ERS - Department of Earth Sciences

Research Areas


Geodynamics, Crustal Studies and Rheology of Earth Materials

The solid Earth sciences have been riding the plate tectonic theory for more than 40 years, and in that time a major funding structure has been established by federal agencies to investigate the inner workings of our planet and the evolution of its surface. The question of how stress is transferred in the lithosphere as a result of long-term processes such as plate motions, gravitational potential energy distribution, or lithosphere/asthenosphere interactions, is a central issue in solid Earth science, with direct implications for fundamental geological processes such as the development of mountains and sedimentary basins, inter- and intra- plate deformation, and the triggering of earthquakes. Equally important is the visco-elastic response of Earth to transient loads imposed by icecaps that come and go with changing climate. This is a topic of great significance that can bring together a more complete understanding of coupled responses to climate change and vertical motions of Earth’s surface. Our understanding of solid Earth evolution requires a better knowledge of the interactions among chemical and mechanical processes at various spatial and temporal scales. New observational techniques, including novel applications of cosmogenic nuclides and space geodesy, are providing new, high quality data, and the next decade will witness the development of dynamic models able to integrate these data. Our department is a leader in many of these areas of study, with researchers specializing in the coupled physical and chemical processes that shape Earth’s surface and drive evolution of its lithosphere and cryosphere.

Climate Change, Glacial Geology, Glaciology and Quaternary Studies

As concern about the timing, magnitude, and rate of future climate change increases, developing a comprehensive understanding of the relevant mechanisms governing climate variability has become crucial.  The identification of several abrupt climate shifts in the paleoclimate record that are greater in magnitude than those experienced by modern society has served to highlight the potential risks associated with continued increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases.  Identifying the forcings associated with these abrupt changes, using a combination of modern observations and process studies, paleoclimate proxy data, and model-based data synthesis and prediction, will serve to improve our ability to estimate future changes.  Mechanisms and physically plausible models that can explain observed climate variability on all timescales are still inadequate, in part due to a lack of information on fundamental relationships among climate and environmental responses.  Hypotheses that relate changes in climate forcings and associated responses are critical, particularly for the Southern Hemisphere where long high-resolution paleoclimate records and detailed glaciological observations are limited.  The Department of Earth Sciences and Climate Change Institute have long been recognized as leaders in these areas, and have been involved in defining and refining several paradigms associated with global and abrupt climate change.  Over the next decade, Department and Institute faculty will have integral and often leadership roles in several climate research initiatives ranging from deep ice core recovery and geologic sampling to satellite remote sensing.  


Aqueous Earth Systems

The health of ecosystems, ranging from headwater watersheds to cities, is dependent on water. Within New England , water resources are important assets that must be understood fully to continue sustainable use ranging from recreational fishing to bottled water.  Water quality and quantity exert a strong control on the biota within and surrounding aquatic ecosystems. Issues addressed by faculty in the Department of Earth Sciences include the physical movement of water over and through geologic materials, and the biogeochemical dynamics affecting water that comes in contact with geologic and organic material. These processes touch the lives of individuals in Maine whenever they drink from the tap, purchase a bottle of spring water, or cast a fishing line into the many lakes and rivers in Maine . Our faculty members have focused on: 1) the linkages between ecosystems and hydrologic processes; 2) the fate and transport of natural and anthropogenic chemicals, such as arsenic, mercury, nutrients (N and P) and deicing salts, through aquatic systems; 3) interactions among water and geologic substrates; and (4) physical and chemical characterization of geologic materials that influence the chemistry and flow rates of water. Our studies use experimental, empirical, and modeling approaches at scales ranging from the bench-top to entire ecosystems. Understanding hydrogeochemical processes provides important insight into the best management strategies for water resources and the ecosystems linked to them. The aqueous environmental systems group within Earth Sciences is playing an important role in the new field of eco-hydrology. We have collaborative relationships with State and Federal Agencies, departments and research groups at the University of Maine that share our goal of improving the understanding of aqueous environmental systems. These local collaborations allow many exciting multidisciplinary projects to be pursued and have resulted in projects funded by the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency , U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service.


Marine Geology, Coastal Processes, Sedimentology and Sea-level Studies

The response of shorelines and the people who inhabit them to rising sea level and associated coastal processes has been a major research focus of near shore Marine Geology for many years. With the recent explosion of human populations in coastal areas like barrier islands, deltas and landslide-prone bluffs, there is a growing need to develop quantitative measurements and models for how coastal environments have changed, are changing and will likely change as the level of the sea rises and storms frequently alter the shore. Sea-level change is driven by both glacial expansion and contraction as well as by land level changes associated with loading/unloading of ice on the land; processes that link marine geology to climate change and geodynamics. As the shoreline rises and falls, processes dominated by waves, wind and tides have swept over what is now the seafloor as well as terrestrial regions and lakes. We have pioneered in the development of indices to record sea-level change over the past 20,000 years from locations above and below the present shoreline. We have studied the record of past sea-level changes by mapping the seafloor as well as lake bottoms. We interact with State agencies like the Maine Geological Survey and Department of Marine Resources as well as federal agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service. We have used our expertise to influence state and national policies on coastal hazards and construction.

Related Research Groups at UMaine:

Climate Change Institute - CCI

School of Marine Sciences - SMS

Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research

* Fogler Library *