Graduate Research Opportunities

The Department of Geosciences offers diverse opportunities for graduate research. Students work closely with a research advisor and undertake some combination of field, analytical and theoretical studies. Research is supported by excellent analytical and computing facilities in the department and college, including industry-standard software. Often, research projects are formulated in conjunction with local energy companies, for whom the students may work part time while pursuing their degree.

Projects involving petroleum geosciences may involve sequence stratigraphy of siliciclastic systems, correlation of well logs with seismic data, reservoir characterization in carbonate or clastic systems or fractured systems, seismic design and interpretation, or basin thermal evolution.

Some students undertake studies in biogeosciences, for example the unique biota in alpine acid drainage systems. Cross-disciplinary projects are often undertaken with advisors from multiple departments. Environmental theses may involve characterization of contaminated areas such as brine scars, and design of novel remediation methods. Environmental geophysical studies focus on 3-D mapping of aquifers. There is also active geophysical research at plate tectonic scales, for example the Cascade subduction zone. Research in igneous petrology and geochemistry is focused on mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones, particularly on volatiles in magmas. There are active projects in Lau Basin, Gakkel ridge in the Arctic, and Juan de Fuca Ridge. Other research projects include (but are not limited to) explosive volcanoes, especially those in Italy; structural mapping of Paleozoic plate tectonic history in Oklahoma; subsidence and carbonate deposition of Pacific seamounts; tectonics of the Mariana fore-arc; finite element modeling of geologic structures.