Earth Sciences

Earth science applies the basic sciences of physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics to understanding processes that have shaped the earth through the last 4.5 billion years. Here at the UO, we are well positioned to study these processes using the natural laboratory found in Oregon, where subduction drives volcanoes and earthquakes, which uplift mountains and inspire surface processes of erosion and deposition. These in turn have in turn fostered an unparalleled fossil record of the age of mammals.

Carol Paty, CAS space physicist

What's Beneath Europa's Icy Surface?

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has launched and will soon be on its way to Jupiter's moon. What happens now? Join CAS space physicist Carol Paty, who helped develop key instruments aboard the craft, Nov. 14 at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History to learn more about this groundbreaking mission.

What You Can Do with a Degree in Earth Sciences

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth sciences are qualified for careers as laboratory technicians, professional geologists, geophysicists, or geochemists. They can find employment in a wide range of fields, including:

  • Resource management
  • Geotechnical and environmental consulting
  • Urban and rural planning
  • Petroleum and mining industries
  • State and federal agencies such as the USGS, USFS, NOAA, EPA, and DEQ
  • Teaching in K-12 schools
Hazard Resilient equipments

Community Resilience

The Oregon Hazards Lab (OHAZ) and the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center (CRESCENT) use science and technology to improve statewide resilience to geologic hazards. OHAZ is building an advanced sensor network that detects natural disasters as they emerge, while CRESCENT works with scientists and communities from across the country to improve our understanding of the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

Our Degree Programs

Earth science at the University of Oregon includes the study of geology, oceanography, paleontology, and geophysics. These studies are inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on the knowledge and techniques of other physical and natural sciences such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

A faculty member interacting with students in the field in Struble, Yachats

Learn from Experts in the Field

Our faculty conduct numerous individual and collaborative studies that take advantage of our proximity to the Cascade volcanoes and the tectonic complexity of the western North American margin. Many of our projects are funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the US Geological Survey.

Student climbing a hill

Get Real-world Experience

Students in the Department of Earth Sciences can get their hands dirty through a wide range of hands-on learning opportunities, including multiple two-week field camps each summer term. With the field camp, students gain practical experience applying their Earth science knowledge in the field while exploring wildlands in Oregon and the broader American West.

Scholarships and Funding

Undergraduate students can seek funding through the College of Arts and Sciences, which awards various scholarships to both incoming students and those who are already attending the UO. The Department of Earth Sciences awards annual scholarships to undergraduate students and offers graduate employee appointments to help fund graduate students while pursuing their degree.

Undergraduate Scholarships
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Students in the Department of Earth Sciences can seek support from our faculty advisors or from the academic and career advisors in Tykeson Hall. Tykeson advisors can assist with career and course planning; answer questions about core education requirements as well as university policies and procedures; and connect students with other resources for success.

Undergraduate Advising
Support for Graduate Students

Earth Science News and Events

EARTH SCIENCES - When Clark Honors College senior Erin Morrison set out to witness the historic launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission in Florida in mid-October, she had no idea she’d also be facing a Category-5 hurricane. Europa Clipper was supposed to take off on Oct. 10, the same day Hurricane Milton was projected to make landfall over Kennedy Space Center.
EARTH SCIENCES - Carol Paty, a comparative planetologist in the College of Arts and Sciences helped develop one of the scientific instruments aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper, which blasted off Oct. 14, on the world’s first mission to conduct a detailed study of Jupiter's moon Europa. Paty, an Earth sciences professor, is a member of the research teams behind two of the nine scientific instruments the spacecraft will use to confirm and measure what scientists strongly suspect is a vast sea of salty water buried under a sheet of ice enveloping the moon’s surface.
EARTH SCIENCES - The Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center (CRESCENT) has awarded 14 grants to researchers across the US and beyond to study the Cascadia subduction zone, a massive fault along the West Coast that could generate a magnitude 9.0+ earthquake at any moment. The CRESCENT Seed Grant Program was established to enlist more researchers in the effort to meet those goals.

All news »


Graduate School Fair 2024
Nov13
Graduate School Fair 2024 Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop)
Nov13
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop) Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
From Secondary Burial to Eco-Coffins: Traditions and Trends in Funerary Cultures
Nov13
From Secondary Burial to Eco-Coffins: Traditions and Trends in Funerary Cultures Nov 13
Let's Talk - Wednesdays Noon-2MP (Peterson Hall/Zoom)
Nov13
Let's Talk - Wednesdays Noon-2MP (Peterson Hall/Zoom) Nov 13 Peterson Hall
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop)
Nov13
Curious about Applying to Grad School? (Mini-Workshop) Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Let’s Talk – Wednesdays 2PM-4PM (BCC/Zoom)
Nov13
Let’s Talk – Wednesdays 2PM-4PM (BCC/Zoom) Nov 13 Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center
How to Manage Stress, Rejection & the Haters in Your Midst
Nov14
How to Manage Stress, Rejection & the Haters in Your Midst Nov 14
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: Revising the Dissertation and Other First Book Problems
Nov14
Book Disciplines Workshop Series: Revising the Dissertation and Other First Book Problems Nov 14
Herchurch: Utopian Thinking at the Intersection of Feminism, Lutheranism, and Paganism
Nov14
Herchurch: Utopian Thinking at the Intersection of Feminism, Lutheranism, and Paganism Nov 14
Ascent to Europa: NASA’s Mission to Jupiter’s Ocean Moon
Nov14
Ascent to Europa: NASA’s Mission to Jupiter’s Ocean Moon Nov 14 Museum of Natural and Cultural History

All events »