On behalf of the Department of Geophysics, welcome to our home on the web. We are one of four academic departments in Stanford University’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. The department is an exciting and dynamic place. We have approximately 30 regular and affiliated faculty members and research scientists, 6 post-doctoral scholars, and approximately 55 students. Each year, we host visiting faculty and visiting scholars from around the world. We also maintain close ties with the nearby U.S. Geological Survey and government labs (LBNL and LLNL), and private industry throughout the world.

The Department of Geophysics is regularly ranked among the top geophysics programs in the country. We offer a variety of research programs and educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. These are exciting times for Geophysics. Our research is in high demand as it is central to addressing challenges humanity faces in hazards, energy, and the environment. Our research ranges from the purely theoretical to the deeply practical, and from planetary-scale to the pore-scale. For detailed descriptions of our research programs, please explore our website, but keep in mind that our research is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made and new research challenges are uncovered. We actively encourage research at the boundaries of traditional areas and research that spans traditional disciplinary boundaries. We recently revised our graduate curriculum to provide more research breadth for our students.

Stanford University attracts some of the best and brightest students from around the world. Each year the geophysics department welcomes about 12 new graduate students. Our diversity, and the breadth of our research and teaching provide a collegial, supportive, and nurturing environment. Moreover, we’re always open to ways to improve and be more inclusive of under-represented groups. If you would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to call or visit us.

Howard Zebker
Geophysics Department Chair