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Research Focus AreasSurficial Processes and the EnvironmentThis group studies linkages among physical, chemical, and biological (including human) processes both in time and space. Issues we address include water quality and quantity changes due to local and global influences (e.g., pollution, land-use, and climate change), environmental, human and ecosystem health problems, and ways to study environmental change. The group maintains aqueous geochemistry, hydrogeology, and applied geophysics labs. Ancient Life SystemsThe Ancient Life Systems group studies the evolutionary history of organisms in the context of biological and physical responses to large-scale deep-time changes in ancient global geography, climate, and macroecology, and how these responses are recorded in the geologic record and relate to past and present-day patterns of biodiversity. Geodynamics and TectonicsThe Geodynamics research group studies the origin, evolution, and rates of (de)formation of the Earth's crust. Studies focus on geophysical, geochemical and geological understanding of plate tectonics and use of inter-disciplinary data to predict and develop models of lithospheric deformation, magmatism, mass fluxes, sedimentation and fluid flow. The group maintains and operates state-of-the-art XRF and ICP-MS labs and geophysical equipment, and uses a number of specialized instruments at MSU's Center for Advanced Microscopy. Geocognition and Geoscience EducationFaculty and students in this area investigate how people understand and interpret geological phenomena and how personal models of the natural world impact learning in geosciences. Ongoing research is pushing the boundaries in application of new qualitative and statistical approaches to assessment and analysis of student conceptions. This group works collaboratively with researchers across MSU, and also engages in activities in K-12 student and teacher education and teacher professional development. Other Research Clusters
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