Research Facilities and Resources

Students and faculty have access to specialized laboratories, field equipment, geospatial technology and shared research resources across the school and K-State. These facilities support work ranging from Earth materials and water chemistry to remote sensing, spatial modeling, and field-based environmental research.

Geology laboratories and equipment

We moved into newly renovated Geology labs in summer 2026. Collectively, these labs contain a wide array of instruments and field equipment (see below) as well as equipment used for clay mineral separation, cutting and crushing rock, sectioning and polishing, and other rock and sediment sample preparation tasks. Binocular and petrographic microscopes, which include fixed digital cameras, are available for collecting sample images. Brand new fume hoods, analytical balances, drying ovens, centrifuges, an anaerobic chamber, and two ultra-pure water systems are also available.

Analytical instruments

Our labs house a wide range of analytical equipment including:

  • JEOL NeoScope™ Benchtop SEM with EDS detector for elemental analysis
  • Raman microscope (Renishaw inVia)
  • Fluid inclusion stage (Linkam THMSG600 stage on a Nikon Eclipse microscope)
  • Cathodoluminescence microscope
  • X-Ray Diffractometer, also known as XRD, (PANalytical Empyrean) that can analyze both amorphous and crystalline solid-phase samples using numerous techniques
  • Hand-held X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (Bruker Tracer 5g) used to analyze the chemical composition of rocks and minerals
  • Fully-automated luminescence dating system (model no. Risø TL-DA-20C/D)
  • Gas chromatograph (Gow Mac 580 series) used for gas compositional analysis
  • Ion chromatography system (Dionex ICS-1100) capable of analyzing a wide range of solutes in water samples
  • Carbon analyzer system (Shimadzu) capable of measuring total C and N in water samples and total C and inorganic C in solid samples
  • UV-Vis spectrophotometers also used for water chemistry analyses
  • Digital inverted fluorescence microscope (EVOS) for capturing multi-channel fluorescence images at high resolution

Field equipment

Field equipment available in the department for undergraduate and graduate research include:

  • Hand-held transits
  • GPS devices
  • Groundwater pumps
  • Water level meters
  • Water quality monitoring devices
  • Topcon GTS-229 laser total station
  • Proton precession magnetometer
  • Ground-penetrating radar system with antennae for two different depth ranges
  • Worden gravimeter
  • SuperSting Resistivity & IP system
  • Seismic reflection/refraction system
  • MASW Land streamer and 24-channel seismographs
  • Portable Probe Permeameter

Geography and geospatial facilities

Instructional and research laboratories include a university core facility.

  • GIScience Learning Laboratory, a dedicated GIS and remote sensing facility with advanced geospatial, programming and data-analysis software.
  • Geographic Information Systems Spatial Analysis Laboratory (GISSAL), a university core facility supporting geospatial research, learning, outreach, and applied projects.
  • Richard A. Marston Earth Systems Science Research Laboratory supports soil and sediment analysis, geomorphology and soil-science fieldwork, and collaborative research.
  • Remote Sensing Research Laboratory provides image-processing capabilities and field instruments for measuring vegetation, soil, and other environmental properties.
  • Earth Systems Science Learning Laboratory supports hands-on study of physical geography and Earth-system processes.

Find additional university-wide facilities and research stations.