Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) Lab at ANU Research School of Earth Sciences

Facilities

SPEctroscopy, Characterisation and Experimental Laboratory

Learn more about ANU SPEC-E Lab

The Accelerated Solvent Extractor at ANU, known as the DIONEX ASE 200, is an advanced system designed for efficient extraction of natural products, toxins, oils, and bitumens from various samples.

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A student in the SSAMS facility

The ANU's accelerator mass spectrometer, introduced after a successful ARC LIEF grant in 2005, marks a new era in Carbon-14 Dating.

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Young woman examines a spectroscopy picture in a laboratory

Explore ANU Earth Sciences' NanoPhase Facility: a hub for advanced research with cutting-edge instruments for in-depth material analysis. Perfect for scientific exploration and discovery.

Learn more about ANU NanoPhase Facility
Ammonite Fossil

We research a wide range of topics relating to the use of carbon-14 in the environment. This includes using carbon-14 for dating purposes in, archaeology and forensics and as a  carbon-14 as a tracer in the global carbon cycle, both in soils and in ocean circulation.

Learn more about ANU Radiocarbon Laboratory
RSES SHRIMP facility

The ANU SHRIMP facility offers high-resolution ion microprobe analyses, allowing for precise measurements of stable isotopes, volatile elements, trace elements, and uranium-lead dating in solid materials.

Learn more about ANU SHRIMP
Planet earth viewing from space

The ANU GRACE software, developed in the Environmental Geodesy group at the Research School of Earth Sciences, is a suite of programs and scripts that processes the Level-1B data from the GRACE and GRACE Follow-On missions to estimate temporal variations in mass distribution on and within Earth.

Learn more about ANU Space Gravity Analysis
Argon Geochronology facility

At the Argon lab in RSES, we specialize in temperature-controlled step-heating diffusion experiments for precise Arrhenius analysis, allowing for the calculation of diffusion parameters and activation energies within crystal domains.

Learn more about Argon Geochronology, Structural Geology & Tectonics

The National Argon Map (NAM) project, led by Dr. Marnie Forster at the Australian National University, aims to enhance the existing Geoscience Australia NAM with new Ar/Ar geochronology data. Supported by AuScope, the project collaborates with various institutions to fill gaps in isotopic mapping.

Learn more about AuScope initiative: National Argon Map

AusPass is an initiative supported with funding from AuScope and the Australian National University to provide F.A.I.R. access to passive seismic data collected in and around Australia.

Learn more about AusPass: the Australian Passive Seismic Server

ANSIR, a collaboration between ANU, Geoscience Australia, and the University of Adelaide, specializes in seismic research and equipment. Since 1997, it offers advanced seismic tools for domestic and international projects.

Learn more about Australian National Seismic Imaging Resource (ANSIR)
Dr Kial Stewart demonstrating ANU STEM Box activity in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics laboratory, Research School of Earth Sciences

The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics laboratory is a purpose-built 400 sq. m laboratory for experimental fluid dynamics. This laboratory is designed for studies of fluid flow processes relevant to both solid earth geological processes and ocean-atmosphere dynamics.

Learn more about Climate & Fluid Physics (CFP) Laboratory

The RSES's Cosmogenic Nuclide Laboratories focus on beryllium-10 and chlorine-36 analysis, featuring HEPA-filtered clean labs for sample preparation and safe acid handling equipment. Collaboration is possible for external projects, and also for cosmogenic isotope analysis and exposure dating on a quasi-commercial or commercial basis.

Learn more about Cosmogenic nuclide laboratories
data visualizations

The Data Visualisation Laboratory at the Research School of Earth Sciences is equipped for high-performance data analysis and visualization. It features high-quality graphics capabilities and advanced software like ARCGis and Google Earth Pro for a wide range of analytical tasks.

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Marine plankton or Microalgae culture into a test tube in laboratory

The Ecochemistry laboratory is a dynamic, research based group that focuses on questions related to trace elements in natural waters.

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The ESR spectrometer at ANU is one of the most versatile spectrometers. It has X-band and Q-band microwavebridges and measurements can be carried out between 3 and 700K.

Learn more about Electron spin resonance spectroscopy

The workshop provides a wide range of 'Design' and 'Instrumentation' services in support of research activities.

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The Experimental Petrology Laboratory at ANU has been a leader in high-pressure experimental geochemistry for over 50 years. It features one of the world's largest collections of piston-cylinder apparatus, supporting a wide range of pressure and temperature conditions for research.

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ANU research in rock physics employs novel equipment developed in house for laboratory studies of mechanical behaviour ranging widely from time-resolved slip on synthetic faults to seismic-frequency studies of wave speeds and attenuation.

Learn more about Experimental Rock Physics Laboratory

The Gamma Spectroscopy facility at ANU is crucial for dating studies on paleoanthropological sites, offering non-destructive gamma ray analysis of large bone samples.

Learn more about Gamma spectroscopy
RSES Gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy facility

The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy facility at ANU is equipped with advanced technology for detecting and analysing traces of apolar chemicals such as lipids, pigments, toxins, drugs and fossil hydrocarbons that occur in complex mixtures that may comprise millions of compounds.

Learn more about Gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy

Since 1998, RSES has used remote Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment in the southern Prince Charles Mountains, Antarctica, to measure the present-day glacial isostatic adjustment that may be occurring there.

Learn more about GPS monitoring network

RSES operates a Superconducting Gravimeter at Mt Stromlo Observatory, continuously monitoring small changes in gravity caused by tidal, environmental and seismic effects.

Learn more about Gravity monitoring equipment

The High Pressure Liquid Chromatography facility at ANU features an Agilent 1100 Series capillary system and a Thermo LCQ™ DECA XP ion trap mass spectrometer. It's designed for analysing compounds like hopanepolyols and carotenoids that are sensitive to heat, polar, or large in molecular mass.

Learn more about High pressure liquid chromatography
ICP-MS Museum

The ICP-MS Research Facility at ANU specializes in precise elemental and isotopic analysis using advanced Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. It supports detailed trace element concentration studies and isotope ratio work for a wide range of elements, offering specific instruments for comprehensive analysis.

Learn more about ICP-MS research facility; elemental, isotopic and laser analysis

State of the art micropaleontological laboratory and microfossil collection from The Australian region.

Learn more about Micropaleontology and limnology laboratories

RSES operates a Microscope laboratory containing transmitted light microscopes, a stereo microscope and diamond microdrill. This facility also contains Leica Cameras on two of the transmitted light microscopes, allowing users to take high resolution images to use in publication and presentations.

Learn more about Microscope laboratory

The Mt Stromlo station (CAN) just outside Canberra is operated on behalf of the French Geoscope Network and provides high quality broad-band seismic data to the international community.

Learn more about Mt. Stromlo Seismic Observatory

The ANU Noble Gas Laboratory employs advanced techniques to extract and analyze noble gases from geological samples. Extraction methods include resistively-heated furnaces, vacuum crushers, and laser heating systems.

Learn more about Noble Gas Laboratory
Dr David Heslop at the ANU Palaeomagnetic laboratory located on Black Mountain, ANU Research School of Earth Sciences

The Black Mountain Palaeomagnetic laboratory is equipped with a 2G superconducting rock magnetometer, a Quantum Design MPMS for magnetic mineral identification, a Princeton Measurements Corporation Vibrating Sample Magnetometer, and a suite of other instruments for palaeo- and rock magnetic measurements.

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RSES has extensive facilities for mineral separation and rock preparation for geo-analysis and micro-analysis.

Learn more about Sample preparation & microscope laboratories

The Palaeoenvironment Stable Isotope Laboratory at RSES has a number of mass spectrometer facilities dedicated to particular types of analyses for δ13C and δ18O of carbonate samples, and δD, δ18O and δ17Oexcess of waters.

Learn more about Stable Isotope Laboratories
A student sitting in the TerraWulf Compute cluster facility

TerraWulf is a networked 'Beowulf' cluster of computers set up at RSES to provide convenient high end computing power for a range of demanding geoscience problems, particularly in the fields of thermochronology, seismology, geodesy, crustal and mantle dynamics, and landform evolution.

Learn more about TerraWulf Compute Cluster

RSES has a number of thermal ionisation mass spectrometers available for high quality isotope ratio measurements.

Learn more about Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS)

Volatile analyser for water and carbon content determination, and quantitative analysis of volatile-rich minerals.

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Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Research Station

The Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Research Station uses arrays of seismometers to detect tremors from nuclear testing on the ground, and infrasound sensors to detect atmospheric waves from nuclear testing in the air.

Learn more about Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Research Station

This facility provides mineral identification and quantification, structure refinements, and mineral analytical advice to RSES, the wider ANU community and external customers.

Learn more about X-ray diffraction facility

The ANU Research School of Earth Sciences operates a cutting-edge X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) scanning facility, capable of non-destructive elemental analysis from magnesium to uranium on a variety of samples including sediment cores and rocks.

Learn more about X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning