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.
Seismic tomography is used to reveal deep structures of the lithosphere and mountain belts.
Seismic, magnetic, geodetic, and gravity methods are used to probe local structures, including ancient faults and hydrologic conduits. Remote Sensing Work in geological remote sensing includes the development of interpretive calibrations for mineral abundance and chemistry, water abundance and form, and trace metal abundance for use in geological and astronomical studies. In planetary geology, effort is concentrated on spectral studies of the asteroids and meteorites and on the information they provide concerning the history of the inner solar system and the terrestrial planets. Ongoing research in the hydrological sciences includes investigations of organic pollutant dispersion and degradation in surface and groundwater, studies of heavy metal contamination histories of local water bodies, as well as methods of tracing and predicting contaminant behavior. The undergraduate curricula are flexible, so that students may work in interdisciplinary areas while keeping a major emphasis in earth and environmental sciences.