Our Courses
Our courses cover environmental geology, geomorphology, marine geology, oceanography/limnology, petrology, and tectonics.
More about Our CoursesEarth and Climate Sciences
Middlebury College Earth and Climate Sciences students experience the excitement of the geological and environmental sciences in interesting, dynamic, and fun settings in the Green Mountains and Adirondacks, on Lake Champlain, and beyond.
From studying soil evolution in Costa Rica to using AI to reconstruct how sea surface temperatures responded to climate change at the Last Glacial Maximum, our faculty actively engage students in the exploration of Earth systems.
We are committed to scientific and academic excellence in an inclusive and evolving environment.
ECSC EVENTS
Upcoming ECSC events, lectures, and more
The Memory of Darkness, Light, and Ice
With environmental Filmmaker Kathy Kasic and UVM Professor and Author Paul Bierman.
Free & Open to All
The Magmatic Nexus of Carbon, Climate, and Critical Minerals
Dr. Lackey ‘97.5, will talk about the magmatic nexus of carbon, climate, and critical minerals, the great granitoid batholiths of the circum-Pacific region formed during massive magmatic flare-ups between 80 and 200 million years ago. The construction of these batholiths corresponds with high loads of atmospheric carbon and global warming episodes. The rock residues “born” during these unusual periods of magma-driven decarbonation, known as skarns, also host many base and precious ores. In studies of California’s Sierra Nevada range, we have sought to understand how tectonic forces modulate magma production rate and composition, controlling delivery of carbon into the atmosphere, while also regulating the type and tenor of the critical mineral deposits. Collectively, this work helps illuminate the Earth’s anthropogenic climate future by analogy with the Cretaceous, and the processes that formed the critical mineral deposits needed to harness alternative energy sources.
39
Number of Majors
$823905
Grant Funding
53
Published Students (2012–present)
About the Department
Teaching is our passion and research is an integral part of that teaching. Our research interests include ocean studies, lake studies, soil studies, structural geology, metamorphic and igneous petrology, geochemistry, and geomorphology. All of our research has field and lab components.
Since Vermont is a classic area for the study of mountain system evolution, one general theme of the program is to relate geological processes to the origin and evolution of global tectonic patterns, integrating data from the world’s oceans and continental areas.
Alumni Highlights
Lisa Luna ’13, pictured, went on to work at NewClimate Institute in Berlin, Germany, as a climate policy analyst focused on policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Luna also earned her MSc in geoscience from the University of Potsdam in Germany. She returned in fall 2021 to join us as a visiting professor.