- Atmospheres and Space
- GeoBiology
- Solid Earth
- Surface Processes
Advanced Plasma Propulsion Laboratory
One large (9ft long by 5ft diameter) and one small (2 ft long by 1 ft diameter) plasma chambers are used to study advanced plasma systems that would facilitate low cost in-space propulsion to further space exploration. Concepts presently being investigated include small scale micro-thrusters for small multi-spacecraft missions to very large high power systems for potential large spacecraft. Students participate in the development and optimization of prototypes using an array of plasma diagnostics and a fast data acquisition systems. For more information, contact Robert Winglee.
Aeronomy and Optics Laboratory
The Aeronomy and Optics Lab serves as an educational, training, research and development facility, as well as being the staging area for our field site experiments in Antarctica and New Zealand, where Global Climate Change studies in the Southern Hemisphere are in progress. The laboratory serves as the support arm for these far away experiments, as well as to provide new and improved optical instrumentation which will perform measurements with higher precision than previously attained, rugged instrumentation for unmanned sites, or to study atmospheric species which have not been used previously as tracers in our remote-sensing studies. In addition, design and fabrication of instrumentation which supports the main optical studies, such as an unmanned sunlight-insensitive cloud detector, have been carried out in the Aeronomy and Optics laboratory. As part of the support, the laboratory is where the Antarctic Research Associates receive their yearly training. The laboratory investigations provide a wide range of research possibilities for students. For more information, contact Gonzalo Hernandez or Michael McCarthy.
Atmospheric Electrodynamics Laboratory
The Atmospheric Electrodynamics Lab in the Space Sciences Group is a space for electronics development and deployment, as well as for payload fabrication for suborbital flights. We have both fabrication benches, as well as operational network computers for the WWLLN lightning network in the Atmospheric Electrodynamics Lab. Additionally, we share a large Assembly Room with the other Space Science Labs for balloon and rocket payload buildup. Our lab has a conduit to the roof for VLF and GPS antenna deployment. We share a clean room for dust free flight instrument development. The Atmospheric Electrodynamics Lab is the home of the WWLLN: World Wide Lightning Location Network. We build the hardware, and process the incoming global data in this lab. Additionally, we have built electric field and optical transient detectors for dozens of stratopheric balloon and for several upper atmospheric rocket flights. These flight instruments led to the optical lightning detector now flying on the C/NOFS satellite. For more information, contact Robert Holzworth.
Cosmogenic Nuclide Chemistry Laboratory
The Cosmogenic Nuclide Lab provides facilities for preparation of samples for analysis of Be-10, Al-26 and Cl-36 in a range of geological materials. The lab contains dedicated areas for mineral separation, low-blank chemical separations and target preparation for accelerator mass spectrometry. Samples produced in the lab are analysed at accelerator facilities in the United States and Australia. We work on a variety of cosmogenic nuclide applications in geomorphology, paleoclimatology and geologic hazard assessment, as well as basic cosmogenic nuclide methodology. For more information, contact John Stone, Director.
Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory
The Environmental Geochemistry Lab provides facilities for processing and analyzing geochemical samples including natural waters, extractions of soils and sediments, and digests of rock, soil, and sediment. Instruments in the lab included ICP-OES (Perkin-Elmer 3300DV), ICP-MS (Finnegan Sola), Total organic/inorganic carbon analyzer (OI-700), and basis water parameters such of pH and conductivity. For more information, contact Ron Sletten.
Geomicrobiology Laboratory
The Geomicrobiology Lab houses the facilities necessary for growing microbes and performing low temperature aqueous geochemical and geomicrobiological experiments. The lab contains an autoclave, laminar flow hood, incubator/shaker, and an anaerobic chamber for growing microorganisms. There are two high speed refrigerated centrifuges and a freeze dryer for preparation of biomass and mineral powders. The analytical equipment in the lab consists of an autotitrator, a spectrophotometer, an inverted light microscope, and an isothermal calorimeter. Research foci in the lab are surface reactivity of minerals and microorganisms and thermodynamics of natural systems. For more information, contact Drew Gorman-Lewis.
GIS (Geographical Information Systems) Research Laboratory
The GIS Research Lab (known as the Puppet Lab for arcane historical reasons) specializes in the analysis of topographic data and geographical information systems applications. The lab is located next to the Quaternary Research Center (QRC) and houses a Spatial Data Engine, Internet Map Server, mammoth file server and web servers, and powerful student workstations with GIS and image processing software. Although the lab is open for use across the department, research projects in the lab tend to focus on geomorphological topics involving the analysis of digital topography on Earth and Mars. For more information, contact Harvey Greenberg, Senior Computer Specialist.
IsoLab - Stable Isotope Laboratory
The IsoLab specializes in the analysis of light stable isotopes. The IsoLab is divided into sample preparation and sample analysis laboratories and has five mass spectrometers and three lasers devoted to the analyses of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Research projects in the IsoLab are primarily focused on the application of stable isotopes to the study of paleoenvironments and the evolution of the earth system. For more information, contact Andrew Schauer, IsoLab Manager.
Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory
The Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory comprises two multi-collector ICP mass spectrometers (a Nu Plasma I and a Nu Plasma II) along with four clean labs and 9 laminar flow fume hoods for sample processing. Analytical capabilities include elemental purification and isotopic analyses of samples for non-traditional stable isotopes (e.g., Li, Mg, K, Cu, Zn, Fe, Se) and radiogenic isotopes (e.g., Sr, Nd, Hf, Pb). Research projects cover a broad range of subjects and often are collaborative with other investigators in ESS, other UW departments or non-UW scientists. The laboratory will also provide fee-based analytical services. For more information please contact Dr. Bruce Nelson or Dr. Fangzhen Teng .
Planetary Science and Astrobiology Laboratory
The planetary science and astrobiology laboratory is located in Johnson Hall room 226. Our lab is equipped with standard apparatus such as a fume hood, air and gas lines, assorted electronics, glassware, hotplates, dewars, magnetic stirrers, and assorted pipets. We also have on hand a number of reagents of planetary interest including inorganic chlorate, perchlorate, chloride, sulfate, nitrate, and ferrocyanide salts. Some specific instruments in the laboratory are a Differential Scanning Calorimeter for measuring thermal properties of materials, a Lakeshore 332 temperature controller, a Multicool temperature bath, a XPE 205 analytical scale accurate to 0.01 mg, a set of isopiestic devices used for measuring water activity to 0.01 % accuracy, and a L-DENS-437 Anton Paar vibrating U-tube densitometer used for measuring liquid densities.
Rockets and Instrumentation Lab
The Rockets and Instrumentation Lab designs and builds rockets to launch science payloads to high altitude using high power amateur rockets. Design, fabrication, testing, and integration all happen in house, with the rockets which are then launched at an offsite (Mansfield WA, Black Rock NV, and China Lake CA). Past projects include high altitude launch systems (via kite and weather balloon), cluster and multistage rockets, and a penetrating system for sample return.
Remote-Sensing Laboratory
The Remote-Sensing Lab supports the research efforts of the terrestrial and planetary remote-sensing efforts within the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. It has provisions for an optical bench, a fume hood, and room for a 2-m environmental chamber for spectral characterizations. Lab facilities include an ASD VNIR field spectrometer as well as a FLIR infrared camera. Terrestrial research projects have included spectral characterization of rocks and vegetation, and measurements of spectral effects of roughness. Presently the lab is undergoing transition to support planetary research. It is linked with the GIS Geomorphology Lab. For more information, contact Alan Gillespie.
Seismology Laboratory
The Seismology Lab encompasses research via the PNSN (Pacific Northwest Seismic Network) as well as regional and global studies by a number of UW faculty, staff, and students. The PNSN operates a network of seismometers across all of Oregon and Washington to detect and characterize earthquakes and volcanic activity. Seismology Lab research focuses especially on subduction zone seismology, structure and tectonics, emphasizing the Cascadia region as well as global research. Active topics include great earthquakes, fault zone physics, seismic hazard mitigation, episodic tremor and slip, and volcano processes. For more information, contact Harold Tobin, Ken Creager, or Paul Bodin.
Soil Geochemistry Laboratory
The Soil Geochemistry Lab facility includes a foreign soil receipt and storage room where all foreign soil samples are stored securely and initial processing including drying, sieving, and splitting is conducted. Samples are heated to sterilize prior to release or disposal. Separate rooms are used for processing and analyzing soil. Preparation of soils for particle size analysis including organic and oxide removal, water extraction and sequential extraction of soils and sediments. Equipment includes bench-top shaker, ultrasonic bath, centrifuges, water bath in hood. Analysis of particle size is by laser diffraction (Beckman-Coulter LS 13-332). For more information, contact Ron Sletten.
Space Plasmas Laboratory
The Space Plasmas Laboratory is equipped for the development of instrumentation for studying plasma processes in the upper atmosphere and the near-Earth space environment. Photon, electron and ion sources are available to stimulate detectors for measuring response functions. Workbenches with electronic test equipment are used for development and prototyping. A large shared payload assembly room is used for flight instrument testing, integration, and calibration. In support of these activities, there is equipment for environmental testing, including vacuum chambers that provide pressure typical of the upper atmosphere or magnetosphere. An adjacent class-10000 clean room is available for preparing instruments that are susceptible to degradation or damage by dust particles. For more information, contact Michael McCarthy.
Space Plasma Simulation Laboratory
The space plasma modeling group uses high performance desktop computers to simulate the near space environment around various planets and moons within the solar system. Codes utilize the comprehensive treatments of the fluid and particles aspects of space plasma and are run it on the current technology, ranging from the newest multi-core CPU systems to the latest, bleeding edge Graphics Processing Units. The group focuses on code development, providing ample opportunities with regard to base-level coding, while simultaneously ensuring a strong understanding of physical processes. Studies include the plasma environments around the Earth, Moon, Mars, Mercury, and the outer planets and their satellites. For more information, contact Erika Harnett or Robert Winglee.