The Department of Earth Sciences provides training in the broad area of marine geology with emphasis on sedimentary problems, with collateral faculty and facilities to provide geochemical, geophysical, structural, ecological and engineering support to sedimentary research. Much work is done in the field of sediment transport in both shallow and deep water environments. Project support comes from National Science Foundation grants and from cooperative work with Geological Survey, NOAA and other governmental agencies from time to time. Some parts of the project work can be used for thesis or dissertation topics.
Shipboard experience is open to all students under the direction of faculty and staff scientists.
Most students will probably take a marine geology course as background rather than as a field of specialization. The environmental information is useful to petroleum geologists, stratigraphers and paleontologists. Students are cautioned that opportunity for work directly in marine sciences is limited due to the small size of the national marine programs and the lack of a large industrial application.