The MGSL also houses three working laboratories that support sub-sampling, photography, microscopy, and sample preparation. Contact us if you would like to use our spaces or equipment.
Coarse Rock Lab
The coarse rock lab contains equipment for cutting, crushing, and powdering rock samples, and sieving equipment for grain size analysis. Equipment in this lab includes:
- A large-radius rock saw for cutting large rock samples
- A small-radius rock saw for cutting small rock samples
- A small alumina-plate jaw crusher
- A Spex 8000M mixer/mill with high-purity alumina and WC vessels for powdering
- A large selection of sieves for mechanical separation
Fine Rock Lab
The fine rock lab contains equipment for finer scale rock preparation and analysis, including microscopy, polishing, and thin section preparation. Equipment in this lab includes:
- Two Nikon SMZ-800 stereo microscopes with fiber-optic and sub-stage illuminators
- A mechanical Buehler lapping wheel with exchangeable plates for multiple loose grits
- A Buehler Handi-Met 2 Roll Grinder
- A Buehler IsoMet low speed precision cutting saw
- A Franz magnetic separator
Sediment Lab
The sediment lab contains equipment and space for core description, imaging, and sampling. This lab also serves as the instructional lab space for OCG540, and as the major outreach space on facility tours. Equipment in this lab includes:
- Materials and equipment for making smear slides
- A core imaging table with motorized camera mount
- X-ray camera and safety equipment
- An Olympus petrographic microscope with digital camera and display monitor
- Computers for database access and updates