Graduate Student Research Opportunities

Modern earth science is quantitative, process-oriented, and multi-faceted, demanding a global, interdisciplinary approach. As a graduate student at UW, you'll work closely with faculty who are tackling some of the most important problems in earth science today, from quantifying the strength of plate boundaries to developing strategies for sequestration of carbon from Earth's atmosphere. Some of these problems are best addressed in our backyard — the fabulous natural laboratory of the Rocky Mountains — but many require research in more distant locales. At UW, you get the best of both worlds.

The department is always seeking excellent graduate student applicants to fill a variety of positions on research projects.  The recruiting season for Fall 2024 has now begun and the application deadline is January 15 2024. Please note that we do not typically admit sudents in the Spring or Summer semester, unless a faculty member has funding for a specific project in your field of interest.

If you're looking for graduate school opportunities, we encourage you to contact the faculty_member(s) working on the topics that interest you. Below are just some of the many exciting opportunities for 2024- we'll continue to update this list as the semester progresses.

1. Mathematical modeling for geophysical characterization. Professor Dario Grana is seeking students interested in working on interdisciplinary projects on data science, computers science and geophysics, focusing on mathematical modeling and uncertainty quantification for subsurface petrophysical characterization using geophysical data. 

2. Geophysical monitoring of CO2 sequestration and storage. Professor Dario Grana is seeking students, with a strong mathematical and statistical background, interested in research opportunities in the field of geophysical characterization and monitoring of carbon dioxide storage units. The goal of this project is to assess the petrophysical properties of potential CO2 storage unites and monitor the fluid flow during injection and migration of CO2 using geophysical data and stochastic modeling methods.

3. Magnetic Monitoring/Imaging of Volcanoes. Assistant Professor Joe Biasi is seeking a PhD student to study the Puyehue Cordon-Caulle volcanic complex in south-central Chile. Joe has a funded position through a recent NSF FRES grant which proposes a novel, low-cost volcano monitoring/imaging technique that primarily uses aeromagnetic and ground-based magnetic data to detect subsurface magma transport. Additional deployments in Yellowstone, the Cascades, Iceland, and the Aleutians are also possible.  Students with a background in geophysical data processing, volcanology, and/or hobby electronics are encouraged to apply.

4. Paleomagnetism of Ore Deposits. Assistant Professor Joe Biasi is seeking MS or PhD students who are interested in the broad field of ore deposit paleomagnetism. They can join any of the several ongoing ore deposit projects in his lab, or can work with Joe and develop their own project. Students with a strong interest in paleomagnetism and/or petrology are encouraged to apply.