The participants in the Earth Science Unit constitute an interdisciplinary group of professors and researchers that provides the geological and environmental skills, aimed at teaching, research and third mission. Research Groups perform basic and applied research

The main research topics are covered by different scientific fields: The scientific research activities cover almost all fields of Earth Sciences, the landslide risk mitigation and the protection of water resources; petrography and applied geochemistry; mineralogy and its applications. Decades traditions of research basin analysis aimed also at the hydrocarbon exploration; structural geology, paleontology and micropaleontology applied to biostratigraphy and paleoclimatology.

The research activities are carried out with the fundamental participation of the PhD students in Earth Sciences and of the Research grants of the Department, thanks to public funding (Italian ministerial funds, or from other international public agencies) or private financing, with the activation of agreements with public bodies and / or companies.