Facilities
Facilities
The Geological Sciences Department is well-equipped for both teaching and research. Laboratories, classrooms, and offices of the Department are housed in the recently renovated Mendenhall Laboratory, and Orton Hall.
Labs and Equipment
Specialized equipment in the department includes: gas and solid-source mass spectrometers; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometers; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers with quadrupole, sector field and quadrupole with reaction cell designs; beam homogenized 193 nm laser ablation system for solid sampling ICP-MS, electrospray mass spectrometer; microwave digestion system, phase Doppler particle analyzer, X-ray diffraction equipment; single crystal X-ray diffractometer; electron microprobe and SEM; hydrogeochemistry laboratories that include gas chromatography, high pressure liquid chromatography with solvent gradient capability, scanning UV/VIS spectrophotometers, scanning fluorescence spectrophotometer, and dissolved organic carbon analyzers; ground penetrating radar, a gravimeter, and proton, spinner, and cryogenic magnetometers; ocean room and cold room labs for the study of ice; gas-flow fluid inclusion apparatus for study of mineral phases; high temperature and high pressure hydrothermal equipment; fluorescence and cathodoluminescence microscopy; plus a variety of polarizing, reflected light and interference phase microscopes; and drilling and sampling equipment for wells and piezometers.
Environmental Geochemical Labs
Field Equipment
Hydrogeology Labs
Microscopic and Chemical Analysis Research Center | More . .
Plasma Spectrochemistry, Mass and Laser Spectroscopy Lab | More . .
Radiogenic Isotopes Laboratory | More . .
Remote Sensing Lab
Computers
The computers in the department are state-of-the-art. Researchers have at their fingertips a variety of Linux and Windows based workstation systems. Researchers and students have access to one of the premier computing facilities in the country at the Ohio Supercomputer Center, which is located on campus. Laboratories in geophysics and hydrogeology offer the best in computer graphics, using Linux and SUN workstations. Data-intensive research and teaching are handled easily by this network. Individual laboratories also have extensive computing capabilities. The Kresge/Shell Computer Laboratory provides all students with access to Windows and Linux workstations for class work and research. The department has extensive multimedia capabilites with flatbed and slide scanners, 36" wide poster printer and color laser printers.
The Byrd Polar Research Center
Named in honor of one of America's most famous explorers, the Byrd Polar Research Center of The Ohio State University is recognized internationally as a leader in polar and alpine research. The Center's research programs are conducted throughout the world. Research at the Center focuses on the role of cold regions in the global climate system, with major research themes focused on climatic reconstruction of glacial and post-glacial times; polar ice-sheets: dynamics, history and ice-atmosphere interactions; high-latitude landform evolution, soils and hydrology; geologic evolution of Antarctica; and the history of polar exploration. The Center encourages the involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in its research programs and also sponsors a weekly seminar which is open to the public. More . .
Orton Hall
Orton Hall, one of the oldest remaining buildings on campus, opened in 1893 and is named after Dr. Edward Orton, Sr. who was Ohio State's first president, Professor of Geology 1873-1899, and Ohio's State Geologist from 1882 until his death in 1899. Orton Hall is a tribute to this man's dedicated service towards the understanding of the geology of Ohio.
From the clay tiles in the entrance hall to its walls and foundations, Oroton Hall is built of forty different Ohio building stones. In the outside walls, these stones are laid in stratigraphic order according to their relative positions in Ohio's bedrock. If you observe closely the capitals of the numbered columns in the entrance hall, you will see carvings of fossils, such as trilobites, as well as other objects such as the races of Man. The bell tower was dedicated in 1915 and contains 25,000 pounds of bells that can be heard regularly tolling across campus in the key of E flat. Encircling the top of the tower are 24 columns with gargoyle-like figures which are restorations of fossil animals.
Because of its unique architectural features, which have made it a campus landmark, Orton Hall has been entered into the National Register of Historic Places. It presently contains the Department of Geology and Mineralogy's offices and laboratories of Paleontology, Historical Geology and Sedimentology, the Orton Geological Museum, and the Orton Geological Library. More . .
Orton Memorial Library of Geology
Orton Memorial Library of Geology was formally dedicated on October 16, 1920, in memory of Edward Francis Baxter Orton (1829-1899). The library houses titles relevant to geochemistry physical geography, various aspects of geology (economic, environmental, historical, stratigraphic, and structural), geomorphology, geophysics, hydrology, meteorology, mineralogy, physical oceanography, paleontology, paleobotany, paleozoology, petrology, polar studies (glaciology, etc.), pollution (soil, water, and selected aspects, such as mine drainage, trace elements, etc.) and soils.
The collection of research materials may be accessed through OSCAR, The Ohio State University Libraries' online catalog. Those publications not held by Orton Library may be available through OhioLINK, a consortium of Ohio college and university libraries and the State Library of Ohio, or other university networks worldwide. The Ohio Library and Information Network also offers access to online databases from which one can obtain bibliographic citations, electronic journal full text, etc. Orton Library also has available for patrons' use public computers, a laser printer, photocopiers, microfiche and microfilm readers, and a VCR. More . .
Orton Geological Museum
The Orton Geological Museum has been located in historic Orton Hall, near the center of the Main Campus of The Ohio State University, since the building's completion in 1893. Both the building and the museum are named for Edward Orton Senior, the first president of the university. Present exhibits feature the geologic history of Ohio (showing its rocks, minerals, and fossils) but also include specimens from all over the world. Other exhibits display meteorites (including one that fell in Ohio), minerals, crystals, dinosaurs (including a full-sized replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull), fluorescent minerals, and mammoth and mastodon teeth. The centerpiece of the exhibit hall is the mounted skeleton of a giant ground sloth, one of four found in the state. The museum is usually open 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Weekend and evening hours are available by special arrangement. Other Museum services include: answering questions about geology; identification of rocks, minerals, and fossils; and talks and guided tours for schools and other groups. There is no fee for admission or any of our services. The Museum Store has models, minerals, fossils, books, posters, and many dinosaur items for sale. The store is open whenever the exhibit hall is open, except when the Curator is out speaking, so it is always best to call before visiting. For more information, or to schedule a talk or tour, call (614) 292-6896
There is no entrance fee to visit the Museum, and tours are available on request. Museum hours are 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., but special arrangements can be made to have the Museum open at other hours.