Other Laboratories

Facilities

  • Seismological Laboratory

    Central seismic laboratory of WIHG is at Dehradun where real time seismic data is collected from the remote seismic stations of NW Himalaya. The laboratory is well equipped with the computational facilities to achieve, process and interpret the seismic data in real time mode.

    Seismic stations

    Presently three seismic networks are in operation in NW Himalaya

    • Garhwal seismic Network

    • Kangara-Chamba Seismic network

    • Kinnaur Seismic network

    GPS stations

    There are several permanent GPS stations in the NW Himalaya to monitor geodynamic deformations.

    Microzonation

    Earthquake risk mitigation is performed for different cities by local site conditions using two methods

    • Multi channel analysis of the shear wave (MASW)

    • Nakamura technique. Microzonation studies have been carried out at Dehradun, Delhi, Chandigarh and Jammu cities.

    MPGO

    The MPGO is designed to study the earthquake precursors in an integrated manner. The MPGO is equipped with Overhauser magnetometer, tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer, magnetotelluric, SG, ULF-band induction coil magnetometer, radon data-logger, water-level recorders and is backed by the dense network of broad-band seismometers (BBS) and Global Positioning System (GPS).

    Magnetotelluric (MT)

    Magnetotellurics (MT) is a natural-source, electromagnetic geophysical method of imaging structures below the earth’s surface. These naturally occurring electromagnetic signals induce currents inside the Earth. Simultaneous measurement of electric field and magnetic field time variation at the surface of earth allow estimation of resistivity with depth. Depth of penetration of EM signal is inversely related with the frequency of EM. WIHG is having two broad band MT for imaging lower and upper crustal structures and four LMT (Long period magnetotelluric) for imaging full thickness of lithosphere.

    HIMSELP

    Himalaya School Earthquake Laboratory program (HIMSELP) has been carried out in 58 schools of northern India to provide awareness and training for school children.

  • GPS Laboratory

    Microscopy and Image Processing Lab

    • Various Stereo- Binocular Microscopes

    • Image Analysis Systems

    Micropaleontology Lab

    • Acid Digestion Chamber

    • Wet Sieving and Oven drying facility

    Palynology Lab

    • Distillation plant

    • Palynological Microscopes with image analysis system attachments

    Vertebrate Paleontology Lab

    • Air blast and Pneumatic tools

  • Microscopes and Instrumentation laboratory

    • Polarizing Microscopes

    • Laser Particle Size Analyzer

  • Wet Processing Laboratory

    • Vibratory sieve shakers

    • Clay mineral slide preparation

    • Loss on ignition and insoluble residue determination, Centrifuge unit

    • Distilled water plant

    • Fume chamber

  • Thermo-luminescence and OSL Dating Laboratory

    • Dark Room for sample preparation

    • Three Riso TL-OSL DA-20 systems for luminescence dating

  • Palaeomagnetism Laboratory

    • Alternating Field Demagnetizer (AFD)

    • KLY/3S Magnetic Susceptibility Bridge

    • JR6/A Spinner Magnetometer

    • Mospin Mini Spinner Magnetometer

    • Isodynamic Separator

  • Remote Sensing Laboratory

    The laboratory is equipped with the following :

    • Mirror Stereoscopes (for Air Photo interpretation)

    • Large Format Tracing facilities

    • Digital Image Processing facilities

  • Geotechnical Laboratory

    Geotechnical Laboratory is equipped with basic instruments needed for the characterization of Index properties of soil and rocks required for the landslide studies, like Direct Shear Test Apparatus, Atterberg Limit Apparatus, Unconfined Compressive Strength Test Apparatus, Slake Durability Apparatus, Schmidt Hammer, Total Station and Apparatus for the measurement of P and S- wave velocity (ultrasonic velocity) of rocks in the laboratory under normal pressure and temperature.

  • Glaciology Laboratory

    The lab is well equipped with instruments required for the glaciological studies and analysis of field data, particularly for mass balance, hydrology, glacial sediments snow/ice chemistry, ice flow and ice thickness measurements, etc. There is a field station at an altitude of 3800 m and data on various aspects of glacier studies is being collected round the year.

    The laboratory at WIHG is equipped with the following.

    • Electronic Distance Meter (EDM): used for topographic survey, stakes measurement for mass-balance studies and snout fluctuation.

    • Ground Penetrating Radar Survey (GPR): used for estimating the ice thickness of the glacier, bed rock topography and total snow accumulation/ablation in a budget year.

    • Sieve Shaker: used for grain size analyses of suspended sediments, moraines and supra, sub and englacial sediments.

    • Automatic Weather Station (AWS): Installed on the Chorabari glacier to collect meteorological data round the year.

    • Steam Drill Machine: used for stake networking ( drill duo to 12m) for mass balance and flow measurement.

  • Water Chemistry Lab

    The Water Chemistry Laboratory is dedicated to snow and water chemistry for environmental studies, chemical weathering of rocks and water quality of surface and groundwater.

    The lab is equipped with the following instruments.

    • Ion chromatograph (Model Dx 500 of Dionex Corporation, USA) for the analysis of major ions in water

    • Ultrapure Water Purification System (Millipore)

    • Clean Bench

    • Spectrophotometer (LaMotte, USA).

    • Portable Water Analysis Kit for physical parameter such as temp., pH, Conductivity, TDS and DO (LaMotte, USA)

    • Instruments for Bacteriological Analysis (Total Coliform, E. Coli and S.Coli) from IDEXX, USA using Colilert

  • Structural Lab

    Various Polarized Microscopes

  • Experimental Structural Lab

    Biaxial-Uniaxial Press

Facilities