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Academic expertise. Research prowess. Student success.

There’s a whole world of discovery in the ground beneath your feet. From the shifting of tectonic plates to the eruption of volcanoes, learn about the Earth and all of the natural processes that have shaped it over time.

Department faculty, researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students pursue field, laboratory, experimental, and modeling studies of geological and environmental problems around the world. The department's excellent facilities and technical personnel support a range of methods and the department's ideal location also provides ready access to the many natural laboratories of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, California and the western United States. Research specialties include Earth and planetary surface processes, geodynamics, volcanology, geochemistry, petrology, earthquakes and seismology, mineral and energy resources, hydrology and hydrogeology.

Recent news from the Department

A crane holding two people rising up toward a communications tower. There are partly cloudy skies in the background.

ÁùºÏ±¦µä Seismological Laboratory installs new wildfire camera in Minden

The NSL partnered with NV Energy, Douglas County and AT&T to install the camera

A group of people stand in a line smiling for a photo in front of a helicopter. They're standing on the top of a mountain.

Understanding the geology of Chilean volcanoes

Geology professor receives renewed funding to continue work on Cordón Caulle

A view of a distant mountain peak from another mountain with a green valley and pine trees below. The sky is cloudy.

Public invited to participate in free, expert-led geology field trip to Sierra Valley on Oct. 19

The ÁùºÏ±¦µä Bureau of Mines and Geology hosts annual Earth Science Week field trip