Welcome

Earth and Environmental Sciences combines geology with studies in surface and groundwater, as well as the engineering properties of rocks and soils. We invite you to learn more about our internationally recognized research from helping communities protect groundwater resources to understanding the mysteries of geologic processes deep within the Earth.

As active researchers, we offer our students a hands-on learning experience in addition to innovative degrees and programs, such as TERRE NET, Canada’s first nationally funded program designed to connect the next generation of sustainable mining professionals.

Our unique Earth Sciences Museum and its K-12 outreach program give us the chance to share our passion with the community.

News

July 1, 2018Early ocean anoxia may have led to first mass extinction event
A new study by an international collaboration involving Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Brian Kendall suggests the world’s first mass extinction event 540 million years ago was caused by a widespread loss of dissolved oxygen in the Earth’s oceans.
May 28, 2018Phosphexᵀᴹ wraps up field testing as a $10 million George Barley Water Prize contender
Today, the University of Waterloo Phosphex^TM team wraps up its field tests where they’ve demonstrated their technology’s ability to remove phosphorus from Holland Marsh in Bradford, Ontario.
Apr. 19, 2018Water Institute announces latest Seed Grants
Four interdisciplinary teams led by University of Waterloo researchers are set to advance water research in creative, unconventional ways. New approaches to detect and manage micropollutants, techniques that predict the impacts of climate change on snow and lakes, and new modelling techniques will be explored through $69,000 in Water Institute seed grants.