Our School has a full range of laboratory, field, and workshop facilities for our staff, undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. Some can also be used for research collaborations or hire. Our range of facilities include:Workshops, preparatory laboratories and support facilities for sample preparation and mineralogical, physical and inorganic and organic chemical analysis of rock, soil, plant, water and gaseous samples.State-of-the-art research facilities, including a wide range of high-tech facilities for the analysis of rocks, minerals and fluids, for isotope analysis and measurement of the physical properties of rocks.An extensive array of ground-based, water and airborne field equipment for field measurement techniques in ecological, atmospheric and Earth sciences. These are all supported by fully equipped workshops and underpinning facilities.Computing-intensive research such as geographic information systems (GIS), meteorological and climate modelling, geophysics and the analysis of space and satellite data is supported by our in-house GIS suite and software licences and the Edinburgh Computer and Data Facility. NERC facilitiesWe host and manage several national facilities on behalf of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility Our School hosts the NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility, which maintains and provides a pool of state-of-the-art spectroscopy instruments for the UK research community. NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility Our School hosts the NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility, which loans equipment suitable for geophysical research free of charge to universities and other institutes engaged in environmental research. NERC Ion Microprobe Facility Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) facility for high-sensitivity chemical microanalysis. Small Research FacilitiesOur Small Research Facilities (SRF) are available for hire or consultancy to external users. Airborne Research and Innovation (ARI) Our facility operates a fleet of manned and unmanned aircraft equipped with state of the art sensors to support research and teaching across the School and beyond. Applied Geoscience Laboratory This facility supports in-house research, with a suite of experimental equipment for research into the secure and sustainable utilisation of the subsurface for low carbon energy applications. Brian Price ICP Facility The facility supports in-house research, as well as academic and external services in Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry analysis. Chemical Analysis Facilities Our School offers a wide range of geochemical facilities for the the analysis of soils, sediments, plant material, water samples and biochar extracts. We support research and teaching, as well as academic and commercial analytical services for external users. Cosmogenic Nuclide Laboratory The facility supports in-house research, as well as academic and external services in preparing samples for the measurement of terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides within rock and sediment. Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) Facility The facility supports research at universities, research institutes and commercial organisations within the UK and Worldwide. Experimental X-ray Microtomography Facility Our X-ray CT instrument was designed and built in-house to enable non-destructive 3D analysis of geological materials and for experimental applications. This facility supports in-house research as well as external and collaborative research Mechanical Workshop The Mechanical Workshop supports in-house research and teaching as well as external services. We provide design, build and manufacture services on different materials for a wide range of purposes. Organic Geochemistry Facility The facility supports in-house research and teaching, as well as academic and commercial services in wide-ranging analysis of natural, contaminant and pharmaceutical organic compounds. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Facility The facility supports in-house research, as well as provides academic and commercial services in Scanning Electron Microscope analysis for the Earth and environmental science community. Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry (Wolfson Laboratory) The Wolfson Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) facility supports in-house research, as well as academic and commercial services in environmental, paleoenvironmental, biological, archaeological and geological research. Thin Section and Sample Preparation Facility The facility supports in-house research and teaching, as well as academic and commercial services in sample impregnation, cutting, grinding, separation and polishing for the preparation of geological samples. X-Ray Analysis Facilities Analyse the elemental composition and mineral structure of geological and environmental samples using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Facilities for School teaching and researchThese facilities support teaching and research within the School of GeoSciences and are not available for external booking or access. GIS computing suite Computing-intensive research in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is supported by access to our well-equipped in-house GIS suite. Optical Microscope Laboratory The Optical Microscope Laboratory contains a suite of modern microscopes for a wide range of purposes. It is used by our undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as research and academic staff. Physical geography laboratories Our physical geography laboratories support undergraduate teaching such as classes, fieldwork and dissertation projects, as well as research undertaken by postgraduate students, research and academic staff. Quaternary Entomology Lab The facility supports teaching and research, as well as processing fossil insects and other palaeoecological material. This article was published on Wednesday 18 February 2026
