Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
M.S. in Geology
Dr. Steve Lewis, Department Chair
Dr. Robert Dundas, Graduate Program Coordinator
"Things are not what they seem. Terra is not all that firma. The everlasting hills wear down. What was once tropic has changed places with the once polar. Sea floor is on a perpetual trip to its mantle source, rafting continents and microcontinents with it, to be reassembled in other places, times, and patterns." --Preston Cloud, Oasis in Space
Graduate Program
Located on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada, California State University, Fresno offers numerous research and classroom opportunities for the student ready to explore the history of the earth. The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences challenges students to seek the unmistakable evidence underfoot, to see the previously unseen in the earth, to "explore new terrain with a Master of Science in Geology."
The graduate courses in Geology at our university are designed to meet the needs of individuals with several different career objectives: (1) to provide the first postbaccalaureate degree for students preparing for eventual enrollment in doctoral programs in geology and related sciences, (2) to prepare students for industrial or government employment, or (3) to extend the competence of secondary school and junior college teachers in the earth sciences.
In addition to classical geology, the graduate program also offers a course study in applied geology that focuses on environmental and resource issues of the Sierra Nevada and the San Joaquin Valley. The applied geology curriculum is specially designed to service the San Joaquin Valley region by training students to be professional geologists who will take up positions in the local offices of government agencies and the growing number of private geological and engineering consulting firms in the area. We have also developed strong working relationships with the local geologic and engineering community. Through the Fresno Geological Society, a professional organization of nearly 100 members, we have been able to develop our student internship program. The department has consistently offered professional, state-of-the-art classes scheduled in the evenings so as to increase participation by the professional community in our service area.
Research Facilities and Support
During the past few years, the department has been very successful in generating additional resources from numerous grants and contracts. The department faculty works closely with various federal and state agencies in a multitude of projects providing many opportunities for student research. Some examples are:
- The study of nitrate contamination in ground water, funded by the California Agricultural Research Initiative.
- A groundwater model development model development effort for the Savannah River Site, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
- A hydrological monitoring project under the San Joaquin River Habitat Restoration Program, funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
- An assessment study of paleontological resources for the California Department of Transportation.
- Watershed restoration projects, funded by a consortium of government agencies, including the California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Fish and Game, and others.
- A hydrological monitoring project under the San Joaquin River Habitat Restoration Program, funded by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation.
- A grant from NASA to study earthquake faults in the Mojave Desert.
- A contract through the California State Parks to research the relationship between off-road vehicles and desert stream erosion.
- A geological study in Antarctica funded by the New Zealand government.
External funding also support equipment purchases and graduate student assistantships. Equipment available for student research includes:
- Field hydrology equipment
- Portable geophysical instruments (seismic, resistivity, magnetics)
- GIS and computer systems with color map plotting capability and other peripherals
- Rock and soil sample preparation equipment
- Microscopes and accessories
The facilities housed in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and in cooperation with Chemistry, Civil Engineering, and other departments, allow students a strong research and equipment base for conducting studies on modern geology's most important questions. Facilities accessible to graduate students include the hydrogeology laboratory with field instrumentation; analytical chemistry facilities to study atomic absorption, ion chromatography, ICP mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and fluorescence; a satellite-image processing and computer mapping laboratory; SUN engineering workstations linked to the Campus Data Network; a fluid-inclusion laboratory; a petrographic laboratory with transmitted and reflected light research microscopes, photomicrography setup, and a cathode luminoscope; soil-testing laboratory (available through the Plant Science Department); rock-crushing and sectioning equipment; map and rock collections; paleontology lab with air scribes and microabrasive unit; and ten field vehicles shared with the Biology Department.
Graduate Program | Research Facilities and Support | Faculty | Quick Facts