Research Opportunities

The Department of Geological Sciences has a dynamic research program that actively involves graduate students. Our faculty seek and obtain grants from the National Science Foundation and other agencies to give salary and other support to students. Graduate research is one of the primary missions of our Department.

Our faculty members are conducting cutting-edge research in exciting fields such as global climate change, tectonics, isotope geochemistry, petroleum geology and geochemistry, geophysics, and more.

Current and Recent Research Projects

• Dr. Behl- High resolution paleoceanography, Santa Barbara channel
• Dr. Behl- Clathrate gun hypothesis for global climate change
• Dr. Green- Lunar exploration for protolife
• Dr. Finney- Tectonics and paleogeography of the Argentine Precordillera, Argentina
• Dr. Finney- Stratigraphy and structure of the Roberts Mountain allocthon, Nevada
• Dr. Francis- Palos Verdes fault, offshore southern California
• Dr. Francis and Dr. Holk- Detachment faulting in eastern Nevada
• Dr. Grannell- Gravity study of the Poverty Hills, Owens Valley, California
• Dr. Holk- metamorphic fluid flow, Eastern Peninsular Ranges Mylonite Zone
• Dr. Kelty- tectonics of Mongolia and the Himalayas
• Dr. Stevens- Paleoclimate of northwest Montana from lake sediments.

Equipment and Facilities

The Department is very well equipped for a wide variety of field, laboratory, and analytical research. Please view our facilities and equipment page.