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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
25th in the Times Higher Education International Universities Rankings
World Top 50 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022
Top 10 in the UK for research outputs (REF 2021)
8th The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 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. 

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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. 

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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.
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What's new?

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Fully funded studentship for 4 years

Nuclear Waste Services fully funded studentship for 4 years

Research news
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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

Ancient fossils shed new light on evolution of sea worm

Ancient fossils have shed new light on a type of sea worm linking it to the time of an evolutionary explosion that gave rise to modern animal life.
Research news
A 515 million year old fossil of a sea worm

IAPETUS2 Doctoral Training Programme

Available studentships for the 2023/24 cohort will be added here throughout September, October and November 2022. Applications will open early November 2022.
Research news
A mountain

Gender Equality Silver Award Success

The Department of Earth Sciences has recently been awarded an Athena SWAN Silver award.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Diversity Initiatives balloons
More news items

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.

This is the card image's alt text.

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

Jeroen van Hunen EGU Geodynamics Division President

Jeroen van Hunen has been elected as President for the Geodynamics division of the European Geoscience Union Geodynamics.
Jeroen van Hunen EGU GD President

Fully funded studentship for 4 years

Nuclear Waste Services fully funded studentship for 4 years

This is the card image's alt text.

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.
David A. T. Harper

Ancient fossils shed new light on evolution of sea worm

Ancient fossils have shed new light on a type of sea worm linking it to the time of an evolutionary explosion that gave rise to modern animal life.
A 515 million year old fossil of a sea worm

Durham undergraduates survive sea survival training

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

This is the card image's alt text.

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.

  • General enquiries
  • Follow us on Twitter

    • 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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