phd research topics in geology

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Establish graduate training and research in the Department, among the top Earth and Environmental Science research departments in the country, by carrying out nationally and internationally recognized research across the broad range of geoscience disciplines;
Train students for productive careers in industry, academia, and government by providing innovative teaching and mentoring and opportunities for participation in cutting edge research activities; and
Connect with the broader UMass and scientific community concerning research in Earth processes, global change, and human geography.

Who are we?

From 2008-2018, women comprised 50% of enrolled graduate students and over 60% within the last few years of this timespan. Our department attracts and enrolls a greater portion of women graduate students than the national average for geology ( AGI currents #110 42% women). Over the past 10 years, minority graduate students (Asian, Black, Hawaii/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Native American and multiple ethnicities) have comprised, on average, 14% of our enrolled US citizen and permanent resident graduate students. This is comparable to the national average of PhDs conferred to under-represented groups across all US Geosciences departments ( 16% NCSES Survey of Earned Doctorates in 2017) .

Group photo of department members from Geosciences Spring Picnic 2019

What are Geosciences graduate students working on?

Geoscience MS and PhD students pursue a wide range of research questions using world class approaches and tools. Their research spans topics in solid earth, surficial processes, hydrogeology and climate studies. You can learn more from the listing of graduate students that includes their research area and their advisor(s). See our Twitter Feed and/or our listing of News and Events for projects involving our graduate students.

Geosciences graduate students are also engaged in a wide range of outreach, science communication and diversity and inclusion efforts. Our commitment to the importance of outreach efforts in the development of well-rounded PhD scientists is highlighted by our recent decision to require the inclusion of a broader impacts section in PhD dissertation proposals, mirroring the style of an NSF proposal.

Some examples of outreach:

Shaina Rogstad’s Interviews with media about climate change

Laura Fattaruso’s weekly radio show about STEM research at UMass with comic co-host. Link to shows on soundcloud .
Adriane Lam co-founded Time Scavengers , a blog which interviews earth scientists geared towards the general public.
Many graduate students have been involved with a variety of K-12 education through Eureka Girls Inc., Boy Scout and Girl Scout badge activities and annual visits of 8th graders to physical science labs.

Professional Development

In addition to the many excellent professional development offerings of the UMass Graduate School , the Geosciences graduate program includes several seminars, opportunities and resources for professional development.

1st year MS and PhD seminars (1 credit): Each Fall,we offer 1st-year MS and PhD seminars (GeoSci 797A for PhD and GeoSci 797R for MS) that provide an overview of the graduate requirements and discuss various tools and strategies for success (e.g., proposal writing, research methods and ethics, science communication, time management, non-technical skills, advisor management, networking, and preparing for the next career stage).

Leadership opportunities: Geosciences graduate students are leaders within the department, on campus and in our communities. Within the department, graduate students can hone their leadership skills by participating in and leading various committees, such as hiring committees, the Workplace Climate committee and the Bromery speaker committee.
Graduate travel fund: The Geosciences program receives a small allocation from the graduate school each year to support travel to conferences for students presenting research who do not have other means of travel support.
Alumni Grants: Each Spring, graduate students apply for research funding from various funds established by alumni to support the department. We are very grateful for the generous support of our alum. The funds go to support research expenses, travel to the field etc.

Where do Geosciences graduate students get jobs?

The following pie charts show where recent graduate alumni are employed. Data are for alum who graduated from 2012 through December 2018. Our MS and PhD students go on to jobs within both academia and industry/consulting.

A bulletin board across from our department office features the business cards of various alumni. Our alumni typically retain strong ties to the department, and we are looking into different ways to increase their engagement with the graduate program.

What degrees are offered?

Master of Science in Geosciences

In addition to the general admission requirements of the Graduate School, the requirements for admission to the Geosciences M.S. are equivalent to our Geology or Earth Systems undergraduate degree.

The Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences offers two alternative tracks toward the master’s degree: the thesis track and the project (non-thesis) track. Either track can prepare students for employment or for a PhD. The advisor and student together decide whether to the student will take the thesis or project track.

The thesis track is appropriate for those with strongly focused research interests. Coursework of students in the thesis track is typically focused on the broad field related to the planned thesis area. The student completes an in-depth research project and writes a thesis summarizing that study. Students in this track have a MS thesis defense at the end of their program.

The project track hosts the 1-year hydrology M.S. concentration. Students in this concentration take their M.S. credits in coursework related to hydrogeology. In lieu of a research project, 1-year hydrogeology students take 2 independent studies focused on field hydrogeology methods and data analysis. Additionally, many students take an additional independent study or project focused on advanced hydrogeologic analysis. The final comprehensive exam occurs in the second semester of residence.

The average time to degree for MS students over the past 10 years (2008-2018) is 2.5 years. This average includes both 1-yr hydro students who typically take 1 year and students who take a leave from their studies and finish their MS while working full time. Graduating students rank the Geosciences MS program high (greater than 1 standard deviation from the mean of all UMass MS programs) in the following areas: 1) If you were to start your doctoral studies over again would you select UMass and 2) overall quality of program.

Semester 1:

first year MS seminar GeoSci 797R
Decide on thesis or project track (set up thesis committee or project examination committee)
GeoSci 701 Professional seminar and other courses

Semester 2:

Write thesis proposal
Apply for department alumni grants to support summer research

Semester 3:

Give a research presentation to the department or a professional meeting
GeoSci Professional seminar and other courses

Semester 4:

Defend thesis

Doctor of Philosophy in Geosciences

From 2011 to 2018 the Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences has graduated 28 PhD students with an average time to degree completion of 5.5 years. Doctoral students rank the Geosciences high (greater than 1 standard deviation from the mean of all UMass doctoral programs) in the following areas:

Overall quality of academic experience ,
If you were to start your doctoral studies over again would you select UMass
Intellectual quality of faculty
Quality of academic advising and guidance
Training received prior to undertaking independent research

first year PhD seminar GeoSci 797A
Set up preliminary exam committee
GeoSci701 Professional seminar and other courses
Preliminary exam (perform a literature review and critical analysis of a paper). Passing this exam qualifies students as PhD candidates.
Apply for department alumni grants to support summer research (each Spring)
Annual PhD student self-assessment due each year on Sept 1.
Prepare for Prospectus defense - independently developed research proposal including broader impacts

Semester 4 :

Defend dissertation prospectus

Semesters 5-8:

Develop research, present at meetings and department venues.
Write papers
Assist in proposal writing
Engage in outreach and/or broader impacts that expand the impact of research.
Defend Dissertation

MS/PhD program

The Geosciences program does not accept students without a MS degree into the PhD program. Students with a bachelor’s degree who wish to pursue a PhD can apply for the MS/PhD track which allows students to go straight from the MS to the PhD program upon completion of their MS. Some students in the MS/PhD project follow the project track of the MS where the PhD preliminary exam serves also serves as the MS comprehensive exam. The advisor and student together decide whether the student will pursue the project or thesis track.

How to Apply?

Graduate School information for all applicants (U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and non-citizens) may be found on the Graduate School website.

January 5th is the deadline for the receipt of application materials for acceptance into the Geosciences M.S. or Ph.D. program beginning the following September. We do consider students for January start (application due in Fall) but we seldom have TA funds available for students who are admitted ‘off-cycle’. Applications will be considered complete and the review process starts when the graduate school receives:

Application with Personal Statement
Application Fee
All Transcripts
Minimum of Two Letters of Recommendation
Responses to four supplemental prompts (listed below) are entered at this link
Residency statement (if applying as Massachusetts resident)
Social Security number (if claiming tax education credit)
International students should check the graduate school's web page for additional requirements .

Supplemental questions for applicants to the Geosciences MS and PhD programs

The required supplement at this link asks about your potential research interests and collects your responses to four prompts. We ask about research interests to make sure that faculty with interests that overlap yours see your application. We ask for responses to four supplemental prompts in order to learn some specific information about you that you may or may not have included in your personal statement.

We have found that the following traits bode well for success in our graduate program and for the past few years we have been assessing applicants based on these traits: 1) perseverance, 2) independence, 3) curiosity, 4) ability to work in teams, 5) maturity and, 6) communication skills (written and oral). To be admitted we don’t expect each candidate to excel at every one of these traits; we recognize that you will hone and grow your skill set while in graduate school. To be admitted, we do expect candidates to show strength in many of these traits and to recognize the value of these skills for success in graduate school.

The four prompts in the supplemental material provide an opportunity for you to describe in a paragraph or two how you demonstrate strengths that can serve you well in our program. You may copy and paste elements directly from your personal statement. You might also share these prompts with your reference letter writers so that they can speak to your strengths. The character limit for each response is 32,000 characters.

What motivates you to apply for our program? Graduate school is a multiyear commitment to learning and to a research project. The decision to attend graduate school is a major step in your career. Please tell us what motivates you to go to graduate school and why you think the Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences at UMass is where you would like to go?
Tell us about your perseverance and maturity Completing graduate-level coursework, independent study, and research definitely requires perseverance in handling deadlines, challenges, and even failures along the way. Briefly describe a challenging time (one where you did not fully succeed in achieving a goal or completing a task) and describe how you responded to that and what you learned from that experience. Then, briefly describe an experience where you struggled through a challenging time but eventually succeeded. What helped you get through that struggle and the stress associated with it?
What was the purpose or goal of your team?
What role(s) did you play on the team (leader, synthesizer, heavy-lifter, etc.) that contributed to its success?
What did you learn about successful teamwork and/or team culture through the experience?
Tell us about your independence, curiosity and problem-solving skills Conducting research as a graduate student requires curiosity in developing a question or hypothesis and independence along with creative problem-solving in conducting self-directed research. Please describe a time when you took initiative on something, either academic or outside of academics, that highlights some of these qualities.

If interested in graduate studies in Geosciences at UMass, contact potential advisors about potential research topics and also ask if they are taking new students. Our faculty have expertise in a wide range of topics as evidenced from the short descriptors next to each on the faculty listing . Individual faculty web pages offer a good place to start learning about research opportunities but keep in mind that these pages could be out of date, so it is always a good idea to contact Project Investigators (PIs) about ongoing projects and plans for future projects. Due to the competitive application process, we do not admit any graduate students without a PI sponsor who is willing to mentor and advise the student. When you contact a faculty member about sponsoring you, be sure to include your resume and a brief (and specific!) description of why you would like to join their group.

Note that faculty are extremely busy and sometimes get behind in responding to emails. It is your responsibility to follow-up either by phone or another email.

Acceptance into the Geosciences graduate program depends upon meeting academic standards, having faculty support and securing funding. Competition is stiff; even highly qualified students are not necessarily guaranteed acceptance. Stellar students who secure grants or fellowships are particularly appealing to advisors, as they already have a proven track record and bring their own funding. Students with research experience, excellent letters of reference and publications are also at an advantage.

After submitting your application, potential advisors may reach out to you to schedule an interview. Here are some potential questions for applicant interviews

What characteristics are most important in a good advisor?
In what kind of work environment are you more comfortable?
What characteristics do you think are important to be a good teacher?
How would one of your professors describe you?
Read the attached file before our interview and prepare some questions. I want to know what interests you about the paper and what wasn’t clear. I don’t expect you to understand everything in the paper.
Interests outside of school?
In just a few sentences, tell us about a recent geosciences paper that you read. What was the paper about and what did you find really interesting about the study or its findings? (Please don’t choose a paper authored by one of our faculty)
If you could, would you have changed anything about your academic experience so far?
Describe one of your role models. Why do you look up to them? How have they influenced your thoughts and/or actions?

How does funding typically work?

Each year we receive applications from 50-75 students, most of whom are academically well-qualified. Of those, we are able to fund only 5-8 students. Our program does not accept students for whom it cannot provide financial support, thus many admission decisions come down to availability of funding.

The Geosciences program has limited means to provide financial support. The faculty member who sponsors your application must agree to provide a substantial portion of your financial package through their research grants. It is therefore important to convince prospective advisors that you are a good investment.

Most Geosciences graduate students are supported by a combination of Teaching Assistantships (TA, provided through the Geosciences program) and Research Assistantships (RA, provided by advisors). Typically we offer 2 years of support to MS students and 4 years of support to PhD students. Students to the MS/PhD program are typically offered 2 years of funding for their MS with an additional 2 years of funding conditional on completion of the MS. This support may be TA, RA, fellowship or some combination. Students who take longer than 2 years for the MS or 4 years for the PhD can be funded on RAs when available from their advisor. Whether a student is supported by a TA or an RA, their tuition and most fees are waived.

A number of Geosciences students have their own support, such as NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. or Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants, or other extramural funding. These programs provide wonderful opportunities for students and also free students from obligations associated with specific TA and RA appointments. We strongly encourage both incoming and continuing students to apply for extramural funding.

Each year, one or two new graduate students are partially funded by one-year University Fellowships. These fellowships are allocated at admission and the details are explained in the offer of admission.

Fellowships for students from URM groups

In the 1970’s pioneer geophysicist Randolph ‘Bill’ Bromery led the department of Geosciences and afterwards went on to lead the University as chancellor. A generous donation from Bill and Cecile Bromery has established the Bromery fellowship for students from under-represented (URM) groups within geology and earth sciences. The Geosciences program is very proud of the accomplishments of its past and current Bromery fellows.

The UMass graduate school offers Spaulding-Smith fellowship s for graduate students from URM groups. Nominations for these highly competitive fellowships are made by the Graduate Program Director during the admissions process.

The Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences also participates in the The School of Earth and Sustainability's NSF-supported ELEVATE fellowship program . PhD students conducting research at the intersections of climate science, social equity, energy economics and policy, and electricity technology are encourage to apply.

We are honored to be part of the inaugural group 14 AGU Bridge partner programs to increase the number of underrepresented students obtaining a Ph.D. in the geosciences. AGU Bridge is part of the larger IGEN netway to develop, adopt, and share inclusive practices for recruiting, admitting and retaining women and underrepresented students in STEM graduate programs.

Please contact the Geosciences Graduate Program Director ( Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette ) for any questions or more information about these programs

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Research overview

As a Geology PhD student at the Camborne School of Mines , you will lead research projects that have a significant impact on both your chosen field of study and wider society. We work on a variety of different topics including ore deposit geology, volcanology, palaeontology, palaeoclimate, and structural geology. We have strong links with the mining industry, and also with colleagues in the Geography and Biosciences departments to address issues of past environmental and ecological change.

Potential students with more of a focus on mining engineering, mineral processing, or the environmental impacts of mining may wish to investigate our Mining and Minerals PhD program instead.

Research Groups

Research groups at the Camborne School of Mines conduct research spanning the full range of the geosciences. Groups with a significant Geology focus include:

Active Earth

Our Active Earth research group encompasses multi-disciplinary exploration into volcanology, geophysics, natural hazards, and geothermal processes. We address global challenges around clean energy supply and hazard forecasting, risk, and resilience, while collaborating with industry partners, other research groups, and volcano observatories to deliver high-impact interdisciplinary projects.

Active Earth »

Ore deposits and critical metals

We work to promote sustainable development through future supplies of raw materials. We research the fundamental geological processes that form ore deposits and apply mineralogical studies to more efficient and environmentally friendly mineral processing and metals stewardship. We work particularly on:

Critical metals: rare earths (REE), platinum group elements, niobium, tantalum, indium, tungsten, lithium.
Granites and metamorphic rocks in South West England and associated ore deposits.
Processes in large magma chambers such as the Skaergaard intrusion, Greenland.
The Earth’s most unusual volcanoes that erupt carbonate (‘carbonatite’) magmas.

We have a Critical Metals Alliance with the British Geological Survey .

Ore deposits and critical metals »

Deep time global change

The Deep Time Global Change group's interest lies in understanding the geological history and governing processes behind some of the major environmental changes that have affected the Earth through deep time. Our work spans the planetary realms from lithosphere to atmosphere, and an age range from the Precambrian to the Quaternary. We work with samples from cores and outcrops, collected as a result of field programmes or through participation in international scientific drilling programmes.

Deep time global change »

South West England research

Historically, Camborne School of Mines has worked closely on many major regional projects, and continues to play an integral role in further understanding the processes that led to the geological evolution of the region and formation of the world-class polymetallic orefield.

Active projects are centered on current global research trends:

Critical metals and their association with granite magmatism and mineralisation
Advanced geoscience modelling of SW England using the Tellus South West data
Developing a strategy for improved targeting of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) energy resources in SW England
Tectono-magmatic controls on granite pluton construction on the formation of the SW England metallogenic province
Variscan/post-Variscan tectonic evolution
Upper Palaeozoic stratigraphy and sedimentology
Deep Digital Cornwall

South West England research »

Mining, environment and society

Research based mainly on environmental or social aspects of mining, such as environmental mineralogy, health and safety, mining-related policy, and social license to operate is grouped together here. Many of the large technical projects at Camborne School of Mines also contain environmental and social work packages.

Mining, environment and society »

Entry requirements

An appropriate degree in Geology or Mining or a related subject, normally at 2:1 level or above.

Requirements for international students

If you are an international student, please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile E: view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country .

PhD and Research Programme application process

The information below applies to self-funded PhD, MPhil and Masters by Research applicants, but if you are applying for a funded PhD studentship, please follow the specific instructions related to that application.

Pinpoint your PhD research area
Investigate whether this area is available at Exeter
Ensure that you meet our English language entry requirements (international students only)
Construct and refine your PhD research proposal
Approach your potential supervisor(s)

PhD studentships pages can be accessed in our Funding lists on Finance tabs under each research topic page, and are also available from the Postgraduate Research search results pages on this site, on the PhD projects tab.

Full details of the application process can be found on our Apply now webpage .

Fees and funding

Fees 2024/25

Tuition fees per year 2024/25

Home : £4,900 full-time; £pro-rata part-time
International : £28,500 full-time

For those studying for more than one year, our fees are expected to increase modestly in line with Consumer Price Inflation measured in December each year. More information can be found on our Student Finance webpages .

Fees 2023/24

Tuition fees per year 2023/24

Home : £4,712 full-time; £pro-rata part-time
International : £26,500 full-time

Fees 2022/23

Tuition fees per year 2022/23

Home : £4,596 full-time; £pro-rata part-time
International : £24,500 full-time

Supervision

We are continuously investing in growing and expanding our research expertise, awith a record of attracting major projects and talented individuals.
Weekly gatherings take place over tea and cake, ensuring strong relationships are built with every member.
In addition to your project supervisor, every student is assigned a mentor who falls outside your project for personal support and advice.

Find a supervisor

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PhD Program in Geology & Environmental Science

The Ph.D. is a research degree that represents the highest level of academic accomplishment in any field. Persons with this degree are expected to have demonstrated the ability to conduct independent research and also should have the level and breadth of knowledge about their field that one could reasonably expect of someone who has attained the highest academic degree in their field. Research performance, evidenced by preparation of a dissertation on an independently pursued research topic, is the primary requirement for the Ph.D. degree. Each program is designed in consultation with a faculty advisor to meet the needs of the student.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires completion of 72 credits, of which 36 must be formal lecture and laboratory courses. Completion of a preliminary assessment examination is required in order to guide selection of remaining courses.

Preliminary Exam

Students admitted to the graduate program take a suite of six courses in their first two years in residence. The “preliminary examination” in the Department of Geology & Environmental Science is based on the student's record of performance in these courses. Students will be considered to pass the preliminary exam when they have achieved a grade of “B” or better in each of the courses. The student must take GEOL 2001 and GEOL 2468, in addition to three “core” courses from the list below, which are relevant to their research. In addition, students should take at least one course from a subfield markedly outside their research area. This course must be approved by the graduate committee.

The courses in the Graduate Handbook are offered at least once every other year. Other classes not on this list may be added upon approval of the student’s advisor and the graduate committee.

Course Requirements

The minimum requirement for the Ph.D. degree is seventy-two (72) credits. These include lecture, laboratory, seminar, topics courses, and thesis research credits. A minimum of thirty-six (36) credits must be from formal courses and at least eighteen (18) of the credits must be taken within the Department of Geology and Environmental Science. A maximum of eight (8) credits numbered below 2000 may be applied toward graduation requirements with prior approval. No course numbered below 1000 may be applied toward graduation requirements.

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained for all formal courses taken. Students with full graduate status will be placed on probation if the cumulative grade point average falls below the minimum grade point level. If a Master of Science degree is awarded from the Department prior to admission, then at least forty-two (42) additional credits are required.

Comprehensive Examination

The intention of the comprehensive overview examination is to facilitate the student’s progress toward publishing their first paper, while at the same time using the exams as a means to assess the student’s research ability and accomplishments. The written portion of the exam constitutes a research proposal or manuscript, whereas the oral exam is comprised of a seminar-style presentation followed by verbal questions by the graduate committee. The comprehensive overview exam overall will incorporate assessment of “breadth” by both the committee assessment of the introductory and background sections of the writing sample, as well as during the questioning period of the oral exam. In addition to background assessment, the oral examination questions will focus on material directly related to the major field of research and the planned dissertation research and related subjects.

The written and oral comprehensive overview exams must be taken before the 7th semester of residence in the Ph.D. program, typically during third year. The written exam (i.e., the proposal or manuscript) must be passed before the oral is scheduled. After passing both written and oral examinations (as well as the requirements of the preliminary exam), the student is admitted to “Ph.D. candidacy”. Therefore, it is to the student’s advantage to complete all requirements as soon as possible. However, the student does not need to complete all degree plan classes before the comprehensive overview exams. In particular, examining committees can require additional course work be taken as an outcome of the oral comprehensive overview exam.

Comprehensive Overview Written Exam:

The written portion of the exam can either constitute a longer research proposal or manuscript based on your own research results, or a shorter research proposal or manuscript combined with answering written questions from the student’s advisor. The choice will be made by the student’s advisor upon consultation with the student’s committee. The written document should be on a topic closely related to the student’s proposed dissertation research. It should typically be in the range of 12-15 single spaced pages (for the long format) and 6-8 single spaced pages (for the short format), including figures and references. Documents should adhere to standard formatting conventions. The balance of introductory information, preliminary data, and proposed research should be discussed with the student’s advisor prior to the written exam. In lieu of the formal proposal or manuscript format, students may opt to write a paper that summarizes work they have done to date in a form that prepares it for publication, and then adds on an extended “future work” section that constitutes the proposed dissertation research. If the proposal format is chosen, students should follow the format of one of the major research granting agencies such as

The National Science Foundation ( www.nsf.gov ),
The Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) Program of NASA
The National Research Initiative Competitive Grant Program of the USDA ( http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/nationalresearchinitiative.cfm ), or
The Science to Achieve Results (STAR) competitive grant program of the US EPA ( http://www.epa.gov/ncer/ ). For which proposal guidelines can be obtained from their web sites. For the comprehensive exam document, budgets, CVs, and other ancillary materials required by funding agencies are not necessary.

The five-person examining committee for the written and oral exam must include the four faculty members from the GES department who serve on your advisory committee and one additional outside committee member. The outside committee member can participate in the oral exam in person or via teleconference. Participation by teleconference must be approved by the graduate dean’s office before the oral exam

After you have completed the written document, send one complete copy to each committee member. The committee will have a minimum of two weeks to review the proposal.
The committee will rate the written document and relay their ratings to the advisor and the rest of the committee as (1) pass, (2) pass with reservations (meaning that some rewriting is necessary), (3) fail but can retake, or (4) fail without the possibility of retaking the exam.

The results of the written examination are reported on the comprehensive overview exam report form, signed by your adviser and the DGS. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the oral examination. The oral exam cannot be scheduled before the results of the written examination are reported.

Comprehensive Overview Oral Exam:

The oral exam and its accompanying dossier is the last major milestone before Ph.D. candidacy. The oral exam consists of two parts:

Seminar-like presentation on your proposed dissertation research
Committee questions, which pertain to the presentation but also extend across your areas of expertise

It is the student’s responsibility to find a time at which the committee can meet for the exam, to arrange an appropriate exam room, and to see that the necessary audio-visual facilities are available.

The seminar presentation is open to all members of the faculty in addition to the committee and should include a description of the proposed work, the scientific basis and need for the work, and the progress made to date. The presentation should be scheduled to last no longer than 30 minutes, though it may last longer if the committee and faculty ask questions during the presentation. The question-answer phase may last for several additional hours. Oral exams usually take most of a morning or afternoon; a minimum of three hours should be reserved for this exam. Non-committee faculty members are allowed to stay for any/all parts of the oral exam.

Committees and advisors vary somewhat in the way they conduct the question-answer part of the oral exam and in the amount of information they are willing to provide the student in advance. It generally is a good idea to meet with each member of your committee before the exam date to obtain their perspectives on what is expected. For example, one might ask each person ‘How do you suggest I prepare for the oral exam?’

In addition to the background material related to their research direction, it is expected that students have good working knowledge of big-picture topics related to Earth and Environmental Science, appropriate to their degree stage and particular academic direction. The student should be prepared to:

Explain the importance of the research, describe future research plans and demonstrate knowledge of scientific principles behind any methods used.
Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts in core areas of geologic and environmental science, as well as in the student’s areas of expertise.

Examining committees are established to protect the academic standards of the program, however their goal is to see that students succeed. No committee wishes to see a student fail. The committee might be interested in seeing you apply your knowledge to theorize answers to questions to which you do not know the answer. Thus, while committee members may test the limits of a student’s knowledge, the inability to answer every question will not automatically result in a failure.

At the conclusion of the examination, the committee discusses and votes on the outcome, following rules prescribed.

Possible outcomes are pass, pass with reservations, or fail.
The committee may decide to allow a student who fails the oral exam to retake it one more time.
Pass with reservation indicates that the committee was not satisfied with some aspect(s) of the student’s knowledge or preparation; however, this does pass the student to Ph.D. Candidacy. The specific deficiencies and requirements for rectifying these deficiencies (e.g., additional coursework, writing a review paper, etc.) must be explained to the student immediately after the exam, and a written explanation is provided on the exam report. The reservation must be lifted, by approval of the advisor and DGS, before the student can proceed to the final dissertation defense.

Admission to Candidacy

Following successful completion of the comprehensive examination, and completion of the dissertation overview, the student may apply to the Dean for Admission to Candidacy. Admission to candidacy constitutes a promotion of the student to the most advanced stage of graduate study and provides formal approval to devote exclusive attention to research and writing of the dissertation.

Dissertation

Each Ph.D. candidate must prepare a dissertation demonstrating successful completion of the research project as well as competency in the methods and techniques of scientific investigation in the field of her/his area of specialization. The dissertation must be clearly, logically, and carefully written. The Major Advisor must approve of the content, format, and grammar prior to submission of the dissertation to the Dissertation Committee. The dissertation should contain an introductory statement, including appropriate justification of the research, a description of the methods and observations of the investigation, evaluation of the significance and meaning of the results, and a final summary. Each Ph.D. student must submit at least one manuscript to a peer-review journal prior to graduation and present research results at both a departmental colloquium and at a meeting of a national or international scientific organization. Dissertation Defense Each Ph.D. candidate must formally defend her/his submitted dissertation. The defense is a public meeting, and the notice should therefore list the title of the dissertation and the time and location of the event.

The Dissertation Committee conducts the defense of the doctoral dissertation. The student will begin the dissertation defense with a presentation summarizing her/his research topic and results. Following the oral summary and a general question-and answer period, visitors will be asked to leave and the student will then defend her/his research by answering questions posed by the Dissertation Committee. The dissertation will be formally accepted or rejected by the Dissertation Committee at the defense and the committee will decide what, if any, revisions should be made.

Expected Rate of Progress through Graduate Milestones

Ph.D. in Geology

Build the skills and expertise in independent research that are the foundation for your geology career.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you'll conduct extensive fieldwork and build analytical skills in state-of-the-art labs and facilities. Experienced, accessible faculty are committed to seeing you achieve your research goals as you build skills for professional success.

Why earn a Ph.D. in geology?

*Priority deadline

If you're an international student, refer to the international application process for deadlines.

As a Geology Ph.D. candidate, you'll:

Conduct research advancing theoretical and applied science
Prepare to teach at the college level or for a career in advanced research

Areas of geology faculty emphasis include:

Hydrogeology and environmental geology
Economic geology of petroleum, coal and mineral resources
Sedimentology, stratigraphy and paleontology
Geomorphology and glacial geology
Petrology and geochemistry
Geophysics and tectonics

And interdisciplinary projects involving topics such as integrated basin analysis, surface mining and reclamation, and underground coal gasification.

Geology Ph.D. Program Requirements

You'll complete:

Two consecutive semesters in residence during the first two years of your studies.
Complete a qualifying exam (that includes a research proposal)
Submit a series of peer-reviewed journal and conference papers
Successfully defend a dissertation

UND's Ph.D. in Geology

Access the largest geoscience library in the upper Midwest, which contains 100,000 maps and 50,000 volumes.

We are diverse. Students in UND's Geology program come from around the country, and world.

The Geology program is based in the four-story, 70,000-square-foot Leonard Hall. It's a state-of-the-art facility for research in geophysics, hydrogeology, petroleum engineering, mining and more.

The Wilson M. Laird Core and Sample Library , across from Leonard Hall, contains cores from nearly every oil well drilled in North Dakota and is an invaluable research resource.

Enhance your professional skills at 60+ free workshops offered through the UND School of Graduate Studies. Our goal is to provide you with the workforce skills and job search strategies to succeed.

Study at a Carnegie Doctoral Research Institution ranked #151 by the NSF. Students are an integral part of UND research.

What can I do with a Ph.D. in geology?

Median salary for geoscientists, top 10% earner

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Expected job growth for geoscientists to 2032

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Job Outlook

A geology degree is the gateway to careers in a wide range of fields. Employers include:

Environmental and engineering geology companies
Federal government
Laboratories
Mining and mineral industries
Oil and gas industry
State geological surveys
Universities and colleges

Typical careers include:

Operations geologist
Biostratigrapher
Senior geologist
Maturation geologist
Structural geologist
Sedimentologist
Stratigrapher

Ph.D. in Geology Courses

GEOL 530. Topics in Physical Hydrogeology. 2 Credits.

Selected topics in groundwater, vadose-zone hydrology, fracture flow, analytical/numerical modeling, GIS and hydrology, and wetland soils/hydrology. Repeatable when topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Repeatable to 8.00 credits. F,S.

GEOL 511. Advanced Structural Geology. 4 Credits.

Reading and research in special topics in structural geology and geotectonics.

GEOL 523. Topics in Advanced Geomorphology. 1-4 Credits.

Selected topics in geomorphic processes and landforms. Prerequisite: GEOL 311 . Repeatable to 4.00 credits.

GEOL 560. Geothermics I. 3 Credits.

A survey of the methods of geothermal exploration, assessment and production. The course covers the various methods for discovery and characterization of geothermal resources. Methods for assessment of energy in place and determination of recoverable energy are covered in depth. Current technologies for energy extraction and power production are presented with current examples. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Corequisite: Permission of instructor. On demand.

GEOL 551. Heat Flow. 3 Credits.

An exploration of Earth's thermal structure, thermal history and heat sources. The course begins with the theory of heat transfer within and through the surface of terrestrial planets. Methods of observation and modeling provide hands-on experience in field and laboratory activities. Applications of heat flow in tectonics, petrology, thermal maturity of kerogen, hydrogeology, geothermics and climate change are presented with current examples. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Corequisite: Permission of instructor. On demand.

GEOL 540. Water Sampling and Analysis. 3 Credits.

Techniques of water and sediment sampling and analysis using equipment in the UND Water Quality Laboratory. Results are interpreted in the context of the natural systems from which the samples are taken. Enrollment is limited to eight students per section. A laboratory fee is required. Prerequisite: CHEM 121 .

Leaders in Geology

With hands-on learning guided by experienced professionals, you'll conduct ground breaking research at UND.

UND geologist unearths world’s oldest ice

Check out the faculty you'll work with at UND or discover additional education opportunities.

Harold Hamm School of Geology & Geological Engineering
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Applied Geology - Ph.D.

Applied Geology. Our program offers rigorous coursework, research opportunities, and practical experience in the field, preparing you for a successful career in the industry. With experienced faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and real-world experiences, you'll gain the skills and knowledge needed to solve complex geology challenges and make a meaningful impact.

Program Coordinator: David Singer | [email protected] | 330-672-3006
Connect with an Admissions Counselor: U.S. Student | International Student

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Program Information

Full description.

The Ph.D. degree in Applied Geology prepares students for careers in industry and academic institutions where research into the application of geological principles focuses on solutions to basic and applied research questions. Focus areas include environmental research (water, surface and subsurface processes; geohazards; and natural resources), as well as evolution of earth's systems research (climate change, paleoecology and evolution, crustal processes).

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website . For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website .

Admission Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college
Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000 point scale
Official transcript(s)
Goal statement
Three letters of recommendation
Minimum 550 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
Minimum 79 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
Minimum 77 MELAB score
Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
Minimum 58 PTE score
Minimum 110 Duolingo English Test score

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website . For more information on international admission, visit the Office of Global Education website .

Application Deadlines

Priority deadline: January 15 Applications submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission .

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Show in-depth comprehension of several areas, including both basic and applied aspects of geology/earth sciences.
Demonstrate the ability to formulate testable scientific hypotheses and carry out independent research using appropriate field, experimental, analytical and/or computational methods.
Describe, synthesize and interpret the results of a scientific investigation and understand its broader applications.

Program Requirements

Graduation requirements, major requirements.

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for ESCI 80199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter ESCI 80299 , each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.

All students will have a fundamental knowledge and understanding of earth materials by the end of the second year in the program. This will be fulfilled by a lecture and lab course in Earth materials or an equivalent course related to mineralogy and/or petrology as determined by the graduate coordinator.

To be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree, a student must pass comprehensive written and oral examinations prior to the start of the fifth semester after admission to the doctoral program. The comprehensive examinations focus on mastery of the student’s major area of concentration and one minor area, as well as the fundamentals of geology and its allied sciences as appropriate to the student’s proposed dissertation topic. Students who fail the comprehensive examinations may be allowed to repeat them once; this must be completed more than one month after the initial examination, but less than six months thereafter.

All students admitted to the doctoral program must complete two successive semesters of full-time graduate study at Kent State University. During this time they must obtain a minimum of 22 credit hours.

Kent Campus

Important Dates

There are several deadlines that must be met in order to graduate in a timely fashion. If the student applies for graduation in one term and is delayed in finishing the work, it is necessary to file a re-application in the Office of Graduate Affairs, in the term in which graduation is anticipated.

Students who have completed coursework and are no longer funded by the department, and are finishing their research, must register for a dissertation, and must be registered in the semester they graduate. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for your enrollment term or the Department office for more information.

Additional Resources

View our list of forms and downloads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Students must take a specific amount of coursework in their minor area. Beyond this, the only specific requirement that must be completed prior to graduation is a dissertation and certain amount of credit hours above the M.S. or B.S. respectively. Specific coursework necessary to prepare the candidate for the dissertation work will be selected on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the faculty advisor and the members of the examination committee. Keep in mind that in addition to the formal courses offered in the department you have the following options available to help you develop the skills you need:

You can take courses at the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and Youngstown State University through the Memorandum of Understanding, without transfer. This widens your choice of coursework substantially. The approval form must be completed well before you register for your desired course. Discuss this with the Graduate Coordinator and/or your Advisor.
You can take coursework in allied fields; such as GIS or Remote Sensing courses in Geography; the Wetlands, Limnology, and Ecology courses in Biological Sciences; the Environmental Chemistry courses in Chemistry; computer programming courses in Math & Computer Science; or relevant courses in Physics. See the Registrar's website for available courses by semester. Note: Please consult primary advisor before enrolling in cross-discipline coursework.

The candidacy examination committee consists of three members of the earth sciences graduate faculty: the advisor, the minor advisor, and one general earth sciences examiner. All members of the committee must have the appropriate graduate faculty rank as described in the departmental handbook. The dissertation committee, which evaluates the student's dissertation proposal, consists of the candidacy examination committee, plus an outside member who may be from another department on campus or another institution if approved by the Graduate College. All members of the committee must have the appropriate graduate faculty rank as described in the College of Arts and Sciences Rules Regarding the Final Examination.

Upon completion of the dissertation proposal defense, the dissertation final examination committee is formed which consists of the dissertation committee and a graduate representative appointed by the Office of Graduate Affairs of the College of Arts and Sciences. The graduate representative may also serve as the moderator for the defense, or another individual may be appointed. The guidelines regarding the graduate representative and/or moderator are found in the College of Arts and Sciences Rules regarding the Graduate Faculty Representative and Dissertation Defense Moderator.

Requests for an outside committee member from another institution should be made in writing by the advisor to the graduate coordinator and accompanied by a current version of the CV for the prospective outside member. Such requests must be approved by the Associate Dean of the Graduate College.

Yes, you can transfer an amount of credit hours from an accredited institution, as long as the work was done within 10 years of the completion date of your Ph.D. in Geology.

The KSU College of Arts & Sciences Style Guide and Instructions for Formatting Theses and Dissertations is available in the main Earth Sciences office. You can also access these materials from this website, or at the appropriate page in the Arts and Sciences website. Libraries and Media Services also provides guidelines for preparing your thesis or dissertation to help you complete the process

See the University policy for degree completion .

Application for extension of time limits

Please see our information on Ph.D. Minors.

The Department of Earth Sciences requires all Department and University funded students to be enrolled full-time (at least 8 credits) during the academic year. Students who are not funded by the department are recommended to be enrolled full-time to ensure that they make continued progress toward their degree and to save on tuition and fees by shortening their time to degree.

For additional enrollment requirements consult the University Graduate Catalog .

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The PhD degree is the Department of Earth Sciences' principal research degree for postgraduate students. As a large and integrated department, the expertise and current research of our staff spans the breadth of Earth Sciences. We have 37 academic staff who are available to supervise PhD students.

We welcome research enquiries from students who are currently working toward, or have acquired, first degrees in: Earth Science subjects, physics, chemistry, mathematics, material science, biology, or other related subjects.

The Department of Earth Sciences is a partner in two Doctoral Training Programmes (outlined below), who award research-council-funded studentships. Other studentships are available through different funding sources.

If you wish to find out more about a project or the Department, or want to discuss devising your own project with us, then please contact a relevant member of academic staff —you can discover their interests on our Research pages .

Cambridge C-CLEAR DTP

The Cambridge Climate Life and Earth Doctoral Training Partnership (C-CLEAR DTP) awards around 12 3.5-year NERC-funded PhD studentships each year to start in October.

A wide range of projects are available, within seven world-class departments and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), under the broad themes of:

Solid Earth and geological hazards Mineral physics, sedimentary and earth surface processes, geophysics, tectonics including earthquake hazards, mantle and core processes, volcanism and volcanic hazards.
Climate change and environmental processes Atmospheric physics, atmospheric chemistry, climate processes, sea-level rise impacts, coastal flood and erosion hazards, palaeoclimate, solar-terrestrial processes, glaciology (land ice and sea ice), physical oceanography, carbon cycle and biogeochemistry.
Biology and conservation Ecology, land use, population genetics, microbiology, physiology and adaptation, palaeobiology and conservation.

You can also search the complete list of PhD projects (for October 2022) or view PhD projects within the Department of Earth Sciences .

For more information on this Doctoral Training Programme, including how to apply, please visit the C-CLEAR DTP pages .

Cambridge AI4ER CDT

The Cambridge UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in the Application of Artificial Intelligence to the study of Environmental Risks (AI4ER) offers around ten 4-year UKRI-funded PhD studentships each year to start in October. The programme comprises a one-year MRes (two terms taught, one term research), and a three-year PhD to apply AI methodologies.

A wide range of projects will be available under the broad themes of:

Weather, climate, and air quality
Natural hazards
Natural resources (food, water and resource security, and biodiversity)

For more information on this Centre for Doctoral Training, including training structure and applying to the course, please visit the AI4ER CDT pages .

Fully-funded studentships are also available at the BPI Institute , and through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Nuclear Energy Futures .

We are also happy to devise projects with you, particularly if the projects outlined above are not of interest and you have interests that we share. Explore our Research pages to see which members of academic staff you would like to work with, and then contact them directly.

DTP studentships will be funded by UK research councils. Other studentships available in department will be funded by industry and several Cambridge Colleges.

We also have a number of CASE awards, which involve direct links with industry partners.

Applications

Before applying, applicants are advised to contact the relevant member of academic staff for their chosen project to discuss your research interests.

To make a formal application for a PhD studentship, please go to the University's Applicant Portal . When you complete the on-line application, you will have to indicate a college choice—it may help to discuss this choice with your prospective supervisor before submitting your application.

If you are applying from outside the UK, then please read our PhD (Overseas Students) page.

For questions related specifically to a project, please contact the relevant supervisor directly.

For more general information, please contact our Postgraduate Admissions .

Quick links

Cambridge C-CLEAR DTP—Projects

EPSRC CDT in Nuclear Energy Futures

Postgraduate Admissions

Postgraduate Admissions—Applicant Portal

Postgraduate Admissions—Funding

Postgraduate Admissions—International

Department of Earth Sciences University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 3EQ United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1223 333400 Fax: 01223 333450

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Illustrating Geology PhD studies, laboratory workers use advanced facilities in the analysis of rock samples.

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Geology and earth science PhD

Geology and earth science have been an important research focus at the University of Brighton for more than 40 years.

From investigating the causes and timing of Phanerozoic Great Oxidation Event, to understanding carbonate mineralogy for CO 2 sequestration applications, our geology staff and PhD students are at the leading edge of fundamental and applied earth science research.

The majority of our work has real-world application. Data generated by researchers in our Applied Geosciences Research and Enterprise Group is being used, for example, to clean up metal contaminated environments, aid the exploration for critical mineral resources such as Rare Earth Elements, and to understand the sources of stones used in the construction of Stonehenge.

Our Geology and earth science PhD students have gone on to a variety of different roles following the successful completion of their research. These include academic posts as lecturers and postdoctoral research assistants at Brighton and elsewhere, plus research roles in, for example, the mining industry. Many have gone on to management positions in related areas such as environmental consultancy.

Apply to 'Environment' in the applicant portal

Key information

As a Geology and earth science PhD student at Brighton, you will benefit from:

a supervisory team comprising two to three members of academic staff. Depending on your research specialism you may also have an additional external supervisor from another School, another research institution, or industry.
desk space and access to a desktop PC, either in one of the postgraduate offices on the sixth floor of the award-winning Cockcroft Building, or within the adjacent Heavy Engineering Block.
access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s Online Library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections housed within the Aldrich Library and other campus libraries.
various state-of-the-art research facilities on the Moulsecoomb site, including specialist geochemical and geotechnical laboratories, microscopy laboratories (optical and scanning electron microscopes), microbial and water quality laboratories, hydraulic flumes, an experimental river basin, a water efficiency laboratory, and a concrete laboratory, as well as a large array of field equipment. All of these facilities are supported by a team of dedicated laboratory and workshop technicians.

Academic environment

The interdisciplinary ethos of the School of Applied Sciences provides an ideal home for this research. Based on the university’s Moulsecoomb Campus, research within the school has a common aim to address key environmental, social and resource issues, and deliver translational research with local, regional and international benefits. Our staff expertise spans a range of disciplines, including archaeology, built environment, civil engineering, environmental science, human and physical geography, and geology.

We provide PhD students with opportunities to work across the spectrum of geology and earth sciences, including research which straddles traditional disciplinary boundaries into, for example, archaeology, ecology or engineering. We believe that this interdisciplinary focus provides our students with an appreciation of real-world problems, and ensures that they are highly employable.

PhD students take an active role in a range of intellectual and social activities within the Schools. All postgraduate students working on ecology and environmental management topics are integrated into one or more of our research centres or research groups (see below). These provide you with opportunities to present ‘work in progress’ and network with other researchers.

We provide PhD students with opportunities to work across the spectrum of ecology and environmental management, including research which straddles traditional disciplinary boundaries into, for example, remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS). We believe that this interdisciplinary focus provides our students with an appreciation of real-world problems, and ensures that they are highly employable.

The Brighton Doctoral College offer a training programme for postgraduate researchers, covering research methods and transferable (including employability) skills. Attendance at appropriate modules within this programme is encouraged, as is contribution to the Schools’ various seminar series. Academic and technical staff also provide more subject-specific training.

Researchers within SET are engaged in work across a wide range of topic areas. We particularly welcome applications for Geology and earth science PhD research that aligns to current particular areas of specialism:

Applied geochemistry
Coastal neotectonics
Contaminated land remediation
Critical metal deposits
Environmental change in deep time
Environmental fate of metals
Hydrogeology
Igneous magmatism and petrology
Mineral deposit genesis
Sediment dynamics in fluvial, estuarine and coastal environments
Sedimentary records of ancient fluvial systems
Terrestrial geochemical sediments

More detail about each of these research themes and individual staff interests is provided under the following research centre and group pages:

Applied Geosciences Research and Enterprise Group
Past Human and Environment Dynamics Research and Enterprise Group
Centre for Aquatic Environments

Some of our supervisors

Prof phil ashworth.

I will be delighted to supervise PhD students in river dynamics, sediment transport and morphological change in the world's largest rivers, flooding and river-floodplain connectivity and UAVs/drone applications in river mapping. An example of a recently completed PhD is 'Floodplain geomorphology and topography in large rivers' Strick, R.

Dr Heidi Burgess

For both MRes and PhD, I am particularly interested in supervising projects in the area of intertidal, estuarine and riverine water / sediment interaction and climate. Examples of applications could include:

Quantifying the impact that different types of Nature Based Solutions have on Riverine Flood Management.
The impact that drainage systems have on the development of Managed Realignment sites and the colonisation by intertidal flora.
How mycelium develops in newly inundated intertidal wetlands.
Furthering the understanding into the processes of how terrestrial soil transforms into intertidal sediment when inundated by saline water.
The impact of Coastal Managed and Managed Realignment design has on fish habitats and how engineering could be used to increase habitat suitability, impacting positively on fish stocks. (see: - MR Fish Geomorphology (ICECM 2019) (brighton.ac.uk))
The impact of changing weather patterns on intertidal environments.
Projects related to the CHASM project , particularly the sediment and hydro elements.

Along with any project which brings together the following elements: Natural Flood Management, habitat creation, eco-system services, impact of sea-level rise and impact on health and wellbeing.

Prof David Nash

I am interested in supervising PhD and MRes students in the following areas: reconstructing historical climate variability and change; arid geomorphology; environmental change in southern Africa; silcrete provenancing in archaeology.

Prof Martin Smith

PhD projects in geochemistry and mineralogy specifically applied to: ore deposit genesis and mineral exploration, critical metals and the environmental impacts of mining; Hydrogeology and the behaviour of nutrient and heavy metals (rural and urban environments); environmental controls on material corrosion.

I contribute to the Centre for Earth Observation Science (in terms of mineral resources, petrology and environmental geochemistry) and the Centre for Aquatic Environments (in terms of hydrogeology and hydrochemistry) and am happy to supervise projects in both these areas as part of the MRes Geosciences and Mres Aquatic Environments. Specific projects at present could include:

Synthesis and characterisation of REE-bearing clays.

Breakdown of sulphide minerals in the environment.

Geology and genesis of REE and other mineral deposits.

Weathering processes in REE mineralised carbonatites.

Microbial corrosion of steel in marine environments.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of halogen-bearing silicates.

Unsaturated zone flow processes and groundwater chemistry.

Infiltration water quality from sustainable drainage systems.

For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit research staff on our research website.

Making an application

You will apply to the University of Brighton through our online application portal. When you do, you will require a research proposal, references, a personal statement and a record of your education.

You will be asked whether you have discussed your research proposal and your suitability for doctoral study with a member of the University of Brighton staff. We recommend that all applications are made with the collaboration of at least one potential supervisor. Approaches to potential supervisors can be made directly through the details available online. If you are unsure, please do contact the Doctoral College for advice.

Please visit our How to apply for a PhD page for detailed information.

Fees and funding

Funding

Undertaking research study will require university fees as well as support for your research activities and plans for subsistence during full or part-time study.

Funding sources include self-funding, funding by an employer or industrial partners; there are competitive funding opportunities available in most disciplines through, for example, our own university studentships or national (UK) research councils. International students may have options from either their home-based research funding organisations or may be eligible for some UK funds.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2023–24

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables; this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK and international/EU students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

Contact Brighton Doctoral College

To contact the Doctoral College at the University of Brighton we request an email in the first instance. Please visit our contact the Brighton Doctoral College page .

For supervisory contact, please see individual profile pages.

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Academic departments, sponsorships, geoscience theses and dissertations.

Changing Discoverability and Research Topics

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Changes in discoverability of geoscience theses and dissertations.

Geoscience departments provide information about their graduating students’ theses and dissertations to AGI’s GeoRef database where they are then made discoverable to the geoscience research community. The trends in theses and dissertations reported over time as well as the topics of these publications provides insight into new research horizons/emphasis within the geoscience community.

In this data brief, we examine the changes in the number of U.S. and Canadian theses and dissertations reported to GeoRef and in the research topics of these publications. Of note is the increasing number of faculty publications available in GeoRef and the decreasing trend in theses between 1985 and 2009 which rebounded thereafter before declining again, and in dissertations between 1999 and 2016. Although the following factors are causing downward pressure on the number of theses and dissertations submitted to GeoRef, the proportion of influence each factor has on the decline is unknown.

Factors involved in the decreasing number of theses and dissertations submitted to GeoRef include:

A change in the way geoscience graduate research is disseminated to the scientific community as graduate students are authors and co-authors of peer-reviewed publications in lieu of traditional dissertations.
The availability of geoscience degree programs that do not required a thesis or dissertation, including cohort programs.
The deposition of theses and dissertations into institutional repositories without also submitting these publications to GeoRef or ProQuest.

Data Brief 2009-007 chart01: Number of Theses, Dissertations, and Faculty Publications

Changes in graduate research topics

Trends in topics of reported theses and dissertations indicate increasing percentages of these publications focusing on economic geology (especially related to energy sources), environmental geology, extraterrestrial geology, geomorphology, and Quaternary geology. Those topics that have been steadily decreasing include areal geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, mineralogy, oceanography, and petrology. These trends may indicate a shift in research focus, and/or may also reflect a merging of topics within disciplines.

Data Brief 2009-007 chart02: Geoscience Master's Theses Topics

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Schools & departments

Geology and Geophysics PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Geology and Geophysics

Upcoming Introduction to Postgraduate Study and Research events

Join us online on the 19th June or 26th June to learn more about studying and researching at Edinburgh.

Choose your event and register

Research profile

This programme draws on the expertise of the Earth and Planetary Sciences Research Institute, which brings together over 100 researchers united by a drive to understand the composition, structure and history of the Earth, as well as the processes which continue to shape the world in which we live.

Research expertise

The breadth of our expertise, ranging across Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry and Geodynamics, allows us to lead the way in developing innovative interdisciplinary solutions to the biggest questions in Earth Science, allowing us to understand how the subsurface works, from atoms to plates and on timescales from seconds to billions of years.

Research techniques

A great attraction of the institute’s work is the diversity of techniques we employ, including fieldwork, satellite imaging, laboratory studies and numerical computation. When not in Edinburgh, our staff are to be found all over the world, measuring seismic tremors to predict volcanic eruptions, drilling into the seafloor to recover the sediments which will unlock the secrets of ancient climates or finding dinosaur footprints at home in Scotland.

Research topics

Our subject is much more than an intellectual challenge; many of the greatest challenges facing humanity require Earth Science for their solution. Our scientists are leading the way in developing solutions in fields such as clean energy, natural hazards and climate change. This is reflected in our success in attracting research funding from both government and industry sources.

Research community

As a research student you will have the opportunity to engage fully with our scientific community. We host a weekly seminar series alongside smaller research group meetings. Every year we hold an institute symposium at which we present the latest results and discuss the next great challenges to be tackled.

Training and support

As a postgraduate research student at Edinburgh, you have access to an exceptionally wide range of training courses offered by the many interdisciplinary researchers across the School of GeoSciences, and more broadly across the university.

You will receive guidance both from your supervisory team and the postgraduate research office on appropriate training specific to your research needs and requirements. Additionally, an academic advisor, separate from your direct supervisory team, is always available to help support you and track your progress and welfare throughout your research degree.

Professional development opportunities

Multiple professional development opportunities are available to you throughout your studies to develop your transferable skills, including:

Communicating ideas to the public, e.g. 3-Minute Thesis competition, annual PGR Conference
Project Management
Teaching on the School’s undergraduate programmes in Earth Sciences, Ecological & Environmental Sciences, and Geography

Read more about the training and support offered by:

Careers Service

Institute for Academic Development (IAD)

Facilities are an essential asset for our research and teaching. GeoSciences has a full range of laboratory, field and workshop facilities, all of which are available to postgraduate students. These extend from facilities for sample preparation and mineralogical, physical and inorganic and organic chemical analysis of rock, soil, plant, water and gaseous samples, to state-of-the-art research facilities.

National facilities

The School hosts and manages a number of national facilities on behalf of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC):

Ion Microprobe Facility
Geophysical Equipment Facility
Field Spectroscopy Facility.

Our facilities' technical and research staff provide training to students and help them identify the most relevant methods for their research projects or develop new techniques.

Instruments

The SEM, electron probe micro-analyser and secondary ion mass spectrometry instruments enable imaging, chemical and isotopic analysis of solid materials to 1 micron resolution.

Our X-ray µCT instrument enables 3D and 4D imaging of natural materials and experiments.

The Cosmogenic Nuclide Facility enables isotopic analysis of rocks and sediments to understand landscape evolution.

Our Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Laser Ablation facility enables high precision elemental and simultaneous isotope ion analyses for a wide range of liquid and solid materials. Results from this may be coupled with those from the Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry facility to understand oceanic and biogeochemical responses to past and current climate change.

UK Biochar Research Centre (UKBRC)

GeoSciences also hosts the UK Biochar Research Centre (UKBRC) laboratory and pyrolysis facilities which produce the “UKBRC Standard Biochars”, a set of research-grade biochars now used by over 100 research groups worldwide.

Airborne Research and Innovation

In addition to ground-based field instrumentation and our boat for work in rivers, lakes and coasts, Airborne Research and Innovation boasts an Eco Diamond HK36 small aircraft and UAVs supporting research in:

atmospheric chemistry
micrometeorology
forest studies
geomorphology
agricultural science
archaeology
palaeontology

Computing facilities

Computing-intensive research in geographic information systems (GIS), meteorological and climate modelling, geophysics, and analysis of space and satellite data, is supported by access to our in-house GIS suite and software licences, and the Edinburgh Computer and Data Facility parallel computing and DataStore facilities. Specialist training for research staff and students in using these facilities and in High Performance Computing is provided by Information Services and the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre.

National and international facilities

Complementing our in-house facilities, GeoSciences research students and staff have access to national and international supercomputing, laboratory, experimental and field facilities. We are regular visitors to X-ray synchrotron facilities in Europe and the USA for research on many themes.

Finally, and as you might expect, one of our most important facilities is planet earth itself. Our students and staff use field stations and facilities worldwide for research projects in the Antarctic, Arctic and tropics, on research ships in the world’s oceans, through aircraft sampling the atmosphere and via remote sensing data from satellites.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a related subject.

We may also consider your application if you have other qualifications or experience; please contact us to check before you apply.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

Entry requirements by country
English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
Trinity ISE : ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Additional programme costs.

Additional programme costs are normally £1,000 minimum (for full-time students). These costs might be higher depending on the requirements of your specific project.

Tuition fees

Scholarships and funding, featured funding.

E4 Doctoral Training Partnership

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

your programme
the duration of your studies
your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

Search for funding

Further information

Postgraduate Research Office
Phone: +44 (0)131 650 5422
Contact: [email protected]
School of GeoSciences
Grant Institute
The King's Buildings Campus
Programme: Geology and Geophysics
School: GeoSciences
College: Science & Engineering

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Geology and Geophysics - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd geology and geophysics - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

You must apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

Please see our step-by-step guide to applying for a research degree in the School of GeoSciences. Applications that do not follow application guidelines will be placed on hold and eventually rejected as incomplete:

Application process

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Imperial College London Imperial College London

Latest PhD Research Projects

We undertake interdisciplinary, world-leading research across the full spectrum of Earth Science and Engineering.

We encourage all prospective students to contact the primary project supervisor or the alternative contact person for more information and an informal chat to discuss the process of applying and preparing your research statement.

Our research – both pure and applied – covers a broad range of subjects, from studying past climate in Antarctica to developing innovative means of capturing and storing carbon from our atmosphere, modelling environmental pollution and hazards, characterising the myriad flows of our oceans, and revealing the history of life on both our own planet and others. Our work is split across three sections, Earth and Planets, Natural Resources Geoscience and Engineering and Computational Geoscience and Engineering, and covers seven main Research Themes – as shown below.

We collaborate with industry partners from the mineral and energy sectors, and participate in cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental Research Centres such as the Grantham Institute , the Energy Futures Lab , and the Sustainable Gas Institute .

Explore our PhD projects by topic

Departmental PhD projects and scholarships are currently available in the following research areas:

climate and environment;
computational modelling;
data science;
energy and resources;
geohazards and tectonics;
life and health; and
planetary science.

PhD Projects by Topic

A student sitting on top of a mountain looking out over clouds

Climate and environment

Characterising Earth’s ever-changing environment in terms of its chemistry, physics, biology and more

View projects

Computational modelling

Developing advanced numerical methods, models, and computational techniques for prediction and monitoring

Data science

Developing pioneering research on fundamental data science and machine learning for real world applications

Energy and resources

Researching the sustainable extraction and production of low-carbon energy, energy storage and decarbonisation

Map of the globe showing varied and exotic locations of research

Geohazards and tectonics

Understanding natural hazards from cause to consequence, including tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanism, landslides, and impacts

Life and health

Deciphering the geological record to reveal the history of life, and addressing key issues facing our modern lives

A man talks to a crowd in front of a wide screen showing an image of the Mars rover

Planetary science

Studying the planets and solid bodies of the Solar System – and beyond

All projects

Full list of PhD projects currently available within the Department of Earth Science and Engineering

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The Top List of Interesting Geology Research Topics

When most people hear others mention geology research topics, they think about rocks. However, geology research entails the exploration of the surroundings’ physical characteristics, including lakes and mountains. A geology research paper is an essential assignment for a student. That’s because it can significantly affect the final grade of the learner.

However, writing a great paper to earn you the top grade requires a good topic. Research topics in geology are generally manageable. However, students have many activities that often hinder them from selecting the right topics, researching, and writing quality academic papers about them. Essentially, a student can have multiple tasks to complete while the educator expects them to write a geology research paper.

For this reason, most students are mentally overwhelmed and can’t think about the best topics for their geology papers and essays. What’s more, this confusion can lead to inadequate or improper research. To avoid this, most learners look for simple topics for their geology papers. That’s why we’ve come up with this guide to help learners choose the most appropriate topics for their geology papers and essays.

If you’re facing challenges in selecting the right geology research topic or need assistance with writing a high-quality academic paper, consider seeking the help of professional dissertation writers . Our experts can provide valuable guidance, ensuring you choose an engaging topic and conduct proper research. With the assistance of professional writers, you can overcome the mental overwhelm and achieve outstanding results.

How to Choose Geology Research Paper Topic

If unsure about the procedure for selecting the best topics for your papers, these tips should guide you.

Familiarize yourself with the geology subject and academic papers in this subject
Understand your geology paper’s theme and scope
Collect sufficient evidence or data supporting your topic
Explore the available ideas or information in your topic

Many students waste time asking friends and colleagues, “I need a topic for my geology research paper, can you help?” Unfortunately, most learners have difficulties selecting or creating topics for their papers. Following these tips can help you develop a brilliant topic for your paper.

List of the Best Geology Research Topics

For most learners, creating or selecting the topic to write about is the most challenging part of this assignment. That’s because your choice determines the path you’ll take when completing this task. Luckily, you don’t have to struggle to create a topic.

We’ve come up with a comprehensive list of topics you can use to write your geology paper. Our list features the most exciting ideas for most geology students. Thus, you don’t have to struggle to create your topic. All you need is to pick one of these ideas and tweak it a little and start working on your paper.

Environmental Geology Research Topics

Do you want to write a research paper on environmental geology? In that case, pick one of these ideas.

How dumpsites affect groundwater’s quality
The basic concepts of ecosystem and ecology in environmental geology
Air composition and how pollution occurs
How water pollution affects human health
How humans affect the geo-environment

Pick any of these topics to research for geology and then come up with a brilliant paper. Your educator won’t have a reason to deny you the top grade.

Engineering Geology Research Topics

Do you love engineering geology? If so, this list has some of the best ideas to explore in your research papers.

The essence of geodetic techniques in engineering geology
Analyzing the potential for soil liquefaction
Estimating the directions of local stress about sheared veins
Spacing calculator software- What is it?
Influence of kinetic energy on rock metamorphosis

Explore any of these topics if you enjoy studying engineering geology.

Petroleum Geology Research Topics

In this category, learners can explore the generation of hydrocarbon and reservoir formation. Here are sample petroleum geology topics to consider.

Evaluation of petroleum resources
Continental petroleum geology
The accumulation of hydrocarbon
The impact of gas and oil exploration
Hydrocarbon mechanism and migration

Pick and research any of these topics for geology research paper to impress your educator and earn the top grade in your class.

Tornadoes Geology Research Topics

If interested in tornadoes, here are topics you can write about.

When are tornadoes rampant in the U.S?
Which places get the most tornadoes and why?
Explain the formation or occurrence of tornadoes
Are tornadoes generally random?
How geology studies can help address the impact of tornadoes

Geology Research Topics for High School

High school students can also write geology research papers. Here are manageable geology topics for high school students.

Discuss the causes of metamorphism
Explain different categories of volcanic eruptions
Describe the earth’s internal structure
What causes earthquakes?
Explain what causes desertification

College Level Research Topics for Geology

Are you looking for topics for your college-level geology paper? If yes, here are ideas to explore.

History, evidence, and facts about plate tectonic
How the World’s Ocean influence the global water cycle
Explain the characteristics and composition of the internal structure of the earth
What causes the pacific fire ring?
Describe the glaciations process, effects, and features

Undergraduate Geology Research Topics

When pursuing your undergraduate studies, you can pick any of these research topics for geology paper.

Impact of geographic information systems and remote sensing
Analyzing the occurrence of seismic refraction
Analysis of the challenges, functions, and solutions of mine inspectorates
Resistivity methods for vertical and horizontal discontinuities
Evaluation of watershed and hydrology processes

Earth Science Geology Research Paper Topics for College

Here are topics to explore in this category.

History of the early earth
Chemicals, volatiles, and heat in the earth’s interior
Deformation and faulting processes
Co-evolution of climate, environment, and life
Coupled hydro-geomorphic- The ecosystem’s response to human-caused and natural change

Interesting Coal Geology Research Topics

If interested in coal geology research, here are topics to consider.

How cannel coal differs from black shale
Analytical methods for approximating the coal stress path
Why chalcopyrite and pyrite are common in coal
How dolerite dykes affect a coal layer
Describe the coal’s cone-in-cone structure

Stellar Evolution Geology Research Paper Topics

If interested in stellar evolution, here are geology topics you can consider for your research paper.

The Hubble sequence- galaxies in a local universe
Details of galaxy evolution or formation
Blue to red sequence evolution
Theoretical gastro physics and progress
The dynamics and kinematics of star-forming galaxies

Broad Geology Research Topics

If looking for a broad topic for your geology research paper, consider these ideas.

How faulting leads to features’ formation
The best way to study geology
The Alps Mountain’s geology
The economic significance of man-made lakes
Geological aspects that explain life’s origin on earth

Physical Geology Research Topics

If interested in physical geology, consider writing a research paper on any of these topics.

Understanding the external and internal processes of the earth
Physical geology studies- Is it a science?
Describe the faunal succession law
Absolute and relative dating technology
Interpretation of geology history by physical geologists

Mars Geology Research Paper Topics

Are you interested in research paper geology topics that will help you explore Mars? If so, consider these ideas when writing your paper.

Comparing Mars and Earth
Using mapping to reveal Mars’ geologic history
Identifying the main geologic features found in Mars
Landforms inventory or characterization in Mars
Future perspectives on the exploration of Mars

Solar System Geology Research Paper Topics

Students can also write research papers on these solar system’s geology research topics.

The solar system’s history
The solar system’s physics
Mysteries of the solar system and the sun
Analyzing the fastest planet- Mercury
Misconceptions about the solar system

Surficial Geology Research Topics

Surficial geology entails the study of unconsolidated materials on top of the bedrock. Here are sample topics in this category.

History and use of mineral springs
Groundwater genesis and evolution
How water evaporates from the soil
The study of Antarctica’s permafrost
Describe the ore prospecting techniques for glaciated terrain

Mega Geology Research Topics

Perhaps, you’re looking for mega research topics on geology. In that case, consider these ideas.

Describe the earth formation process
Explain how the weathering process occurs
Explain the formation of oceans and seas
Describe the formation of fossil fuels
Explain the continental drift process

Topics to Research before Geology Career

If planning to venture into a geology career, research the following topics.

Geology meaning and what it covers
Geology statistics
Engineering geology
Geology as a science
Social functions and development of geology

Easy Geology Research Topics

Are you looking for geology topics you can quickly research and write about? If so, consider these ideas.

Explain the formation of rocks
Describe different rock types
Explain the soil formation process
What are the chemical and physical properties of minerals?

As long as you can access the internet, you don’t have to struggle to find good research topics for geology papers. Consider these ideas to research and write amazing papers that will impress educators to award you the top grades.

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Amazing Geology Research Topics To Use In Your Research

A geology research paper is one that zeros in on exploring the physical characteristics of the surroundings, including mountains and lakes. They are essential papers for geology students since they have an impact on their final grades. That is why topics for a geology research paper are a gold mine for such students.

Easy geology research topics are manageable to research and also convenient for the readers. Nevertheless, the diverse school activities that collide with each other in the typical setting acts as a barrier to producing a topnotch geology paper. Students will go home with a bulk of assignments, and by the time they are writing such the research paper, the minds are already overwhelmed.

With this confusion, the students may write a poor geology research paper or even fear to attempt the task. But that is why we are here, to help you alleviate that burden by providing you with good research topics for geology research papers.

Now, this is important:

How To Come up with the Best Geology Research Paper Topic

Are you wondering how you can select exciting geology research topics? Here are some quick tips for you:

Familiarize with the subject
Understand the scope and theme of your geology paper
Gather enough evidence to support your topic
Explore the range and idea of the paper

These are essential elements that can guarantee you quality research topics for your geology assignment. For most students, this task seems tedious, but with expert writing help, they will swim through this like a duck in a pond. Let us help you achieve that A-grade research paper topic in no time at the comfort of your home.

Are you ready for some exciting geology research paper topic ideas? Then let’s get right into it. Learn how to come up with the research paper topic or question from the professional examples listed below.

Outstanding Environmental Geology Research Topics

What is the impact of man on geo-environment?
A case study of the earthquakes, their causes, and effects on the environment
Understanding the basic concepts of ecology and ecosystem in environmental geology
How have human activities on land use patterns contributed to salinization and waterlogging?
Explain the effects of water pollution on human health
Describe the composition of air and how air pollution comes about
What measures can mitigate the diverse impacts of mining on the environment?
How the quality of groundwater makes it suitable for domestic consumption
What is the impact of dumpsites on the quality of groundwater

Great Physical Geology Research Topics

What is the origin of physical geology as a science
Understanding internal and external earth processes
What methods do physical geologists use in interpreting the history of geology?
How is physical geology important and relevant in understanding the societal issues?
Describe the law of faunal succession
Explain the essential rock-forming minerals and common igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
How to apply relative and absolute dating techniques in physical geology
What is the essence of a topographic map and general geologic map?

Simple Undergraduate Geology Research Topics

Analyze the functions, challenges, and solutions of mine inspectorates
Describe the resistivity methods used in horizontal and vertical discontinuities
Describe how solid wastes affect the quality of underground water
Explain how seismic refraction occurs
Analyze the distribution of heavy metal in surface water stream sediment
Critically evaluate Hydrology and Watershed Processes.
What is the impact of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems?

Manageable Geology Research Topics for High School

Types of volcanic eruptions
The internal structure of the earth
What causes metamorphism
Explain the characteristics of minerals
Causes of earthquakes
Causes and effects of desertification
Describe the Continental Drift Theory
How does the weathering of the soil occur?

The topics and ideas above help to quicken the students’ minds in building the scope of the geology paper. For a top-grade piece, students should come up with a series of formidable questions to help them identify the extent of their geology research paper.

If you still have a problem with what is a paper on geology, our guru writers are on standby to help you. We also offer affordable writing help on other types of research papers.

Make PhD experience your own

Prestigious Department of Energy program selects UB geology student studying plants’ response to drought

Fiona ellsworth will conduct research at pacific northwest national laboratory on root carbon dynamics under drought conditions.

By Tom Dinki

Release Date: April 23, 2024

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Fiona Ellsworth, a PhD candidate at the University at Buffalo, has been selected by the Department of Energy to conduct research at a national laboratory on how drought changes the amount and type of carbon plants send to the soil.

Ellsworth is one of just 86 graduate students from across the U.S. chosen for the DOE’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. She plans to begin her three-month stay at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, in June.

“The Graduate Student Research program is a unique opportunity for graduate students to complete their PhD training with teams of world-class experts aiming to answer some of the most challenging problems in fundamental science,” said Harriet Kung, acting director of the DOE Office of Science. “Gaining access to cutting edge tools for scientific discovery at DOE national laboratories will be instrumental in preparing the next generation of scientific leaders.”

Ellsworth, a fourth-year PhD student and Presidential Scholar in the UB Department of Geology, researches what factors control carbon persistence in soil and how stressors, like drought or light limitation, impact the amount and type of carbon that roots send into the soil.

Under her adviser, Richard Marinos, PhD, assistant professor of geology in the UB College of Arts and Sciences, Ellsworth has performed laboratory and greenhouse experiments on plants and soil. This work results in better predictions of soil carbon cycling and ecosystem resilience under future climate conditions.

Under the SCGSR program, Ellsworth will work with scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to develop methods for imaging plant root metabolites in the soil. She will also test the hypothesis that plants under drought send carbon to the soil via their entire fine root network, rather than just through their root tips, as they do under well-watered conditions.

“I hope to advance my doctoral research through the SCGSR program, as well as connect with researchers at the forefront of their field, doing really exciting work at national labs,” Ellsworth said.

Students accepted into the program research projects of significant importance to the Office of Science mission that address critical energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges at national and international scales.

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Tom Dinki News Content Manager Physical sciences, economic development Tel: 716-645-4584 [email protected]

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Tropical fish are invading Australian ocean water

A University of Adelaide study of shallow-water fish communities on rocky reefs in south-eastern Australia has found climate change is helping tropical fish species invade temperate Australian waters.

"The fish are travelling into these Australian ecosystems as larvae caught in the Eastern Australian Current, which is strengthening due to the warming climate," said the University of Adelaide's Professor Ivan Nagelkerken, Chief Investigator of the study.

"These larvae would not normally survive in the cooler Australian ocean water, but the warming Eastern Australian Current keeps the baby fish warm and increases their likelihood of survival."

The novel populations of tropical fish in temperate ecosystems are not having much of an impact now, but may do in the future.

"Because water temperatures in temperate Australia are still a bit cool, these tropical fish do not grow to their maximum size and therefore are not fully competing with temperate Australian fish -- yet," says Professor David Booth of the University of Technology Sydney, a co-Chief Investigator of the study.

"However, under increasing future ocean warming these tropical fish will eventually grow to their full size, and their diets will start to overlap more and more with those of temperate fish.

"It is the expectation that these tropical fish will be permanently established in temperate Australia, where they will become serious competitors with the native temperate fish that have historically lived there."

While the University of Adelaide study, led by PhD student Minami Sasaki, focused on fish communities off New South Wales, Professor Nagelkerken says similar changes in water temperature are also being seen in south-western Australia and overseas.

He says the fish migration observed in this study is "an ongoing process that has strengthened in the last few decades due to ocean warming."

The broader impacts on the ecosystems these fish invade are not yet clear.

""Tropical herbivores overgraze temperate kelp, but for the tropical invertebrate eaters, we are not sure yet what it means for the ecosystem itself," says Professor Nagelkerken.

An earlier study led by University of Adelaide PhD candidates Chloe Hayes and Angus Mitchell, and also involving Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University and University of Technology Sydney, showed tropical generalists might fare better than the specialist temperate fish they're muscling in on.

"We've seen that ocean warming physiologically benefits tropical generalists but disadvantages temperate specialists, which may mean the generalists will be more successful in the initial stages of climate change," says Hayes.

"Generalist tropical species that are less fussed about what they eat or what habitats they use as shelter appear to be the most successful tropical invaders."

"This could make survival difficult for Australian fish that are native to these rapidly warming temperate environments," Professor Nagelkerken says.

Marine Biology
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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Adelaide . Original written by Johnny von Einem. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

Minami Sasaki, Kelsey M. Kingsbury, David J. Booth, Ivan Nagelkerken. Body size mediates trophic interaction strength of novel fish assemblages under climate change . Journal of Animal Ecology , 2024; DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14079

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Professor Emeritus Bernhardt Wuensch, crystallographer and esteemed educator, dies at 90

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A grayscale photograph of Professor Bernie Wuensch in his office, surrounded by books and heaps of papers, welcoming the camera with open arms and a warm smile

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MIT Professor Emeritus Bernhardt Wuensch ’55, SM ’57, PhD ’63, a crystallographer and beloved teacher whose warmth and dedication to ensuring his students mastered the complexities of a precise science matched the analytical rigor he applied to the study of crystals, died this month in Concord, Massachusetts. He was 90.

Remembered fondly for his fastidious attention to detail and his office stuffed with potted orchids and towers of papers, Wuensch was an expert in X-ray crystallography, which involves shooting X-ray beams at crystalline materials to determine their underlying structure. He did pioneering work in solid-state ionics, investigating the movement of charged particles in solids that underpins technologies critical for batteries, fuel cells, and sensors. In education, he carried out a major overhaul of the curriculum in what is today MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE).

Despite his wide-ranging research and teaching interests, colleagues and students said, he was a perfectionist who favored quality over quantity.

“All the work he did, he wasn’t in a hurry to get a lot of stuff done,” says DMSE’s Professor Harry Tuller. “But what he did, he wanted to ensure was correct and proper, and that was characteristic of his research.”

Born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1933, Wuensch first arrived at MIT as a first-year undergraduate in the 1950s. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics before switching to crystallography and earning a PhD from what was then the Department of Geology (now Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences). He joined the faculty of the Department of Metallurgy in 1964 and saw its name change twice over his 46 years, retiring from DMSE in 2011.

As a professor of ceramics, Wuensch was a part of the 20th-century shift from a traditional focus on metals and mining to a broader class of materials that included polymers, ceramics, semiconductors, and biomaterials. In a 1973 letter supporting his promotion to full professor, then-department head Walter Owen credits Wuensch for contributing to “a completely new approach to the teaching of the structure of materials.”

His research led to major advancements in understanding how atomic-level structures affect magnetic and electrical properties of materials. For example, Tuller says, he was one of the first to detail how the arrangement of atoms in fast-ion conductors — materials used in batteries, fuel cells, and other devices — influences their ability to swiftly conduct ions.

Wuensch was a leading light in other areas, including diffusion, the movement of ions in materials such as liquids or gases, and neutron diffraction, aiming neutrons at materials to collect information about their atomic and magnetic structure.

Tuller, a DMSE faculty member for 49 years, tapped Wuensch’s expertise to study zinc oxide, a material used to make varistors, semiconducting components that protect circuits from high-voltage surges of electricity. Together, Tuller and Wuensch found that in such materials ions move much more rapidly along the grain boundaries — the interfaces between the crystallites that make up these polycrystalline ceramic materials.

“It’s what happens at those grain boundaries that actually limits the power that would go through your computer during a voltage surge by instead short-circuiting the current through these devices,” Tuller says. He credited the partnership with Wuensch for the knowledge. “He was instrumental in helping us confirm that we could engineer those grain boundaries by taking advantage of the very rapid diffusivity of impurity elements along those boundaries.”

In recognition of his accomplishments, Wuensch was elected a fellow of the American Ceramics Society and the Mineralogical Society of America and belonged to other professional associations, including The Electrochemical Society and Materials Research Society. In 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from South Korea’s Hanyang University for his work in crystallography and diffusion-related phenomena in ceramic materials.

“A great, great teacher”

Known as “Bernie” to friends and colleagues, Wuensch was equally at home in the laboratory and the classroom. “He instilled in several generations of young scientists this ability to think deeply, be very careful about their research, and be able to stand behind it,” Tuller says.

One of those scientists is Sossina Haile ’86, PhD ’92, the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, a researcher of solid-state ionic materials who develops new types of fuel cells, devices that convert fuel into electricity.

Her introduction to Wuensch, in the 1980s, was his class 3.13 (Symmetry Theory). Haile was at first puzzled by the subject, the study of the symmetrical properties of crystals and their effects on material properties. The arrangements of atoms and molecules in a material is crucial for predicting how materials behave in different situations — whether they will be strong enough for certain uses, for example, or can conduct electricity — but to an undergraduate it was “a little esoteric.”

“I certainly remember thinking to myself, ‘What is this good for?’” Haile says with a laugh. She would later return to MIT as a PhD student working alongside Wuensch in his laboratory with a renewed perspective.

Photo of Professor Emeritus Bernie Wuensch sitting in his office, with books and stacks of paper all around him.

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“He just made seemingly esoteric topics really interesting and was very astute in knowing whether or not a student understood.” Haile describes Wuensch’s articulate speech, “immaculate” handwriting, and detailed drawings of three-dimensional objects on the chalkboard. Haile notes that his sketches were so skillful that students felt disappointed when they looked at a figure they tried to copy in their notebooks.

“They couldn’t tell what it was,” Haile says. “It felt really clear during lecture, and it wasn’t clear afterwards because no one had a drawing as good as his.”

Carl Thompson, the Stavros V. Salapatas Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at DMSE, was another student of Wuensch’s who came away with a broadened outlook. In 3.13, Thompson recalls Wuensch asking students to look for symmetry outside of class, patterns in a brick wall or in subway station tiles. “He said, ‘This course will change the way you see the world,’ and it did. He was a great, great teacher.”

In a 2005 videorecorded session of 3.60 (Symmetry, Structure, and Tensor Properties of Materials), a graduate class that he taught for three decades, Wuensch writes his name on the board along with his telephone extension number, 6889, pointing out its rotational symmetry.

“You can pick it up, turn it head-over-heels by 180 degrees, and it’s mapped into coincidence with itself,” Wuensch said. “You might think I would have had to have fought for years to get it, an extension number like that, but no. It just happened to come my way.”

(The class can be watched in its entirety on MIT OpenCourseWare .)

Wuensch also had a whimsical sense of humor, which he often exercised in the margins of his students’ papers, Haile says. In a LinkedIn tribute to him, she recalled a time she sent him a research manuscript with figures that was missing Figure 5 but referred to it in the text, writing that it plotted conductivity versus temperature.

“Bernie noted that figures don’t plot; people do, and evidently Figure 5 was missing because ‘it was off plotting somewhere,’” Haile wrote.

Reflecting on Wuensch’s legacy in materials science and engineering, Haile says his knowledge of crystallography and the manual analysis and interpretation he did in his time was critical. Today, materials science students use crystallographic software that automates the algorithms and calculations.

“The current students don’t know that analysis but benefit from it because people like Bernie made sure it got into the common vernacular at the time when code was being put together,” Haile said.

A multifaceted tenure

Wuensch served DMSE and MIT in innumerable other ways, serving on departmental committees on curriculum development, graduate students, and policy, and on School of Engineering and Institute-level committees on education and foreign scholarships, among others. “He was always involved in any committee work he was asked to do,” Thompson says.

He was acting department head for six months starting in 1980, and in 1988-93 he was the director of the Center for Materials Science and Engineering, an earlier iteration of today’s Materials Research Center.

For all his contributions, there are few things Wuensch was better known for at MIT than his office in Building 13, which had shelves lined with multicolored crystal lattice models, representing the arrangements of atoms in materials, and orchids he took meticulous care of. And then there was the cityscape of papers, piled in heaps on the floor, on his desk, on pullout extensions. Thompson says walking into his office was like navigating a canyon.

“He had so many stacks of paper that he had no place to actually work at his desk, so he would put things on his lap — he would start writing on his lap,” Haile says. “I remember calling him at one point in time and talking to him, and I said, ‘Bernie, you’re writing this down on your lap, aren’t you?’ And he said, ‘In fact, yes, I am.’”

Wuensch was also known for his kindness and decency. Angelita Mireles, graduate academic administrator at DMSE, says he was a popular pick for graduate students assembling committees for their thesis area examinations, which test how prepared students are to conduct doctoral research, “because he was so nice.”

That said, he had exacting standards. “He expected near perfection from his students, and that made them a lot deeper,” Tuller says.

Closeup of Bernie Wuensch smiling in a restaurant, holding a glass mug filled with beer

Outside of MIT, Wuensch enjoyed tending his garden; collecting minerals, gemstones, and rare coins; and reading spy novels. Other pastimes included fishing and clamming in Maine, splitting his own firewood, and traveling with his wife, Mary Jane.

Wuensch is survived by his wife; son Stefan Wuensch and wife Wendy Joseph; daughter Katrina Wuensch and partner Jason Staly; and grandchildren Noemi and Jack.

Friends and family are invited to a memorial service Sunday, April 28, at 1:30 p.m. at Duvall Chapel at 80 Deaconess Road in Concord, Massachusetts. Memories or condolences can be posted at obits.concordfuneral.com/bernhardt-wuensch .

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