Geology
Students majoring in geology are preparing to take an active role in the utilization of the earth's resources while protecting its fragile environment. Course work involves hands-on use of modern laboratory equipment and extensive projects out in the field. The faculty combine small classes with abundant travel opportunities to involve students in ongoing geological projects that involve both local and far-ranging locales. Locally the emphasis is on Ice Age deposits and modern coastal processes on the shores of Lake Erie, the folded sedimentary rocks of the Appalachian Mountains, and the igneous and metamorphic rocks of nearby Canada. Far-ranging projects include work with rocks and soils from Texas, the geology of the Israel coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and coral reefs of Caribbean sites.
Geology as a science studies the dynamic volcanic, sedimentary, and plate-tectonic processes of the earth that create: (1) mineral rock and soil resources, (2) the landscape and landforms they make up as shaped by (3) glacial ice, streams, waves, winds, and groundwater.
The curricula are designed with three primary objectives: (1) to prepare students for entry-level employment with consulting and engineering companies that concentrate on environmental problems, (2) to prepare students for entry-level employment in federal, state, and municipal environmental agencies, (3) to prepare students that enter graduate programs in the branch of geology of their choosing in preparation for university teaching or upper level employment with private companies or governmental agencies.
The geology department is part of the Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute. Through joint research operations, Mercyhurst geologists are actively involved in ongoing field and laboratory projects in the eastern and western United States, the Near East, Russia, and the Republic of the Ukraine. Interested students are strongly encouraged to participate in these joint activities, which are at the cutting edge of geoarchaeology, as well as to pursue course work in this rapidly developing field. Geoarchaeology is the interface that exists between the field of geology and the anthropological subdiscipline of archaeology. Geoarchaeologists use geological techniques to help locate, excavate, and interpret archaeological sites and materials and thereby contribute to understanding the physical stage upon which the actors of antiquity performed.
This department also participates in the Interdisciplinary Program in Applied Forensic Sciences.
Majors and Concentrations
- Geology major
- Environmental geology/hydrogeology concentration
- Geoarchaeology concentration
- Earth and Space Science Education Major
Minors
- Geology minor