RESEARCH FACILITIES

• Electron Microprobe Laboratory consists of a fully automated JOEL 733 four-spectrometer electron microprobe, equipped with 4 two-crystal spectrometers, back scattered and secondary electron scanning capability, new Advanced MicroBeam automation for quantitative wavelength-dispersive analysis (WDS), and a new Link/Oxford energy-dispersive system (EDS).

• Experimental Petrology/Geochemistry Laboratory includes 10 reaction vessels capable of 4 kb at 700 degrees C or 3 kb at 800 degrees C as well as 2 extraction-quench hydrothermal vessels for reactions to of 4 kb and 650 degrees C. These high temperature and pressure reaction vessels are used for mineral stability experiments, determination of thermodynamic properties and calibration of mineral geothermometers and geobarometers. The extraction-quench vessels allow the determination of the solubilities of minerals in metamorphic fluids as well as the kinetics of these reactions.

• Fort Burgwin Research Center is located near Taos, New Mexico. The facility provides excellent opportunities for student research in field geology.

• Geophysical Imaging Laboratory has facilities for processing planetary and seismic imaging work for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, NASA, Department of Energy (DOE), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA, formerly DARPA). Images are also used for technical and scientific publications and popular magazines, including Science, National Geographic, Scientific American, Discover, and Sky and Telescope.

• Geothermal Laboratory has equipment for the measurement of thermal conductivity and radioactive heat production. A mobile laboratory is available for well-logging focusing on high precision temperature logging of drill holes. The laboratory also conducts fission track studies.

• Lajitas Seismic Research Station is a fixed seismic array consisting of nine stations with a maximum separation of one km. It also is connected to three more distant satellite seismic stations. The research station and the remote seismometers are all connected via telephone or satellite links to the Heroy Network. The station is one of the quietest in the world and, as a result, is used to monitor regional and teleseismic waveforms over a broad frequency range. The data can be accessed in real time for monitoring purposes.

• Mineral Separation Laboratory provides facilities for the separation of minerals, glasses, and organic matter from geologic samples.

• Palynology Laboratory consists of facilities for processing and analyzing palynological samples, a pollen reference collection, and optical microscopes for the examination of the prepared specimens.

• Shuler Museum of Paleontology is an internationally recognized center for the study of fossil plants and animals. Nearly 100 vertebrate species have been defined on the basis of specimens housed within its collection. It is considered one of the world's best repositories of Lower Cretaceous vertebrates.

• Stable Isotope Laboratory has three fully automated Finnigan MAT gas source mass spectrometers for high precision measurement of stable isotope ratios of H, C, N, and O. Isotope extraction lines exist for carbonates, waters, silicates, phosphates, and organic compounds. A mineral separation laboratory also is available for preprocessing of rock samples. The laboratory is used for studies in fluid-rock interaction in the crust, paleoclimatology, igneous petrogenesis, and isotope hydrology.

• Structure Laboratory is the Department's focal point for problems concerning the structural evolution of specific crustal features as well as research involving geologic processes of interest to structural geologists.

• Tectonics Laboratory has a Sun workstation for image analysis. The workstation is part of the Heroy Network. The laboratory is used mainly for the interpretation of Venus altimetry and radar data collected as part of NASA's Magellan Project.

• U.S. Portable Seismic Array has up to 60 seismometers/accelerometers/geophones connected to 10 data acquisition systems (24 bit) which are interlinked with a central array controller. The portable array is used in seismic source studies, regional wave propagation investigations, and in shallow seismic exploration. It provides students with state-of-the-art data acquisition experience.

• Wet Geochemical Laboratory includes a simultaneous SpectraSpan 7 direct current argon plasma (DCP) spectrometer for the measurement of the concentration of solutes in experimental charges as well as natural waters. Ancillary equipment includes automatic titrators to determine the adsorption of cations and anions at mineral surfaces, pH meters and fluidized bed and shaker bed reaction apparatus to examine the kinetics of mineral/fluid reactions.

• X-ray Diffraction Laboratory consists of a fully automated Scintag PAD V with an online powder diffraction database.

• Science and Engineering Library, on campus, supports the research and teaching activities of the department. It houses the Foscue Map Library and the separately endowed DeGolyer Collection dedicated to Earth Sciences.