Geophysical Facilities
The Paleomagnetism Laboratory, otherwise known as the chalet, was completed in 1985 and is located on the UC Santa Cruz campus in a remote building specially constructed with non-magnetic materials and isolated from major sources of man-made magnetic noise.
Mineral Physics Laboratory
The properties of the materials that make up the Earth and other planets are probed in the mineral physics laboratory. Specifically, we determine the phase equilibria and thermochemical and elastic properties of planetary materials at the ultrahigh pressures (up to 150 GPa) and temperatures (up to 6,000 K) of planetary interiors. High P-T conditions are generated using the diamond anvil cell coupled with laser heating. Presently, both Raman and infrared spectroscopic facilities are available for characterization of the structural and bonding properties of minerals and fluids in situ at pressures and temperatures characteristic of planetary interiors. In addition, we utilize state-of-the-art synchrotron x-ray sources at particle accelerators (primarily the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley Labs) to determine the equations of state and phase equilibria of mineral assemblages relevant to the Earth’s mantle and core. Our analytic and experimental capabilities are also deployed on projects that range from mineralogy and petrology through to characterizations of archaeological materials.
Paleomagnetism Laboratory
The Paleomagnetism Laboratory, otherwise known as the chalet, was completed in 1985 and is located on the UC Santa Cruz campus in a remote building specially constructed with non-magnetic materials and isolated from major sources of man-made magnetic noise. Inside this building, a magnetically shielded room houses a state-of-the-art superconducting magnetometer, a sensitive spinner magnetometer, thermal and alternating field demagnetizaters, and paleointensity equipment. A second lab devoted to the study of rock and mineral magnetic properties is housed in the Earth and Marine Sciences Building. It contains another spinner magnetometer, devices for measuring Curie temperatures, magnetic susceptibility and its anisotropy, hysteresis loops, and computer facilities for data analysis and graphics.
W.M. Keck Seismological Laboratory
The Seismology research group maintains a fully managed, state-of-the art computer system including access to a 1950 node cluster and multi-core workstations on every student or researcher desk. We also have field equipment including our own portable broadband seismic network for remote deployments, a terresterial LiDAR, gravimeter,and borehole pressure and temperature sensors. This flexible pool allows us to embark on remote studies in Antarctica, Sichuan and Costa Rica with minimal external logistics. The earthquake physics laboratory also maintains a TA AR2000ex industrial rheometer for granular flow studies and a Zygo Newview white light interferometer.
SCZ Seismographic Station
Situated in the hills east of the town of Chualar, the seismometer, data acquisition system, and computer are located in a tunnel dug into one of the hills. The tunnel, which follows a vein of quartzite, was originally built in an attempt to mine gold many years ago. It has since been modified by UCSC personnel to accomodate this seismic station. Operation has been transferred to UC Berkeley and the site is currently in the process of having its data acquisition systems upgraded.
