Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer Laboratory
The stable isotope mass spectrometer and related equipment forms a state-of-the-art regional analytical facility, and supports research in the interdisciplinary fields of global warming and climate change, ground and surface water hydrology, sedimentary processes, and biological tracer studies.
Experimental Petrology
The Department has one-atmosphere furnaces for trace-element and petrological studies. Two furnaces are equipped with zirconium electrolyte oxygen fugacity sensors to measure intrinsic fO2 of natural samples. Our researchers also have access, through cooperation with Bruce Watson of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, to a variety of high-pressure devices including hydrothermal bombs, an internally-heated pressure vessel, and piston-cylinder presses.
Material Deformation Laboratory
The laboratory features several kinds of transmitted light deformation apparatus for study of microstructural evolution in deforming polycrystalline materials. Associated equipment for photomicrography and optical fabric measurement is available.
Envronmental Geochemistry Laboratory
The recently renovated Physical Geography and Geochemistry Laboratory is used for undergraduate and graduate coursework and research involving elemental analysis of water, soil, and rock samples. The laboratory is equipped with Dionex DX-120 and ICS-90 ion chromatographs with AS-40 autosampler for analysis of anions and cations in natural waters; a Perkin Elmer 2380 Atomic Absorption Spectrometer for metals analysis; a Leeman Labs Hydra AA mercury analyzer; a Digiprep hot block for soil and rock digestion; and various equipment for water quality measurements including dissolved oxygen meters, pH meters, and a digital alkalinity titrator.
Electron Microprobe
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences JEOL Superprobe is routinely accessible to graduate students in this Department and provides all the facilities usually associated with instruments of this type. [about 20 minutes drive from SUNYA].
ICP/MS
The Department of Geology at Union College in Schenectady kindly allows access to their ICP/MS instrument. Union Geology also permits use of their excellent x-ray diffraction and fission track age determination facilities. [About 30 minutes drive from SUNYA].
Additional Facilities
Additional facilities available in the Department for graduate student use include computer-based (Arc/Info, ER Mapper) and traditional drafting facilities for poster and map production, including a large-format printer, research microscopes with photomicrography and television systems, photographic slide and print-scanning and -making facilities, including a well-equipped darkroom, an Electronic Total Station, and basic field geology equipment. There are good facilities for crushing and sawing rocks, preparing thin sections, and for mineral separation. We have a passenger van for field excursion teaching and research.
Research Support Facilities
The College machine shop is well-equipped for production of precision research components. We also use the services of the University's glass blowing shop, and electronics shop.
The University Computing Center supports an academic services unit with experts available to provide advice to research users. In the Geology program, most desktop computers routinely available to graduate students are Windows-based, but there are some Mac computers, and Sun Unix workstations. The Department is fortunate in having in-house computer systems operation/support staff.
The University Library contains an excellent collection of geological periodicals, and a good collection of geological books, and provides a computerized bibliographic service, including on-line access to GEOREF.
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