List of Facilities
Below is a list of facilities we either house ourselves or have access to for geological and geophysical research. Use the navigation on the left to see facilities that belong to a particular subject area.
- Wet geochemistry lab
- Clean room
- XRD
- XRF
- Paleomagnetism
- Sediment processing
- Paleontology/ micropaleontology
- Optical microscopy labs
- Cathodoluminescence microscopy setup
- GEOTEK core scanning laboratories
- Facilities for stable and radiogenic isotope analysis (including class-10 clean lab and new laser ablation system) are based in Chemistry
- Microscopy Otago has micro CT, confocal, transmission and scanning electron microscope facilities, including a state of the art FEGSEM with EBSD and high speed EDX
- Complimentary WDX and CL analysis is available on the microprobe in Geology
- Cold rooms (to -30C) are housed in geography and physics
- Mechanical testing instruments are housed in the dentistry school
- The Polaris, a research vessel operated by Marine Sciences, provides a platform for coastal and open water research and is equipped with seismic imaging tools, coring and dredging equipment
- A range of field geophysics equipment is operated in Geology and Surveying
- The Department's Geology Museum has extensive collections of fossils, rocks and minerals. Thin sections are made in a newly refurbished lapidary facility, upgraded to enable polishing of most sample types
- Several on campus mechanical and electrical/ electronic workshops have facilities and expertise to support design and build of custom equipment
- The University and Department have excellent computing facilities with licenses for proprietary software in geophysics and structural geology
- A graphics lab supports imaging and GIS requirements
- The Department and the neighbouring GNS office have access to a wide range of map, aerial and satellite databases for New Zealand
- An extensive Rock Catalogue that houses specimens collected by staff and students over the past 100 yrs. See our Rock Catalogue Material Policy
- The University library is well supported, particularly in provision of electronic journals and books
- An annual large equipment round has just supported a CryoTEM and a new laser for trace element and isotope analysis