Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES)
Postgraduate facilities
MSc students have access to dedicated facilities in the department, including a designated postgraduate workroom, which is fitted with a suite of computers, scanner, free colour and black and white laser printing and photocopying facilities.
Analytical facilities
Postgraduate teaching and research is underpinned by a wide range of analytical facilities ranging from standard sample preparation equipment for thin sections, powder preparation and mineral separation, to more sophisticated instrumentation including:
- TEBAG The Environmental Biogeochemistry Analysis Group; commercial environmental testing
- Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS) designed for sensitive elemental and isotopic analysis of geological and environmental samples
- X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) for high-precision qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of rocks and soils
- Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) providing up to 300,000x magnification with energy-dispersive X-ray detector for sample analysis.
- X-ray diffractometer (XRD) for mineral identification including clays.
- Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) elemental analysis equipment.
- Nutrient Autoanalyser for comprehensive nutrient analysis in waters and soils.
- Nuclear instrumentation including solid state gamma ray spectrometer, liquid scintillation counter, sodium iodide detectors and associated instrumentation.
- Rock and soil testing in a newly refurbished geotechnics facility including, stress path cell equipment, ring shear tests, large shear box for soil testing and triaxial test cell, Brazilian and uniaxial test rigs for rock testing.
- Laser ablation with ICP-MS
- Field Fluorometer
- Micro-Oxygen Electrodes
The applied geoscience area is supported by a petrology lab which includes high quality microscopes to enable high-resolution digital image capture and a fully equipped rock and soil mechanics laboratories. Field mapping is supported by GPS mapping systems, geophysical instruments and in situ soil and rock mass testing equipment.
All facilities are fully supported and are available to all postgraduate students on the applied geoscience MSc courses.
