Mission Statement

The Department of Earth Sciences conducts a balance of teaching, research and service as part of the University of Maine Land Grant and Sea Grant missions.
The research mission of the Department of Earth Sciences is to understand the processes, controls and linkages that drive the physical and chemical evolution of Earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Our research covers spatial scales ranging from microscopic to global, and time scales ranging from seconds to billions of years.

The Department's teaching mission is to provide its undergraduate and graduate students with world-class facilities and state-of-the-art knowledge, in a teamwork and interactive learning-based environment, equipping them with the tools and experience required to make professional contributions to science and humanity. Undergraduate and graduate education draw heavily on Maine's diverse geology, and on the research programs of faculty members that span the globe and cover highly diverse and interdisciplinary topics.

The Department's service mission is to provide expertise for and cooperation with State and Federal agencies, businesses, not-for-profit agencies, and individuals, through application of ongoing research programs, intellectual strength, and experience.

Our primary goal is to develop better understanding of Earth as a complex and dynamic system, including how humans interact with Earth's hazards and resources.