University of Western Cape UWC Department of Earth Science
UWC Department of Earth Science Department – See Details Below:
The Department of Earth Sciences at UWC offers challenging opportunities in the nationally strategic areas of natural resources combining the disciplines of Applied Geology and Environmental and Water Sciences. These rapidly expanding prog rammes have established an international profile through teaching and research. Our research aim as a department is to study fundamental processes, and to investigate linkage between different components of the Earth System (Solid Earth, Hydrosphere, Biosphere and Atmosphere). The range of research topics covered within the Department and in collaboration with other research institutes and universities is very broad, and reflects the diversity in the research interests of the staff.
Research is organized in the broad fields of Environmental Water & Science and Applied Geology. The main research areas are in Petroleum Geology, Economic Geology/ Exploration Geochemistry, Tectonic Evolution, Integrated Water Resource Management and Groundwater studies under the leadership of the UNESCO Chair. These groups do not have rigid boundaries, and graduate students are often associated with more than one group, particularly when the nature of their research is inter-disciplinary.
The research facilities include geochemical, petrological, remote sensing/GIS, hydraulics and a 3D visualizing (Highly Immersive Visualization Environment) laboratories housing XRF, GFAAS, Isotope Analyzers etc.