Research
The Department undertakes world-leading research across the full spectrum of Earth Science and Earth Engineering. In the most recent assessment of our research (the 2014 Research Excellence Framework), 46% of the Department’s research (in a joint submission with Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics) was rated ‘World Leading’ and 89% was rated ‘Internationally Significant’. The Department undertakes both pure and applied research, often in collaboration with industry partners from the mineral and petroleum sectors. Our research has a direct impact on the science and engineering of the Earth and its resources.
A key strength of the department’s research is its inter-disciplinary nature; we are one of the only departments in the world that combines Earth science and engineering. Our research is organized into 3 broad Research Themes that cover Earth and Planetary Science, Petroleum Science and Engineering, and Computational Geoscience and Engineering. Within and across these sections our research is organized into a number of smaller and more focused Research Groups. We also participate in a number of cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental Research Centres, such as the Grantham Institute, the Energy Futures Lab and the Sustainable Gas Institute.
Research themes
Research themes
Research groups
To find a specific research group directly, strafe through the carousel, hover over the desired research group and click to access.

Basins Research Group
We use a range of outcrop and subsurface (core, wireline-log, 3D seismic) datasets to study Earth Systems processes

Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide Storage
We have an active research programme in understanding climate change and in the engineering problems represented by storage of carbon dioxide

Imperial College Orgainc Geochemistry
We operate within the Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre.

Petroleum Engineering & Rock Mechanics Group
We focus predominantly on the subsurface upstream end of the industry, including flow in porous media, reservoir simulation, reservoir characterisatio

London Centre for Ore Deposits and Exploration
Undertake research of the highest international quality into the mineralogy and geochemistry of ore deposits