Facilities
As part of the Department's successful Science Research Infrastructure (SRIF) Bid for £1.4million, we have undertaken a major refurbishment of our field and laboratory equipment including the purchase of several major new items of analytical equipment. This builds on a recent £1.2m over-haul of the Department's research laboratories to produce state-of-the-art suite of facilities which are amongst the best available in any UK Geography Department. We have recently commissioned a suite of brand new purpose-built climate controlled laboratories as part of our new Institute for Hazard & Risk Research. This suite includes a Class-1000 clean room that will house our ICP-MS & GC MS and the Laithwaite geotechnical laboratory with ultra-tight temperature and humidity control.
Research activities are supported by twenty technical and support staff including a Departmental Superintendent, three digital cartographers, photographer and print room staff providing a full service for the preparation of graphic work, plus nine laboratory technicians and five computing staff.
Human geography research is
supported by two departmental Research Associates.
Research Computing and IT Provision
Department desktop computers are networked using a Microsoft® Windows Active Directory system, so that staff can access shared computing resources, including email which is managed via a dedicated Microsoft Exchange email cluster, the University Wide Area Network and the internet. High quality output is available through a variety of network printers up to A0 in size. The Department supports a state-of-the art remote sensing and GIS laboratory and provides specialist support for computationally intensive research. The portfolio of software covers remote sensing, GIS, computational fluid dynamics, a CONDOR distributed computing cluster for geophysical modelling as well as textual and media analysis, editing and scanning applications. A full list of software packages available can be found in our on-line software inventory:
View Software Inventory
Laboratory, Field and Analytical Services
We have laboratories equipped to deal with wet and dry sediment analyses, fully climate controlled laboratories for high precision chemical and geotechnical testing, a sediment biomarker laboratory, radionuclide dating laboratory, a microfossil preparation laboratory and microscope rooms, a remote sensing & GIS computing laboratory and a facilities pool for social geography research. Our field equipment pool is extensive and includes precision dGPS survey stations, terrestrial laser scanners, an inshore survey and two inflatable boats, a fleet of five vehicles, a drilling rig and other lake and sediment coring sets and safety equipment including a satellite phone. A full list of our laboratory, field and analytical equipment can be found in our on-line laboratories inventory:
View Laboratory Inventory
Cartography
The Department's Cartography Unit offer a comprehensive design, reprographic and photographic service that underpins our research. This includes the design and preparation of maps, technical diagrams, illustrations, artwork, web graphics, and large format displays for conference presentations. The unit has facilities for high quality scanning up to A0 size including slide and negative with any image rectification and manipulation required and photographic printing also up to A0 size. Photographic support is provided using digital and film cameras both in the field and studio. Support is also offered in audio visual preparation and we have facilities for digital video editing with output to DVD, VHS or direct to disk.
The Cartography Unit website
