Earth Sciences

We believe that 'Research informs Teaching' and active research is the essential underpinning of all activities.
There are several internationally respected research groups who occupy distinctive niches in the research spectrum, pursuing excellence over superficiality.
Our particular expertise in the applied geosciences is provided by the Applied and Environmental Geophysics Research Group who focus on the application of high-resolution geophysical techniques to engineering, environmental and archaeological problems and the Basin Dynamics Research Group who study the controls and fill of sedimentary basins and their subsequent deformation and inversion at lithospheric scale using numerical analysis, and at smaller scales using seismic reflection interpretation and structural geology.
Both of these groups are supported by Research Council, European and Industrial sponsors and also provide technology transfer to local and regional SMEs and major industrial organizations. Additionally, we conduct research in the areas of volcanology, igneous and metamorphic geology and palaeontology/stratigraphy.
The computational needs of these groups are supported by the CUDA cluster (an HEFCE funded project) and there is extensive modern geophysical equipment and a full range of geochemical analytical instruments.