Facilities and Infrastructure

We analyse materials for research projects (including Masters and Ph.D. projects) as well as materials received from colleagues external to UCL.

The Diamond Anvil Cell facility enables high-pressure experiments to study materials at extreme conditions, advancing geoscience and materials research.

We have a team of engineers who design and build unique experimental apparatus, providing expertise and innovation to support and advance our departmental research.

Environmental Sedimentology Facility at UCL Earth Sciences: advanced labs for sediment analysis, flume experiments & imaging, supporting research on sediment transport, stratigraphy & earth processes.

Experimental Volcanology Laboratory at UCL Earth Sciences: state-of-the-art facility for magma, eruption & volcanic process simulations, advancing research on hazards, dynamics & planetary volcanism.

The UCL Fluid and Melt Inclusion Laboratory has facilities to analyse fluid and melt inclusions – tiny bubbles of fluid or melt trapped while a rock is forming.

The foram laboratory is equipped with multiple microscopes with image capture facilities.

A cutting-edge facility for elemental, isotopic, and mineral analysis, advancing research on Earth’s composition, dynamic processes, climate change impacts, and broader planetary science.

This facility offers advanced tools for geophysical research and hands-on training, supporting field studies, precise data collection, and innovative projects across Earth sciences.

This lab is equipped with petrographic microscopes, a micro-Raman imaging system, and advanced sample preparation apparatus, supporting detailed mineral, rock, and chemical analyses.

Geophysics Laboratory offers advanced facilities for experimental research, analysis, and training in geophysics, supporting innovation in Earth and planetary sciences.

The Haskel Multi-Anvil facility enables high-pressure, high-temperature experiments to study Earth materials, geophysics, and planetary processes with precision.

Ice Physics Laboratory investigates the properties and behaviour of ice under varied conditions, advancing research in climate science, cryospheric processes, and materials physics.

This workshop is used for developing, producing, and calibrating research apparatus, and is equipped with precision machine tools and calibration systems.

A specialized facility equipped for preparing dilutions and standards, supporting accurate calibration, precise analyses, and reliable results in Earth science research.

We use and develop radioisotopic methods to determine rock ages and thermal histories, helping us study tectonics, erosion, sediment movement, and Earth’s interactions with air, water, and ice.

The Earth’s mantle rheology controls mantle convection, shaping mountains, subduction zones, hotspots, and seismic areas. Field estimates are rare, leaving many regions and key parameters unsampled.

This laboratory suite houses a Nu Instruments Plasma 3 multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS), and metal-free clean laboratories for sample preparation.

This facility specializes in calcareous and siliceous microfossils, offering sample processing, preparation (wet lab, fume hood, acid digestion), and an extensive micropalaeontology reference library.

The Microscope Suite is available to all members of the Earth Sciences Department and contains a number of specialized microscopes.

This laboratory hosts a variety of apparatus for the Rock & Ice Physics research group and supports graduate and undergraduate experimental projects across diverse activities.

The triaxial rock deformation & physics cell equipment can simulate the environment of rock at great depth in the earth (potentially over 50km deep in the crust).

This is an in-house facility offering a range of sample impregnation, cutting, grinding and polishing services for the preparation of geological samples.

The Rock Room is mainly used as a high quality interaction space, e.g. a staff common room, event room. It houses some of our Geology Collections.

A range of activities are performed in this laboratory. The area houses a variety of apparatus for the Rock & Ice Physics research group.

The laboratory houses a Jeol JSM-6480LV high-performance, Variable Pressure Analytical Scanning Electron Microscope.

This lab houses Triaxial Deformation Cell for sediments operating at low temperature and pressures andTriaxial Soil Cell for conducting experiments to determine the mechanical properties of soils.