Material characterisation

The Electron Microprobe Analyzer (EMPA) provides in-situ qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis of minerals and other solid materials at the micrometer scale. We have extensive experience in performing high-quality microanalyses for research and education at the Dept. of Geosciences, Material Sciences and other Institutes at UiO, for other Norwegian and Nordic research institutions as well as for industry clients.

The core of this laboratory is a Microscope Slide Scanner, which provides high-resolutions scans of thin sections or other microscopic samples. These virtual samples can be analyzed digitally in the Zeiss ZEN software and are used to get detailed overviews of samples, to make publication-quality figures, and to do more advanced image analysis. The scanner is complemented by two high-end petrographic microscopes. All instruments are part of the Goldschmidt Laboratory.

The department hosts two scanning electron microscopes (SEM). One is a high-end variable pressure FEG-SEM with dual EDS and high-resolution EBSD and cathodoluminescence (CL) system, the other one a smaller, tabletop SEM that is quick to set up and easy to use. The electron microscopes are used by researchers and students from a range of fields: sedimentology, environmental, petroleum, isotope- and structural geology, petrology, mineralogy, and micro-paleontology.

The Flow Rig Laboratory (in Norwegian; Strømningslaben) provides experiments on water flood, liquid-liquid and liquid-gas relative permeability in situ reservoir conditions in core samples. Since 2012, the The Flow Rig Laboratory has served as a research facility for PhD research fellows and scientists at the Dept. of Geosciences, UiO. The lab is also open for routine measurements to industry clients and non-UiO organisations.

The Friction and Interface Lab is used in Earth Science to analyse rock samples, and other geo-materials, biological samples could also be analysed. The laboratory was newly upgraded in the past 3 years and interconnects with the Flow Laboratory at the Dept. of Physics. Together they provide high quality analyses for UIO researchers and external partners. The lab also provides teaching at the Dept. of Geosciences.

The Ivar Giæver Geomagnetic Laboratory (IGGL) is a Norwegian national research infrastructure for geomagnetism, paleomagnetism and rock magnetism hosted by CEED, UiO. The lab provides (after application and by agreement) researchers in Norway and abroad access to state-of-the-art research facilities. The lab is located at Campus Blindern (UiO), Oslo.

The X-ray labs have two advanced instruments: the X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument  and the X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument.  The labs serves in teaching activities and in providing analyses to research projects at the Department of Geosciences.  The labs also offer services to other research departments and institutes, as well as clients from industry.