Faculty and students conduct research that contributes to our understanding of the earth and atmosphere using a variety of instruments and facilities, including:
- Three surface weather stations (1 Campbell Scientific and 2 Davis)
- A weather balloon launching system (InterMet)
- Two high-performance servers which provide real-time data and run a real-time computer forecast model
- An 18 screen electronic map wall displaying real-time weather observations and forecasts
- 24 station computer lab with Windows & Linux for use of numerous meteorological software packages (including AWIPS2)
- An 80" electronic whiteboard for classroom instruction
- Twenty Leica petrographic microscopes for thin-section studies in transmitted light
- Five new dual-light petrographic microscopes with transmitted and reflected light capability
- Research microscopes coupled with digital cameras and two universal stages
- Olympus Streams software for image analysis and particle statistics
- Cathodoluminescence microscope for qualitative characterization of rock textures and chemical zoning in minerals in polished thin sections
- Freezing-heating Linkam stage for fluid inclusion analysis from -196°C to 600°C
- Bruker Tracer 5i portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) elemental analyzer
- Thermo Scientific Trace 1310 Gas Chromatograph (GC)
- Thermo Scientific Triple State Quadrupole (TSQ) Evo 8000 Mass Spectrometer (MS)
- Ion Chromatographs for the analysis of trace level contaminants in water including a Dionex 1100/2100 for simultaneous analysis of cations and anions
- Decagon loggers with PAR, soil moisture/soil temperature sensors
- Lysimeters and soil water samplers
- Pressure transducers with conductivity sensors and data loggers for aquifer characterization, subsurface and surface water monitoring
- ADV open channel velocity profiler (3-D)
- Ground Penetrating Radar with a 200 MHz antenna and a Worden gravimeter to study the subsurface
- 8 Channel Supersting Electrical Resistivity unit for near surface geophysics
- A Ford F250 truck and two 11-passenger vans for research and class field trips
- Rock preparation room including rock saws, grinders, and mills
- Brunton compasses and GPS units for field investigations
The Speciation-Traces-Analysis-Radioisotopes Lab (STARLAB)The
STARLAB offers the following analytical facilities and is located at the Center for Applied Research and Technology, 5 minutes from the EAS department:
- 6 fume hoods for extraction methods used in geochemistry: AVS, Fe extractions, pyrite
- UV-vis spectrophotometer (Thermo)
- Freeze-drier (SP scientific)
- DOC analyzer (Shimadzu)
- A unique reverse-osmosis system to concentrate DOM
- A new certified trace metal clean room composed of 3 spaces: anteroom, analytical room, and ultra clean room
- The anteroom contains a fume hood for acid baths and sink and bench to clean all the materials used in the ultra clean room
- The analytical room is equipped with a new ICP-MS (iCAPq quadrupole, Thermo) and an auto-sampler (ESI FAST). In addition, a new Ion Chromatography (IC) system (ICS-5000 Thermo) with 2 injection lines, equipped with a diode array spectrophotometer, electroconductivity detection system, pH meter, and autosampler. The IC can be coupled with the ICP-MS for determining trace metal speciation
- An ultrapure water system (Millipore), a laminar hood for trace metal work (Nuaire) allowing the manipulation of sensitive samples and preventing contamination, and a fume hood (Nuaire), used for acid digestion and equipped with Teflon vials, Teflon beakers, Teflon watches, Teflon hot plates, and a Teflon distillation unit, are in the ultra clean room
- An anaerobic chamber (COY inc.)
- A gamma counter spectrometer (Ortec) for measuring low levels of radioisotopes (210Pb, 137Cs)
- Gravity corer
- Extruder
- Van Dorn bottle for trace metal sampling
The Geophysics and Geomechanics Laboratory (G2 Lab)The G2 Laboratory is located in Brooks Hall and features the following analytical facilities:
- Micromeritics TriStar II Physisorption Analyzer for N2 and CO2 adsorption measurements (pore structures and pore size distribution)
- Micromeritics VacPrep Station for sample preparation and degassing
- AccuPyc helium pycnometer: standard module and a high-pressure chamber for shale porosity analysis
- NextEngine Ultra HD 3D scanner for sample volume computation
- GDS triaxial Automated System, with transparent pressure cell for up to 3.5 MPa confining pressure and 64 kN load frame, with built-in permeability and acoustic velocity measurement capability
- EPSLog WOMBAT core test bench for continuous high-resolution images, laser topography, acoustic velocity and rock strength acquisition
