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Department of Earth Sciences

Providing education, research, and knowledge to help shape a sustainable future for Earth and its inhabitants.
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About the Department of Earth Sciences

We are living through a time of unprecedented change on Earth. Scientific understanding of geological hazards, sustainability, infrastructure, climate change, energy, and natural resources has never been so important, and Earth Sciences sit at the heart of the debate.

We aspire to help shape the future by providing the highest quality education for our students and by undertaking research that is both intrinsically excellent and relevant to society. 

Find out more
7th in the Guardian University Guide 2024
Joint 7th in the UK for world-leading research impact (REF 2014)
8th The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023
World Top 50 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023

Study with us

  • Undergraduate study

    We place research-led teaching at the centre of our undergraduate programme because we want our undergraduates to be at the forefront of knowledge generation in the 21st century.

    Man reading while overlooking sea

  • Postgraduate study

    We aspire to help shape and improve the future by training the next generation of Earth Scientists through provision of high-quality postgraduate training and research opportunities. 

    Woman sat on rocks

Undergraduate study

We place research-led teaching at the centre of our undergraduate programme because we want our undergraduates to be at the forefront of knowledge generation in the 21st century.

Man reading while overlooking sea

Postgraduate study

We aspire to help shape and improve the future by training the next generation of Earth Scientists through provision of high-quality postgraduate training and research opportunities. 

Woman sat on rocks

Our research

This is how we make an impact on the world around us.

We are a vibrant and collaborative community of 50 academic and postdoctoral staff, and 70 postgraduate research students (PhD and MScR). We conduct and disseminate rigorous research that deepens our understanding of the Earth and environment, and that transforms and enhances practices and outcomes in academia, in industry, and amongst practitioners.

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Diversity initiatives

Our values are an integral part of our identity and form the basis of almost everything we do.

Earth Sciences aims to support equality, diversity and inclusion across the department, encompassing all aspects of inequality. We consider inclusiveness to be fundamental to a supportive, progressive and successful Department. We aim for the Department to be a pleasant and supportive work and study environment for all, respecting the dignity of staff and students, regardless of their gender, gender identity, race, or disability.
Find out more
Diverse team of people all with speech bubbles

What's new?

Filter:

  • Marie Curie PhD Fellows 2023

    The Department invites applications for 2 Marie Curie PhD Fellows in 2023. This post is funded by UKRI through a scheme intended to promote international mobility of researchers. As a result, we can only consider candidates who have resided and carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) outside the UK for at least 24 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Candidates must not have previously completed a doctoral degree.
    Research news
    Calman Building

  • Researchers find eruption date of ancient German volcano possibly wrong by 130 years

    In a new study, leading scientists have revealed that the new high precision radiocarbon-based date set for Laacher See volcano eruption of 13,000 years before present is probably not correct.
    Global research
    Volcano

  • Professor Jon Gluyas elected President-designate of The Geological Society

    Congratulations to Professor Jon Gluyas who has been elected as President-designate of the world’s oldest geological society.
    Research news
    Professor Jon Gluyas with white hair, beard and glasses stands in front of an old wooden door in red and black academic robes.

  • Fully funded studentship for 4 years

    Nuclear Waste Services fully funded studentship for 4 years
    Research news
    LA-ICP-MS elemental maps

  • Durham undergraduates survive sea survival training

    Two Durham geophysics undergraduates, have successfully completed a sea survival training course.
    Student news
    Student wearing sea survival gear in the water

  • Oldest fossils of mysterious animal group are actually seaweeds

    A leading scientist from our Department of Earth Sciences has collaborated with researchers in China to reveal that a group of prehistoric sea creatures is not as ancient as we thought - their earliest fossils are actually seaweeds.
    Global research
    Fossils seaweed

  • JEAN BAPTISTE LAMARCK MEDAL 2023

    The 2023 Jean Baptiste Lamarck Medal is awarded to David A. T. Harper in recognition of his outstanding work on the evolution and biostratigraphy of Lower Paleozoic invertebrate faunas, as well as his important contributions to quantitative palaeontology education.
    Research news
    David A. T. Harper

Marie Curie PhD Fellows 2023

The Department invites applications for 2 Marie Curie PhD Fellows in 2023. This post is funded by UKRI through a scheme intended to promote international mobility of researchers. As a result, we can only consider candidates who have resided and carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) outside the UK for at least 24 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Candidates must not have previously completed a doctoral degree.

Research news
Calman Building

Researchers find eruption date of ancient German volcano possibly wrong by 130 years

In a new study, leading scientists have revealed that the new high precision radiocarbon-based date set for Laacher See volcano eruption of 13,000 years before present is probably not correct.
Global research
Volcano

Professor Jon Gluyas elected President-designate of The Geological Society

Congratulations to Professor Jon Gluyas who has been elected as President-designate of the world’s oldest geological society.
Research news
Professor Jon Gluyas with white hair, beard and glasses stands in front of an old wooden door in red and black academic robes.

Fully funded studentship for 4 years

Nuclear Waste Services fully funded studentship for 4 years
Research news
LA-ICP-MS elemental maps

Durham undergraduates survive sea survival training

Two Durham geophysics undergraduates, have successfully completed a sea survival training course.
Student news
Student wearing sea survival gear in the water

Oldest fossils of mysterious animal group are actually seaweeds

A leading scientist from our Department of Earth Sciences has collaborated with researchers in China to reveal that a group of prehistoric sea creatures is not as ancient as we thought - their earliest fossils are actually seaweeds.
Global research
Fossils seaweed

JEAN BAPTISTE LAMARCK MEDAL 2023

The 2023 Jean Baptiste Lamarck Medal is awarded to David A. T. Harper in recognition of his outstanding work on the evolution and biostratigraphy of Lower Paleozoic invertebrate faunas, as well as his important contributions to quantitative palaeontology education.
Research news
David A. T. Harper
More news items

  • Researchers find eruption date of ancient German volcano possibly wrong by 130 years

    In a new study, leading scientists have revealed that the new high precision radiocarbon-based date set for Laacher See volcano eruption of 13,000 years before present is probably not correct.
    Global research
    Volcano

  • Oldest fossils of mysterious animal group are actually seaweeds

    A leading scientist from our Department of Earth Sciences has collaborated with researchers in China to reveal that a group of prehistoric sea creatures is not as ancient as we thought - their earliest fossils are actually seaweeds.
    Global research
    Fossils seaweed

  • Mine water geothermal heat project funded

    The department of Earth Sciences is the lead on the large, interdisciplinary research project entitled “The Geothermal Energy from Mines and Solar-Geothermal heat (GEMS)”, which will explore the geological, engineering, social, and economical aspects of extracting geothermal heat from water in abandoned coal mines.
    Global research
    Drilling for Geothermal energy at Louisa Centre Stanley

Researchers find eruption date of ancient German volcano possibly wrong by 130 years

In a new study, leading scientists have revealed that the new high precision radiocarbon-based date set for Laacher See volcano eruption of 13,000 years before present is probably not correct.

Volcano

Oldest fossils of mysterious animal group are actually seaweeds

A leading scientist from our Department of Earth Sciences has collaborated with researchers in China to reveal that a group of prehistoric sea creatures is not as ancient as we thought - their earliest fossils are actually seaweeds.
Fossils seaweed

Mine water geothermal heat project funded

The department of Earth Sciences is the lead on the large, interdisciplinary research project entitled “The Geothermal Energy from Mines and Solar-Geothermal heat (GEMS)”, which will explore the geological, engineering, social, and economical aspects of extracting geothermal heat from water in abandoned coal mines.
Drilling for Geothermal energy at Louisa Centre Stanley

  • Marie Curie PhD Fellows 2023

    The Department invites applications for 2 Marie Curie PhD Fellows in 2023. This post is funded by UKRI through a scheme intended to promote international mobility of researchers. As a result, we can only consider candidates who have resided and carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) outside the UK for at least 24 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Candidates must not have previously completed a doctoral degree.
    Research news
    Calman Building

  • Professor Jon Gluyas elected President-designate of The Geological Society

    Congratulations to Professor Jon Gluyas who has been elected as President-designate of the world’s oldest geological society.
    Research news
    Professor Jon Gluyas with white hair, beard and glasses stands in front of an old wooden door in red and black academic robes.

  • Fully funded studentship for 4 years

    Nuclear Waste Services fully funded studentship for 4 years
    Research news
    LA-ICP-MS elemental maps

Marie Curie PhD Fellows 2023

The Department invites applications for 2 Marie Curie PhD Fellows in 2023. This post is funded by UKRI through a scheme intended to promote international mobility of researchers. As a result, we can only consider candidates who have resided and carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) outside the UK for at least 24 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Candidates must not have previously completed a doctoral degree.

Calman Building

Professor Jon Gluyas elected President-designate of The Geological Society

Congratulations to Professor Jon Gluyas who has been elected as President-designate of the world’s oldest geological society.
Professor Jon Gluyas with white hair, beard and glasses stands in front of an old wooden door in red and black academic robes.

Fully funded studentship for 4 years

Nuclear Waste Services fully funded studentship for 4 years
LA-ICP-MS elemental maps

Durham undergraduates survive sea survival training

Two Durham geophysics undergraduates, have successfully completed a sea survival training course.

Student wearing sea survival gear in the water

Taught postgraduate courses (MSc degrees)

The Department is now offering and participates in 2 taught postgraduate degree programmes:
Satellite image with nodes and edges

New opportunity to study climate science

We are excited to announce the launch of our new 3 year Climate Science degree course!
New Climate Science Course at Durham Earth Sciences
I selected Durham University because it has a high world ranking, and I enjoy the small, quiet atmosphere of the city. The staff, students, and facilities in the Earth Sciences department are of the highest quality.
Jaafar H. Jotheri
PhD in Palaeoclimate - from Babylon, Iraq

Get in touch

Contact us to find out more about the exciting things our students do, research breakthroughs, and life at the cutting edge of Earth Science.

Earth Sciences,
Arthur Holmes Building,
Science Site,
South Road,
Durham. DH1 3LE

Tel: +44 (0)191 334 2300
Fax: +44 (0)191 334 2301

Questions about studying here?

Check out our list of FAQs or submit an enquiry form.

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