Geology Graduate Studies Research Tracks

 

Geology Research Focus Areas

 

photo of the planet earth

 Faculty in the Geology Program pursue research in fluvial geomorphology, geophysics, carbon sequestration, arctic tectonics, petroleum geology, energy exploration, hydrogeology, paleontology, structural geology, remote sensing, GIS, dendrochronology, carbonate sedimentology, metamorphic petrology, mineralogy, and geoscience education. This provides an exciting environment for multidisciplinary research focused on the Earth as our habitat, but also as the planet that is most accesible to our scientific curiosity.

Fossil Energy Focus

Cooper

Several faculty and graduate students in our department carry out research on the Marcellus Gas Shale of the Appalachian basin in order to understand its sedimentology (Smosna), resource potential and petrophysics (Carr), unconventional oil and gas (Carr), geochemistry (Sharma), seismic attributes (Gao), structure (Toro, Gao) and geochronology (Wesilogel, Toro).

Our students have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of petroleum exploration and to acquire practical experience in the context of their research.

Specialty areas include:

  • Petroleum Geology
  • Stratigraphy and Sedimentation
  • Structure and Tectonics
  • Geophysics
  • Carbon Sequestration
  • GIS and Remote Sensing
  • Biostratigraphy

We use both traditional field and subsurface research methods, as well state-of-the-art software tools and technology. Several faculty have experience working for major oil and gas companies and maintain on-going research collaboration. Also, we have research projects supported by the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory located here in Morgantown.

The masters degree is the professional degree in demand by the energy industry. Every year we admit about a dozen graduate students. 100% of our M. S. and Ph. D. graduates have found lucrative employment as professional geologists across the energy industry.

In 2008, a team of our students reached the top five in the world in the AAPG Imperial Barrel competition.

Click here for details on Energy Exploration at WVU

 

 

Surficial Processes and the Environment

Orogenic Systems
The Department is located in the foreland of the Appalachian Orogen which has provides over the years abundant research targets to faculty and students. Recent work has focused on the uplift and denudation history of the Appalachian Plateau (Toro and students) and on the foreland basin structures imaged in detail by 3D (Gao and students) and 2D seismic (Toro and students).
Dr. Toro has investigated the tectonic evolution of the Arctic Region by  carrying out field research in Northeaster Russia and Northern Alaska for the past 12 years.
Dr. Lang works on the metamorphic evolution of high grade terranes ranging from the Greenland Caledonides to the country rock of the Idaho batholith.

RESEARCH LINKAGES AROUND MORGANTOWN

The WV Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES), located 5 miles from Morgantown, makes available laboratory equipment, fossil collections, cataloged drill cuttings and core, and subsurface logs from deep wells in the region. The Survey also offers students work and thesis opportunities in coal resources and petroleum geology. Several survey geologists are adjunct faculty.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the U.S. Department of Energy laboratory located in Morgantown carries out and funds research on fossil-fuel resources and environmental problems. NETL projects support Geology faculty and graduate-student research.

The West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) is the premier water research center in West Virginia and an international leader in certain fields. The Institute is based at the National Center for Coal and Energy at the Evansdale Campus of WVU. Geology professor Dr. Joe Donovan is the director of the Hydrogeology Research Center, within the WVWRI.

Extensive mining in the Appalachian region provides an excellent opportunity for students to study the environmental effects of coal extraction. WVU Geology faculty collaborate with the National Mine Land Reclamation Center (NMLRC) based on the WVU Evansdale Campus. The NMLRC is the main center for coordination of acid-mine drainage research in the U.S. WVU Geology has instrumented groundwater-research sites in the region for training and research.

The Department houses the Statewide GIS Technical Center, the central source for GIS resources in West Virginia. The Tech Center is responsible for scanning and digitization of USGS DLGs, DOQs, and a host of other data products. The Center provides technical-support services for the development and operation of GIS in West Virginia. A limited number of RA opportunities are available related to Center activities.