Radioactive decay over geologic time produces radiogenic isotopes within mineral grains. Isotopic measurements with specialized mass spectrometers permit the formation ages or cooling ages of the host rocks to be calculated. In the Nobel Gas Laboratory, laser systems are used to heat mineral grains in order to liberate radiogenic argon and helium for analysis.

Research Groups

This page is a guide to websites for research groups at the School of Earth Sciences. Not all of our research is represented in this list! To get an overview of the research that is done here, browse our database of faculty research interests.

The School of Earth Sciences works collaboratively with corporations and welcomes industry participation in our research. See a list of our Industrial Affiliate Programs.
Research Groups: Atmospheric Chemistry
Basin and Petroleum Systems Modeling Group
Benson Lab
Biogeochemistry
China Research Group
Climate, Tectonics and Landscape Evolution
Crustal Deformation and Fault Mechanics
Crustal Geophysics
Earthquake Seismology
Environmental Geophysics
Environmental Isotope Geochemistry & Geochronology
Environmental Molecular Science Institute
Experimental Mineral Physics
Geoarchaeology
Geostatistics
Geothermal Program
High-Pressure & Ultrahigh-Pressure Study Group
Hydrogeology and Water Resources
Hydrology
Noble Gas Laboratory
Ocean Biogeochemistry
Paleobiology
Radar Interferometry
Sedimentary Research Group
Silicic Magmatism & Volcanology
Smart Fields
Soil and Environmental Chemistry
Solid-State NMR and Silicate Materials
Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory
Stanford Center for Computational Earth & Environmental Science
Stanford Center for Reservoir Forecasting
Stanford Exploration Project
Stanford Project on Deep-sea Depositional Systems
Stanford Rock Physics and Borehole Geophysics Project
Stanford Wave Physics Lab
Stress and Crustal Mechanics
Structural Geology and Geomechanics
Structural Geology and Tectonics
SUPRI-A (Heavy and Thermal Oil Recovery)
SUPRI-B (Reservoir Simulation)
SUPRI-C (Gas Injection)
SUPRI-D (Well Testing)
SUPRI-HW (Horizontal Wells)
Surface and Aqueous Geochemistry
Tectonic Geomorphology; Laboratory Facilities