For over 45 years, the Geosciences Measurement Facility at Berkeley Lab has partnered with the scientific community to deliver custom instrumentation to advance frontier energy and environmental research in laboratory and field sites across the world.
1970s
The first instrument to support Berkeley Lab’s exploration of Earth’s subsurface was developed in Building 1 in 1973. The one-of-a-kind instrumentation enabling electrical and seismic imaging was deployed at the Nevada field site of a large geothermal research project that summer.
High voltage piezoelectric source
1978 Earth Sciences Newsletter
1975
Grass Valley, NV
Microearthquake recorder trailer
Geothermal exploration transmitter for control source EM system with D. Gumz, N. Goldstein, E. Binnall, and C. Riverds.
1974
Field studies in Nevada conducted by LBL geothermal crews throughout the warm months, until ice crusts the ground. Here they pour water, salt and detergent into the ground to increase current flow from an aluminum electrode to the soil.
1980s
GMF became a critical asset for subsurface investigations, playing a part in projects based nearby such as the Hanford site in Washington, and afar, such as Stripa in Sweden.
1990s
GMF contributed to a number of cutting-edge research projects in places in the U.S. and across the world throughout the 1990s. Among them was the project that explored Yucca Mountain, west of Las Vegas, as a potential radioactive waste repository.
1999
Outside the 25-foot wide tunnels through Yucca Mountain, which cover a distance of about seven miles and cut through different rock types, fractures, and fault zones.
1998
Yucca Mountain Project instrumentation
1996
ESF (Exploratory Studies Facility) at Yucca Mountain
1997
Robert Trautz taking samples from the water collection system to study how water could flow underground at Yucca Mountain.
1998
Carbon capture and management experiment for the Earth Sciences Division
2000s
The team expanded its repertoire beyond geothermal and nuclear to support research into climate science, carbon sequestration, deep subsurface exploration, and other areas.
2000
Geochemical characterization of Earth systems.
Specialized vehicles to support long-term and offshore deployments
In 2008, the GMF moved to Building 64 where it had access to a high-bay and test bore hole.
1999
Outside the 25-foot wide tunnels through Yucca Mountain, which cover a distance of about seven miles and cut through different rock types, fractures, and fault zones.
2002
Cerro Prieto, Mexico
Geothermal Project with N. Goldstein, W. Lee, W. Goubau, Pagano.
2001
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository group photo
TODAY
Today, GMF continues the 45-year legacy of providing customized instrumentation support for Earth exploration and scientific investigations in subsurface, terrestrial, ocean and atmospheric environments.
2014
NGEE-Arctic Tram - a 60-meter long tram line to be used in Barrow, Alaska to increase the ability to measure surface energy fluxes and surface spectral properties at high spatial and temporal resolution.
2007
Deployment of SOLO II Carbon Explorer in Pacific Ocean 100 miles off of San Diego abroard the Research Vessel Sproul from Scripps Institute Earth Sciences.
2017
Shan Dou, Nate Lindsey, Jonathan Ajo-Franklin utilize unused fiber optic cable for detection of earthquakes and other subsurface activity to study dark fiber at LBNL.
2017-2018
Subsurface crosswell studies using CASSM and time-lapse tomography
2018
TERI sends an electrical current into the stem to sense the electrical response of roots and soil to provide information on root mass, surface area, depth, and distribution in the soil.
2014
Uploading data at the Ameriflux Campbell station near Arvada, Colorado
2018
Berkeley, CA
Tomographic Electrical Rhizosphere Imaging (TERI) at LBNL.
2018
South Dakata
Yves Guglielmi and Paul Cook conduct tests on SIMFIP, a new borehole tool developed at EESA that allows scientists to capture three-dimensional strains at large depths and over a broad frequency range.
Carbon Flux Explorers are designed to observe changes in ocean carbon sedimentation at regular intervals for days, weeks, and months at a time.