Facilities
Tools to understand our Earth
The Earth and Climate Sciences Department works hard to provide the best possible learning environment for its majors. We have first rate laboratory facilities ranging from introductory teaching labs to sophisticated analytical equipment used for research and upper level classes.
Laboratories:
- Environmental geochemistry
- Geographic information systems (GIS)
- Petrographic microscopy
- Rock preparation/cutting/mineral separates lab
- Scanning electron microscopy
- Quaternary Geology and Sedimentology Laboratory
- High-temperature geochemistry and viscometry
The department has a large array of field equipment for use in classes and student research. In addition to standard issue geological tools (rock hammers, hand lenses, compasses), the department has sophistacted field equipment at its disposal.
Equipment:
- Field vehicles (boats and kayaks)
- GPS
- Limnological
- Mapping and surveying
- Sediment coring apparati
- Ground Penetrating Radar
- Real Time Kinematic – GPS
In addition, Bates College is located near a large number of teaching and research localities in New England. In Maine, these include the White mountains, the Maine coast, and numerous lakes. Geology also has the use of the Bates Shortridge field research facility and the Bates/Morse Mountain Conervation area in Phippsburg, Maine.