Geology

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The Geology major is offered at Pomona College and may be available to Scripps students.  Please consult with the appropriate department chair (or equivalent) at the home college to discuss specific major/minor requirements. Scripps students who declare this major must complete a senior thesis. In addition to having a faculty major adviser in this discipline, Scripps students must maintain a primary Scripps faculty adviser.

Geologists are interdisciplinary scientists, dedicated to understanding Earth’s formation and evolution over time, as well as the interplay of active processes that continue to shape our planet. A host of fundamental questions drives our science forward. For instance, how can we reduce the risk to human populations from volcanic eruptions, earthquake activity and other hazardous geological events? What is the connection between the Earth’s interior dynamics and the global network of mobile tectonic plates at its surface, and within our solar system why is Earth’s plate tectonic regime unique? How did life originate, evolve and modify Earth’s environment over billions of years? Geologists also play an important role in addressing many applied questions of relevance to society. How can we resolve the mismatch between population growth and a dwindling supply of energy, mineral resources and clean water? How does evidence of past climate variations, observed in the geological record, help us understand the near-future trajectory and consequences of anthropogenic climate change? The geosciences are an essential part of the scientific framework needed to address questions like these and many of the other pressing challenges facing humankind.

To learn more about the Geology major or minor, see the Pomona College catalog and visit geology.pomona.edu.

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