Recent modernization of the department's seismology laboratory and the addition of a faculty member interested in research and instruction in geophysics has permitted expansion of student research opportunities into this field. Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite geodetic instruments are at the forefront of science and technology. These instruments are being used by undergraduate students to examine crustal deformation related to tectonic processes. Students participate in faculty-sponsored research projects, including the publication of results in professional journals. In the Introduction to Geophysics course, students are involved in projects studying the strain and uplift of the San Gabriel Range, measuring of deformation in connection with the San Jose and San Andreas faults, and analyzing data related to tectonic deformation throughout the Transverse Ranges.
