Equipment & Facilities
Earth Systems LAB
The EARTH Systems Lab is a ~2,000 square foot research and teaching space located on Minnesota State University, Mankato campus in Carkoski Commons room 150.
Our Mission
- Provide analytical capabilities, technical expertise, and training in Geography, Earth Science, Anthropology, and Archeology
- Support an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to research & learning by integrating a diverse mix of faculty and students in a shared research space
Laboratory facilities
- Dedicated space for processing soil-sediment cores and a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction particle size analyzer.
- Fume hood, convection drying ovens, and refrigerated storage.
- Double-sided, 18-foot long, stainless steel work tables with sinks
- Dendrochronology workstation and research space
- Floor band saw and drill press and Ro-tap sieve shaker with wet sieve kit and full suite of sieves
- Archaeological botanical flotation system, Barnstead water purification system, and stainless steel workspace with double sinks
- Open research space with adjacent teaching space
- An array of standard laboratory equipment such as stirring plates, hot plates, vortexers, balances, mixers, mortars and pestles, glassware, hydrometers, and computer workstations
- Full suite of Bartington Magnetic Susceptibility sensors and meters including: MS2B bucket sensor, MS2C core sensor and rack system, and MS2E point sensor
- Emriver Em2 stream table
- Diamond Pacifics TC-14 trim and slab saw
- Buehler MetaServ 250 rock grinder-polisher
- Eppendorf 5810 centrifuge with multiple adapters
- Array of microscopes
Field equipment
- pulseEKKO ground penetrating radar system
- Bucket augers and extensions with mud, sand, and regular augers
- Multi-stage soil core sampler: 2″ diameter in 12″, 24″, and 36″ lengths
- Backsaver soil sampler with extensions
- Surveyor’s levels, tripods, and rods
- Sokkia Cygnus total station, tripod, and survey prism and rod
- Archaeological sifting screens
- Abney levels
- Soil thermometers
- Soil moisture meters
- GNSS GPS units
- DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone
