Earth and Environmental Engineering
Henry Krumb School of Mines 918 S. W. Mudd, MC 4711, 212-854-2905
www.eee.columbia.edu
Our Mission
Earth and Environmental Engineering at the Henry Krumb School of Mines fosters excellence in education and research for the development and application of science and technology to maximize the quality of life for all, through the sustainable use and responsible management of the Earth’s resources.back to top
Earth Resources and the Environment
The Earth and environmental engineering program fosters education and research in the development and application of technology for the sustainable development, use, and integrated management of Earth’s resources. Resources are identified as minerals, energy, water, air, and land, as well as the physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment. There is close collaboration with other engineering disciplines, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction, the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation, and other Columbia Earth Institute units.back to top
The Henry Krumb School of Mines at Columbia University
The School of Mines of Columbia University was established in 1864 and was the first mining and metallurgy department in the U.S. It became the foundation for Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and has been a pioneer in many areas of mining and metallurgy, including the first mining (Peele) and mineral processing (Taggart) handbooks, flotation, chemical thermo-dynamics and kinetics, surface and colloid chemistry, and materials science.
Nearly one hundred years
after its formation, the School of Mines was renamed Henry Krumb School of Mines (HKSM)
in honor of the generous Columbia benefactor of the same name. The Henry Krumb School of
Mines (SEAS) supports three components:
• The Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering (EEE), one of the nine
departments of SEAS.
• Columbia’s interdepartmental
program in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE).
This program, administered by the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics.
• The
Earth Engineering Center. The current research areas include energy,
materials, and water resources.
Earth and Environmental Engineering (EEE)
Starting in 1996, the educational
programs of Columbia University in mining and mineral engineering were transformed into
the present program in Earth and environmental engineering (EEE). This program is
concerned with the environmentally sound extraction and processing of primary materials
(minerals, fuels, water), the management and development of land and water resources,
and the recycling or disposal of used materials. EEE offers the Bachelor of Science
(B.S.) in Earth and Environmental Engineering, the Master of Science (M.S.) in Earth
Resources Engineering, the professional degrees of Engineer of Mines and Metallurgical
Engineer, and the doctorate degrees (Ph.D., Eng.Sc.D.) in EEE.
The EEE program welcomes Combined
Plan students. An EEE minor is offered to all Columbia engineering students who want to
enrich their academic record by concentrating some of their technical electives on
Earth/environment subjects. There is close collaboration between EEE and the
Depart-ments of Civil Engineering and Earth and Environmental Sciences, including
several joint appointments.
EEE and the Earth Engineering
Center are the contributions of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied
Science to the Earth Institute of Columbia University, a major education and research
initiative of the University. Earth and Environmental Engineering combines the
longstanding and proud tradition of Columbia’s School of Mines with forward-thinking
courses and programs, innovative research, and a deep concern for the environment.
Research Centers Associated with Earth and Environmental Engineering
Earth Engineering Center. The mission of the Earth Engineering Center is to develop and promote engineering metho-dologies that provide essential material to humanity in ways that maintain the overall balance between the constantly increasing demand for materials, the finite resources of the Earth, and the need for clean water, soil, and air. The Center is dedicated to the advancement of industrial ecology, i.e., the reconfiguring of industrial activities and products with full knowledge of the environmental consequences. Research is being conducted on a variety of geoenvironmental issues with the intent to quantify, assess, and ultimately manage adverse human effects on the environment. Research areas include management of water and energy resources, hydrology and hydrogeology, numerical modeling of estuarine flow and transport processes, and integrated waste management. For more information refer to its website.
Environmental Tracer Group. The Environmental Tracer Group uses natural and
anthropogenic (frequently transient) tracers, as well as deliberately released tracers,
to investigate the physics and chemistry of transport in environmental systems. The
tracers include natural or anthropogenically produced isotopes (e.g., tritium or
radioactive hydrogen, helium and oxygen isotopes, or radiocarbon), as well as noble
gases and chemical compounds (e.g., CFCs and SF6). The ETG analytical facilities include
four mass spectrometric systems that can be used in the analysis of tritium and noble
gases in water, sediments, and rocks. In addition to the mass spectrometric systems,
there are several gas chromatographic systems equipped with electron capture detectors
that are used for measurements of SF6 in continental waters and CFCs and SF6 in the
atmosphere. GC/MS capability is being added to the spectrum of analytical capabilities.
For more information: www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~noblegas/.
International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI). The IRI
(iri.columbia.edu) is the world’s leading institute for the development and application
of seasonal to interannual climate forecasts. The mission of the IRI is to enhance
society’s capability to understand, anticipate, and manage the impacts of seasonal
climate fluctuations, in order to improve human welfare and the environment, especially
in developing countries. This mission is to be conducted through strategic and applied
research, education and capacity building, and provision of forecast and information
products, with an emphasis on practical and verifiable utility and partnerships.
Langmuir Center for Colloids and Interfaces (LCCI). This Center brings
together experts from mineral engineering, applied chemistry, chemical engineering,
biological sciences, and chemistry to probe complex interactions of colloids and
interfaces with surfactants and macromolecules. LCCI activities involve significant
interaction with industrial sponsors and adopt an interdisciplinary approach toward
state-of-the-art research on interfacial phenomena. Major areas of research at LCCI are
thin films, surfactant and polymer adsorption, environmental problems, enhanced oil
recovery, computer tomography, corrosion and catalysis mechanisms, membrane technology,
novel separations of minerals, biocolloids, microbial surfaces, and interfacial
spectroscopy.
Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy. The mission of the Lenfest Center for
Sustainable Energy is to develop technologies and institutions to ensure a sufficient
supply of environmentally sustainable energy for all humanity. To meet this goal, the
Center supports research programs in energy science, engineering, and policy across
Columbia University to develop technical and policy solutions that will satisfy the
world’s future energy needs without threatening to destabilize the Earth’s natural
systems.
The mission of the Lenfest Center
is shaped by two global challenges. First, the Center seeks to reduce the emission of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and to forestall a disruption of global climate
systems that would impose negative consequences for human welfare. Second, the Center
seeks to create energy options that will meet the legitimate energy demands of a larger
and increasingly wealthy world population. In order to meet these two challenges, the
Center seeks to develop new sources, technologies, and infrastructures.
The Lenfest Center focuses
primarily on the technological and institutional development of the three energy
resources sufficient to support the world’s projected population in 2100 without
increased carbon emissions: solar, nuclear, and fossil fuels combined with carbon
capture and storage. Although each of these options can, in theory, be developed on a
scale to satisfy global demand, they each face a combination of technological and
institutional obstacles that demand research and development before they can be
deployed.
The Center’s main activities are
based within the range of natural science and engineering disciplines. At the same time,
it integrates technological research with analysis of the institutional, economic, and
political context within which energy technologies are commercialized and deployed.
NSF
Industry/University Cooperative Center for Surfactants (IUCRC). This Center
is sponsored by fifteen companies and has as its aim to develop and characterize novel
surfactants for industrial applications, such as coatings, dispersions, personal car
products, soil decon- tamination, and waste treatment. For more information:
www.columbia.edu/cu/iucrc.
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Internships
The department arranges for undergraduate Earth engineering summer internships after the sophomore and junior years. Undergraduates can also participate in graduate research projects under the work-study program. Graduate research and teaching assistantships, as well as fellowships funded by the Department, are available to qualified graduate students. GRE scores are required of all applicants for graduate studies.back to top