The School of Earth Sciences is situated at the historic heart of the University campus, in the neo-Gothic Wills Memorial Building. Part of the internationally acclaimed Faculty of Science, our school is one of the leading centres for research and teaching in the Earth Sciences, having been ranked in the top four UK departments of its kind since 2001.  The current Head of School is Professor Rich Pancost.

One of the school’s greatest research strengths is the truly collegiate atmosphere fostered by a fluid grouping of research activities with emphasis on excellence and interdisciplinarity. Our research activity is organised into six groups covering everything from climate and environmental change, to palaeobiology and geochemistry.

Researchers collaborate across the groups to investigate issues such as the evolution and architecture of the Earth, global biogeochemical cycles, evolution of biodiversity and morphology, and geological hazards and risks. We attract major support and financial investment from a diverse range of sources, including RCUK and particularly NERC, the EU, the Royal Society and other charitable bodies, and industry.

The school boasts some of the best research laboratories in the UK, with a further £3 million being spent by the University on upgrading facilities. Our research output is prolific, with over 120 ISI cited papers published each year in leading scientific journals.