Geology and Geography Research
Housed in beautiful Clapp Laboratories, the Department of Geology and Geography maintains state-of-the-art laboratories for research and instruction in geochemistry, petrology, and geographic information systems.
Research laboratories
In addition to the labs shown here we also have our own computer lab, weather station, 12 passenger van, camping gear, and a wide array of field equipment.
Stable Isotope Lab
Built by Dr. Steven R. Dunn with funds from the National Science Foundation, this geochemistry laboratory is fully equipped to collect carbon dioxide from carbonates and from combusted graphite and organic materials.
GeoProcessing Lab
A state of the art facility featuring Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing technologies. This dedicated computer facility offers training and research in Geospatial technologies: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Global Positioning System (GPS).
Quaternary-Holocene Geology and Lake Research Laboratory
A well-equipped research lab primarily for the analysis of sediment cores from lakes. Work in this lab is used to unravel climate over the past 15,000 years.
Rock Lab
We maintains a complete rock preparation facility, including slabbing saws, trim saws, Hilquist thin sectioning equipment, and thin section polishing laps. We also have a drill press for coring rock samples and a large polishing table.
Science Center Microscopy Facility
The Biology and Geology and Geography Departments maintain an FEI Instruments Quanta 200 "environmental" scanning electron microscope equipped with an EDAX Phoenix Pro Energy Dispersive Spectrometer system and X-ray analysis software. This lab is equipped with a variety of sample preparation equipment and supplies.
Petrographic Microscope Laboratory
The Department maintains a microscopy laboratory with 12 Leica DMEP petrographic microscopes, a variety of student grade Olympus and Nikon microscopes, and several research-grade petrographic microscopes, (including a digital camera and video with monitor) for use by students and faculty in classes and research.
GeoProcessing Lab projects
Many Geology and Geography projects make use of the Airborne Imaging Multispectral Sensor. The AIMS1 is a remote sensing platform consisting of a digital camera, a Laser Atlanta laser altimeter, a real-time differential global positioning system and an attitude heading and reference system . It was designed for high spatial and temporal resolution and is deployed in a single-engine aircraft, typically flying between 1000 - 2000 ft. above the ground.
AIMS1 projects have included forest monitoring, constructing spatial databases, measuring forest metrics and estimating the difference in tree growth between years. These metrics are important for measuring the response of vegetation to global warming and for estimating rates of terrestrial carbon sequestration.
Campus Voices
Stories about Geology and Geography research
A series of fortunate events!
Marsha Allen FP’10, Graduate student, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Pole to Pole: A career in climate science
Heidi Roop ’07
You are what you eat — a journey toward graduate school in paleontology
Dana Reuter ’15 Graduate student, University of Oregon
Happening at ¹û¶³´«Ã½
Geography and Geology Research in the news
Two students secure high honors for geographical research
Two Mount Holyoke College students took home awards from the 2024 New England and St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society Fall Conference for their research on water scarcity in the Southwest and on the preservation of indigenous water systems in Nepal.
Students explore future environmental career possibilities
Taking part in a two-day workshop featuring alums, staff and current interns, Mount Holyoke College students had the opportunity to learn what a career in environmental work entails and how to get on the right track to start their own journeys.
Exploring U.S sanctuary policy through new database
Mount Holyoke College researchers have developed a new open-access, interactive database and story map of U.S. immigration sanctuary policies that were passed between 2001 and 2014.
Contact us
Department of Geology and Geography
The Geology and Geography Department oversees the programs in both Geology (the dynamic processes that shape our planet) and Geography (the relationships between people, places, societies and the environment).
- 413-538-2278
- 304 Clapp Laboratory
