Department of Geology
Geology is the study of the earth’s physical makeup and history, from minerals, soil and mountain ranges to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other geologic phenomena.
It’s an ideal subject to study at SUNY Potsdam, given the campus setting is in the midst of ancient meta-sedimentary and meta-igneous rocks of the St. Lawrence Valley and Adirondack Mountains that have a billion-year-old story to tell. Also unique to the Department of Geology at SUNY Potsdam is its offering of geophysics courses at the undergraduate level. The department maintains a Seismic Network consisting of eight seismograph stations in the St. Lawrence Valley, the largest in northern New York. The geology major is centered in the liberal arts and prepares students for careers in geology or further study on the graduate or professional level.