Facilities Overview

The GBCGE has access to the full range of geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and geodetic field equipment, and the expertise to use it.

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

General software:

Nevada Seismological Laboratory

  • EdgeTech Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse (CHIRP) SubScan seismic profiler
  • Portable instrument array
  • Operates the Western Great Basin Seismic Network (110 real-time seismograph stations)
  • Workstations and software to process seismic data
  • Visit Nevada Seismological Laboratory Website

Nevada Geodetic Laboratory

map of geodetic strain rates
NGL map of geodetic strain rates in western U.S. Image credit: NGL.

Infrared Spectroscopy Lab

Spectroscopy is the measurement of light as a function of wavelength. Rock forming minerals and their alteration products have unique spectral properties that allow us to identify them using this technique. The lab hosts bench top and field instruments for measurement of reflected and transmitted light spectroscopy from 0.4 to 25 μm. Applications include both rock and powder sample analysis for remote sensing validation, identification of minerals in drill core and cutting material, and planetary analog studies.

Instruments include:

  • Thermo-Nicolet FTIR spectrometer. Reflectance and transmission from 2.0 to 25 μm.
  • Agilent ExoScan Portable FTIR field spectrometer. Reflectance from 2.5 to 15 μm.
  • Spectral Evolution RS-5400 Portable field spectrometer. Reflectance from 0.4 to 2.5 μm.

Two Meter Temperature Survey Equipment

  • Specially outfitted ATV
  • Steel probes and Resistance Temperature Devices
  • Rock hammer and drill
ATV
This ATV is optimally outfitted to collect 2 m temperature data.

Department of Geological Sciences & Engineering

Desert Research Institute