Current Research
Our research efforts span the U.S. and globe, stretching from Alaska to Bolivia and New Zealand. While most research activities are reserved for graduate students, diligent students can begin building their research experience as undergrads. Here’s a sample of some our most significant research efforts:
Activities
The Department of Geological Sciences seminar series brings you lectures and workshops from top geologists who are recognized for their contributions to the field.
Hands-On Experience
Regardless of what emphasis area you choose to study, you’ll benefit from direct interaction with faculty. Field trips and hands-on lab work will also prepare you to tackle real-world challenges you’ll face on the job, such as evaluating groundwater contaminates for excavations, preparing geologic cross sections and classifying soils, and much more.
For example, here are some research projects our graduate students are working on:
- Fracture Styles at Upheaval Dome, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, Imply Both Meteorite Impact and Salt Diapirism.
- Facies Analysis and Sequence Interpretation of the Late Devonian Three Forks Formation, Lost River Range, Idaho.
- The study of fracture networks exposed in steep basalt canyons at Box Canyon, near the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The team is looking to develop new techniques for storing carbon dioxide in the deep subsurface to reduce carbon emissions and reverse global climate change.
- Aquifer Characterization in the Palouse Basin.
- Global Climate Change in the Miocene Recorded in Columbia River Basalt-hosted Paleosols.
- The Case for Recent Tectonic Activity on Jupiter’s Moon Europa.
Facilities
The University of Idaho has extensive research facilities and tools, such as rock cutting and crushing equipment, petrographic microscopes and photomicrograph facilities, and more. In addition, quite often, our faculty members have established relationships with professors at neighboring universities, which will give you access to even more high-tech equipment. Other equipment and facilities, includes:
- Computing facilities
- Geovisualization Facility
- Geochemical and mineralogical facilities, including state-of-the-art, ICP AES and HPLC chemical laboratory
- Geophotography and remote sensing laboratory
- Geophysical equipment