Field Geology and Geophysics

The department maintains a wide variety of equipment for field work in geology, geophysics, and environmental science. Field geology equipment includes two drones (UAV’s) with high-resolution cameras, Brunton compasses, iPads, and surveying gear.

Two students using surveying equipment in a rocky area
UVA drone
Three students using surveying equipment along a paved trail
Two students using surveying equipment in a grassy area
A student holding a Brunton compass and an orange notebook
A white van and a black van parked in a field with pine trees

Field geophysics equipment is used to image objects below the ground surface, typically for environmental work. Our equipment includes a ground penetrating radar (GPR) with 50, 100, and 200 MHz antennae, a proton precession magnetometer, a magnetic susceptibility meter, and an electrical resistivity array. The GPR for example, can be used to locate buried pipelines, leaking storage tanks, and contaminated groundwater.