Physics with Geology

This programme brings two hugely popular subjects together to help develop in-demand Geophysicists.

Geology is the study of the Earth and how it works: its minerals, rocks, their structure and interactions above and below Earth's surface. It is also concerned with unraveling Earth history, including the history of life, and predicting future geologic events. Geophysics applies mathematics, the principles of physics, and modeling to study the Earth’s interior and investigates the Earth’s electromagnetic and gravitational fields.

At first sight, these two subjects, may appear very different however they are not. A Geophysicist explores the same problems as a Geologist but by application of physical, numerical, and computer technology methods and particularly physics based techniques to the study of Earth’s interior and for the exploration of natural resources. If you have ever wondered how volcanoes or earthquakes happen, why Tyrannosaurus is extinct, why mountains form, how oil and gas forms and how to find and produce it, or how climate changes over time, ask a Geophysicist.

Earth Sciences at the University of Aberdeen is ranked 4th in the UK for student satisfaction by the 2022 National Student Survey, with an overall satisfaction score of 91.7% (compared to a national average score of 83.1%).