MSU Earth Sciences

❄️ Scenes from Spring ERTH 450: Snow Dynamics & Accumulation

Photos by Robyn Gotz from this spring’s ERTH 450 field session!

🦕 Earth Science × Museum of the Rockies

Our department loves partnering with the Museum of the Rockies, home to one of the most extensive and significant collections of dinosaur fossils in North America. From research collaborations to student learning experiences, this partnership connects our community to world‑class paleontology right here in Bozeman.

A good day in Bozeman always starts with the Bridgers.

❄️ Scenes from Spring ERTH 450: Snow Dynamics & Accumulation

Photos by Robyn Gotz from this spring’s ERTH 450 field sessions!

🧊🔦 What the core sees.
Members of the IcyDirt 2025 summer field crew looking down a permafrost core hole — a rare view from the core’s perspective.

🎓 Honoring Our Top Seniors
Selected by faculty for their outstanding achievement, leadership, and dedication to their disciplines. Each of these students will have their name added to the departmental plaque — a lasting mark of excellence in Earth Sciences.

Rob McManus (Geography)
Ginger Heath (Paleontology)
Allie Schwarzinger (Geology)
Mason Nichols (Snow Science)
Reilly Johnson (GIS/Planning)

We’re incredibly proud of these seniors and the curiosity, hard work, and heart they’ve brought to our department. Congratulations to all — you’ve made a lasting impact.

Special shout out to graduating senior Valarie and her beautiful cap that she made! 🌎Thanks for representing earth science with style!!

Happy Commencement, Bobcats!

Cheers to the Class of 2026 — and a special shoutout to our Earth Science graduates. Your hard work, curiosity, and connection to the landscapes around us make this moment even more meaningful. Montana has been your classroom, and we can’t wait to see where you explore next.

Congratulations, Earth Scientists — we’re so proud of you!

Big news! 🎉

Andrea Bruckmeier, Dr. Erich Peitzsch, Ron Simenhois, and Dr. Eric Sproles successfully secured $60,000 in funding for their proposal, "Timing is Everything: Advancing Avalanche Forecasting Accuracy for Partners," through the USGS Community Data Integration program.

This project will directly support Andrea's PhD efforts to develop a wet slab avalanche forecasting tool for research and operational forecasting, and represents a collaboration between the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), and the Earth Sciences Department at Montana State University.

Hands-on learning is what we do!

MSU Earth Sciences students headed to a wind farm to experience real-world energy systems.