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Focused areas of research

Research groups within the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at the Βι¶ΉΣ³»­ conduct a variety of field, laboratory and modeling studies related to geoscience questions about Βι¶ΉΣ³»­, other parts of Earth and space.

Research and public service partnerships

Βι¶ΉΣ³»­ Seismological Lab
Earthquakes plotted on a map.
Βι¶ΉΣ³»­ Bureau of Mines and Geology
A researcher stands at the edge of the Walker Lane fault.

Department labs and analytical facilities

See how Department research is put to work in our labs and explore facilities and equipment available to faculty and students.

Taking research beyond the lab

Research in the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering research happens all over the state, world and galaxy! Explore how the Department is leading in geological sciences research below.

Reflecting on 15 years working on Mars

When the mission for the Mars rover Opportunity was declared complete, after 15 years rolling around the dusty planet surface examining rocks, soil, craters and dunes, science team member Wendy Calvin was a little sad, but said the rover "had a good long life."

Wendy Calvin is the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering Chair and professor. Her experience as a member of the Mars Rover science team is passed down to students and shared with other faculty.

Geophysics at Fly Ranch

The Department's applied geophysics graduate class spent spring break doing remote sensing field work out at Fly Ranch in Gerlach, Βι¶ΉΣ³»­. They tested out using the drone to create incredibly high-resolution models of the landscape.