Frank Spear Department Head

In recent decades, the Earth Sciences have undergone major changes, stimulated in part by the reinterpretation of Earth history and processes within the context of plate tectonics. The past 15 years have been especially exciting, as new understanding of the interconnectedness among all Earth systems – air, water, solid Earth and the biosphere – has come into sharper focus. Cognizant of these changes (and leading some of them), Rensselaer’s E&ES faculty provide instruction in modern Earth Sciences that is both far-reaching and relevant, addressing key topics ranging from environmental contaminants in local waterways, the evolution of mountain belts, to the extremes of Earth’s climate, to the nature of crustal movements that cause earthquakes, to the evolution of our planet and the origins of life on it.

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