The Department of Geosciences is well equipped to carry out a wide range of investigations pertaining the origin and diagenesis of carbonates.
Field work:
One of the research areas in which we have been active pertains to geochemistry and microbiology of the waters from which travertines and spelean accumulations percipitate. In support of that work we have built up a considerable amount of field equipment in duplicate (back-up), including portable T, pH, Conductivity, TDS, and dissolved oxygen meters, milliapore water filtration systems, titration kits, etc.
Laboratory:
Geochemical Research- the department is equipped with AA and ICP for elemental analyses and mass spectrometers for stable isotopic analyses (see descriptions of ICP, Stable Isotope, and Hydrochemistry labs), as well as standard binocular, petrographic, cathodoluminescent, and flourescent microscopes with their complementary photographic add-ons. Additionally, microprobes (JEOL 8600 one building over on campus and Cameca SX 100 at JSC - NASA) are readily available.
Microbiallly induced mineral precipitates incubators, sterilizers, freezers, centrifuges, critical point drier (for preparation of biologic samples for SEM analysis), etc., are used to conduct investigations into the study of bacterially induced precipitates, primarily carbonates.
It is relevant to mention that we have ready access to two (2) sets of state of the art SEMs and TEMs. On campus in an immediately adjacent building is an FGSEM (JEOL 6330F) whereas in the basement of the building we are housed in is a FGTEM (JEOL 2010F), both state of the art field emission instruments. In addition, we have been making extensive use of essentially the same iinstruments at JSC - NASA, approximately 35 minute drive from campus (Philips XL40, and JEOL 2010F, respectively). The JSC - NASA instruments are available for our use for studies pertaining to the microbially induced origin of sedimentary rocks, a long term study funded by the Astrobiology program through NASA.
