DEGREE PROGRAMS | RESEARCH | LIVING GREEN AT SMU | STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Research Projects

Environmental research at SMU brings together faculty and students to solve problems ranging from climate change to water and air pollution, seeking solutions ranging from environmental economics to alternative energy. Check this site frequently for updates on a variety of projects underway across campus.

Will Geothermal Energy Be The New “Texas Tea?

Drilling for oil and gas is a watery business: If you don’t hit water while drilling, odds are it’s going to be necessary to inject water to break up the surrounding rock. The nuisance water that spews from these drilling operations is a hidden resource, says SMU’s renowned geothermal team: Run the wastewater that has conveniently been heated by the Earth through the right kind of pump, and you’ll produce electricity at the well head. Read more

Assessment of geothermal heat in South and East Texas

SMU’s geothermal team recently completed an assessment for the Texas State Conservation Office that found enough geothermal heat in South and East Texas to supply the state with clean, renewable, affordable energy for hundreds of years. SMU research has proven the vast potential for producing electricity by circulating groundwater through a pump specially deigned to produce turbine-driving vapor at relatively low temperatures. Read more.

More Environmental Research

# # #