Undergraduates as well as graduate students have opportunities to carry out research in current fields of interest.

The principal research fields of the department are geochemistry, mineral physics, igneous petrology; geophysics, structural geology, tectonophysics; environmental science, hydrology; paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, sedimentology; and planetary geosciences. Emphasis in these different areas varies, but includes experimental, theoretical, and observational approaches as well as applications to field problems. Field studies of specific problems are encouraged rather than field mapping for its own sake. Interdisciplinary study with other departments and divisions is encouraged.