How do mountain belts and sedimentary basins form? How can we image the internal structure of the crust and mantle? How does plate tectonics really work and how can we model it? What controls volcanic eruptions and earthquakes? Can CO2 be safely stored in reservoir rocks in the crust? Processes of the solid Earth veldwerk%20mongolie%20kleinThe Earth Structure and Dynamics Programme addresses the composition, structure and evolution of the Earth’s crust, mantle and core. It links geological, geophysical, geochemical and geodetic observations made at the Earth’s surface to physical processes operating within the planet. Specialisation in any aspect of Solid Earth Science The programme can be seen as combining physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology and field studies to address how the Solid Earth works. It allows specialisation in virtually any aspect of Solid Earth Science, ranging from theoretical geophysics to pure geology or geochemistry, with many students choosing a combined geology-geophysics focus. Core areas of teaching and research Core areas of teaching and research include seismology, tectonophysics, mantle dynamics, structural geology, metamorphism, magmatic processes, basin evolution, hydrocarbon and mineral deposits and the properties of Earth materials. Processes addressed range from slow geodynamic processes, such as mantle convection, plate tectonics and mountain building, to those having an impact on human time scales. These include active crustal deformation, seismicity and volcanism, as well as subsidence, uplift and seismicity induced by hydrocarbon production and geological storage of CO2. Multiple scales Students work at scales ranging from satellite imagery and field observations to laboratory experiments and petrographic studies, and from global seismic tomography to electron microscopy. Observational data are linked to the Earth’s internal structure and to geodynamic processes through modelling, using the latest theoretical and computational methods.

Professional profile Track Earth Materials: Geologist Track Physics of the deep Earth and Planets: Geophysicist Track Basins, Orogens and the Crust Lithospere System: Geologist/Geophysicist Stepping stone towards PhD programmes The Earth Structure and Dynamics programme is a stepping stone towards national and international PhD programmes. Many Utrecht graduates have been successful in acquiring post-doctoral and permanent positions at universities inside and outside the Netherlands. Well qualified Earth Structure and Dynamics Master’s graduates are well qualified for employment in industry, government organisations, engineering firms, software companies and private and governmental Earth Sciences agencies. Past graduates have generally found employment quickly, both nationally and internationally. Employment sectors The primary employment sectors include resource exploration and production, environmental monitoring and protection, geological risk assessment, geotechnical engineering and waste management, although graduates are also well qualified for virtually any sector requiring a broad academic training.