Earth System Sciences is based upon the concept of “Earth as a System” viewing Earth as a dynamic integrated system with physical, chemical, and biological processes linking the solid Earth, the atmosphere, and the ocean together with Earth's biological components. Our main concern is the solid Earth through Geology/ Geophysics and Environmental studies. Geology/Geophysics is the study of the chemistry and physics of Earth materials, the structure of the Earth, the processes that cycle materials, and the sources of water, minerals, and energy. Environmental studies focus on the movement and clean-up of contaminants near the surface of the Earth and the planning of human activities that harmonize with geologic reality.

The Department of Earth System Sciences offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. programs. The undergraduate and graduate programs are designed to provide a background of fundamentals in science, and courses in Earth Sciences. The program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Earth System Sciences permits a high degree of flexibility for each individual student. Graduate programs give specialized training for professional work in education and research.

The breadth of interest of the department's faculty provides numerous opportunities for field-based research, as well as for laboratory and numerical experiments, and for the most modern applications of instrumental analysis to problems in the Earth sciences. Current research fields include economic geology, mineralogy and crystallography, volcanology, igneous and metamorphic petrology, geochemistry and isotope geology, sedimentology, geophysics, environmental soil sciences, hydro-geology, environmental geology, remote sensing and GIS, and engineering geology. Faculty in the department interact closely with the Groundwater and Soil Environments Research Institute and the Information Center for Environmental Geology.