While it has long been recognized that Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse nations on Earth, it is equally true that both on land and under the ocean, Ecuador is one of the most geodiverse nations on Earth. On land, Ecuador has high mountains and low plains, sedimentary basins charged with hydrocarbon reserves, active volcanoes, tropical glaciers, “suture” zones meshing ancient oceanic terranes with continental terranes stitched together along still active former plate boundaries. Below the seafloor, the territory of Ecuador is tectonically unique, including oceanic spreading centers, oceanic fracture zones, mantle-derived volcanic hot spots, aseismic ridges, and subduction zones.
Our fields of endeavor are broad, commensurate with the great geodiversity, encompassing both basic and applied geosciences.
GEODYNAMICS: Advanced structural and tectonic geology, Geothermal and energy sources, Fluid dynamics and seismology.
OCEANOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY: Hydrology and Hydrogeology, Paleoclimate, Coastal and Marine Geology, Advanced Sedimentology.
EVOLUTION OF LIFE AND BIODIVERSITY: Micropaleontology and palynology, Vertebrate paleontology, Molecular paleontology, Neotropic evolution.
GEOECONOMY AND SOCIETY: Geothermal and Energy Sources, Environmental Geology and Threats, Economic Geology, Geotechnics, Geological Resources.
Other electives that will also be offered and may be part of the itineraries or freely chosen by the student according to their research interests are: Metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits, R-programming for geosciences, Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensors, Statistics , Computational methods and models, innovative and project development.
Discussion of research articles.
Familiarization with laboratories and research methods.
Writing and oral expression in science.
EXPLORE-KNOW-LEARN
Formulation of small innovation-research projects.
Execution of assisted research tasks.
Presentation of reports, posters, and seminars of scientific dissemination.
Writing and oral expression in science.
PRACTICE-CRITICAL THINKING-CONSTRUCT
Formulation, execution and publication of project of degree.
Verification of hypotheses, emergence of innovative solutions or didactic tools.
Professional experience in internships or internships.
Writing and oral expression in science.
INNOVATE-RESEARCH-TRANSFORM
