The Rock Preparation Lab (SAMC 55) is used for faculty and student research where rock, mineral, and fossil sample processing is necessary. The lab is furnished with all equipment necessary for rock and mineral sample handling, and for teaching of the associated techniques for mineral separates analysis, petrography, and SEM analyses. The lab features a 24" slab saw, a trim saw, and a precision saw, and several polishing options including a Logitech (UK) automatic polisher, two polishing wheels (10" and 18"), and a vibratory polisher. The lab has an integrated Retsch jaw crusher and disk mill for sample reduction, a sandbox for sample reorientation, and a Frantz model L-1 magnetic separator. For thin-sectioning, the lab houses a Buehler Petrothin thin-sectioning machine, glass polishing plates, and an epoxy station. On hand is a research-grade petrographic microscope and two hand-specimen microscopes. The lab houses a Comco Microblaster for sample cleaning.
For information e-mail Gary S. Solar.
The Microscopy Lab (SAMC 114) is an interdisciplinary lab for geology and chemistry that includes twenty-four student stations each with a dedicated petrographic microscope equipped with a digital camera. Twelve stereo microscopes with blackfield capabilities are also available. For teaching and research there are two research-grade versions of these microscopes, each equipped with dedicated high-definition digital cameras. Petrographic microscopes are compound polarizing microscopes that filter light rays to enable examination of minerals and textures in thin slices of rock (thin sections) at magnifications ranging from 40x to 400x for the student scopes and a combined 7x to 1000x for the teaching/research scopes. Six of the student scope cameras are Wi-Fi, part of the ongoing project of equipping the lab with fully for Wi-Fi teaching.
For information e-mail Gary S. Solar.
The Geochemistry and Hydrogeology Laboratory (SAMC 57) is used for research, and classes in geochemistry and hydrogeology such as GES 350 - Environmental Geochemistry, and GES 460 - Applied Environmental Methods. The lab houses a Rame Hart Goniometer, an SRI Gassless Educational Gas Chromatograph and an Orion 210A Portable pH/ISE meter. Faculty and students make regular use of a Hach CEL/850 Environmental Water Quality Lab kit, including a digital titrator and a colorimeter. The lab also has a Hach 2100P Portable Turbidimeter.
The department maintains collections of over 2,000 mineral specimens, 2,000 fossil specimens, 1,500 rock specimens, and 2,000 topographic and geological maps. Specimens were collected from sites all over the world, including Antarctica. This facility also houses our historical collection of maps and notes from our Department's founding member, Dr. Irv Tesmer.
Our Teaching Preparation Lab (SAMC 105) has thousands of binned teaching specimens, and hundreds of maps for labs. The department has three dedicated teaching labs in SAMC (57, 106, 115). Classrooms 106 and 115 are identical, and feature flexible seating/table configurations, and were designed for map and specimen examination including a digital teaching microscope and five hand-specimen microscopes. Room 57 is the dedicated "wet" teaching lab (The Geochemistry and Hydrogeology Lab).
