Geological and Environmental Sciences

Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5241 USA
(269) 387-5486

Research

The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences is a research intensive unit within the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University. For more than 50 years, the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences faculty has been devoted to addressing pressing questions through basic and applied research with a strong emphasis on hydrogeology and geological studies. In 2011, the department became the home of the Michigan Geological Survey. The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences is also the home of the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education, which is a leading research facility for subsurface coring. 

NATIONAL RESEARCH

Examples of national research that has had a direct bearing on Michigan's environment and natural resources include:

  • Subsurface exploration and delineation of oil and gas reservoirs, mineral deposits, and water resources.
  • Assessing Michigan’s subsurface rocks for geothermal energy potential, enhanced oil recovery, and carbon sequestration.
  • Investigating water resource-related issues in the context of Michigan’s unique proximity to the Great lakes.
  • Assessing the transport and fate of PFAS and other environmental contaminants in ground and surface water.
  • Investigating the causes and impacts of climate change, including flooding and slope failure, in the region.
  • Applying remote-sensing techniques and new airborne geophysical methods to help answer questions about Earth.

International research

Examples of international research conducted by the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences include:

  • The study of fossil aquifers in the north African Sahara.
  • The study of landslides in the Arabian peninsula.
  • The study of the subsidence of the Nile Delta.
  • Monitoring algae blooms in the Persian Gulf.
  • Subsidence in Euroasia resulting from tectonic activity.
  • Monitoring ground movement in Nepal.

For more information

To learn more about the expertise of individual faculty members and related research possibilities, please visit: