Environmental Physics

Environmental Physics is the study of the Earth and environment using Physics and Mathematics.

Subject overview

If you’re interested in the Earth and its environment and would like a physics-based understanding of it, then Environmental Physics is a great subject to study.  

Where can Environmental Physics take you?

Graduates can expect to find employment researching global processes such as plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, the oceans, atmosphere and climate. They can also become explorers for natural resources, looking for oil, minerals and groundwater, and help to monitor and manage environmental problems including natural hazards such as earthquakes, climate change and pollution.  

Meet a graduate

Environmental Physics interested me because I was interested in the environmental impact of human activity, and how the geology of the surface of earth tells us a story about its past. New Zealand is also a geologically young and active country, so I hoped I would get to go on a lot of field trips and see a lot of these natural phenomena in person. 

Mahima Seth

Read Mahima's whole story here.

Contact the programme leader

To find out more about studying Environmental Physics, you can contact Kasper van Wijk

Explore your study options in Environmental Physics