remote sensing of surface features. A broad choice of courses is available, ranging from quantitative, computer-oriented aspects of the geological and planetary sciences to field experience and descriptive approaches. The program includes the study of the Earth s component materials, the development of its structures and surface features, and the processes by which these change with time, and the origin, discovery, and protection of its resources water, fuels, and minerals. The department enjoys fruitful relationships with nearby university, industrial, and government geoscience groups within ten miles of the campus. All students have access to these resources as well as to the laboratory and computer facilities of our university, which has a strong commitment to education and research in science and engineering.
Numerous opportunities exist for students to engage in field-oriented projects.
Students may also have summer employment with oil, geological engineering, or hydrologic consulting companies, or they may be involved with field-oriented research projects with Rensselaer faculty members. Areas of Advanced Research and Study In the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, diverse interests of the faculty lead to a wide variety of projects that stimulate educational programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Graduate students pursue specialized study in consultation with their faculty advisers, whose research interests and expertise are matched on an individual basis. Geochemistry and Petrology Ongoing studies in geochemistry include transport of pollutants in surface waters, experimental studies of chemical reactions and transport deep in the Earth, and mineral chemistry applied to models of tectonic evolution. Geophysics Research in geophysics includes field studies of the seismology and tectonics of Asia, Indonesia, western U.S., and the southwestern Pacific.