Geography & Environmental Science
Physical Geography teaching labs
Relocation
Due to the demolition of Cowley Hall and construction of Prairie Springs Science Center Phase II, the Geography & Environmental Science Department will be temporarily relocated to 327 Cartwright Center. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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Physical Geography Teaching Labs
The $82 million Prairie Springs Science Center was completed in 2018 and the 187,000 square foot building houses several Physical Geography and Environmental Science spaces, including two instructional labs and their support rooms. The instructional labs are outfitted with materials and facilities for performing physical, chemical, and biological analysis of soils, sediment, and water. The labs contain an extensive rock and mineral collection, a wide variety of tools for hands-on learning of climate and Earth surface processes, computers loaded with physical geography and GIS-related software, two stream tables, and an augmented reality sandbox.
For more information about the state-of-the-art Prairie Springs Science Center, please visit this website. If you have any questions about use of equipment in the Physical Geography Instructional Labs, please contact Dr. Colin Belby or Dr. Joan Bunbury.
Teaching Laboratory Equipment
Teaching Lab Instrumentation
The following equipment is available for student use while taking environmental and physical geography courses.
- Thermo Scientific muffle furnace
- Soiltest drying oven
- VWR water bath
- VWR magnetic hotplate stirrers
- Humboldt sieve shakers
- RO-TAP sieve shaker
- Fume hoods
- Microsoft Surface Pro tablets (x20)
- Nikon stereo microscope (x12)
- Nikon compound microscope (x9)
- Thermo Scientific centrifuges
- Mettler Toledo precision balances (x4)
- Thermo Scientific pH meters (x2)
Emriver Stream Tables
The Department of Geography and Environmental Science has two Emriver Em2 stream tables for demonstrating river processes and conservation principles to UWL students. The portable stream tables are also frequently used during outreach events for people of all ages and backgrounds in the community. The color-coded-by-size sediment in each table aids in the visualization of sediment transport and deposition processes. Cameras installed above the stream tables enable students to record river processes from multiple angles. Stream table accessories include a wavemaker, flow controllers, a level rod for surveying channel profiles, and materials for demonstrating the effects of human activities on the floodplain and in the channel.
For more information about the Emriver Em2 stream tables, please visit the Little River Research & Design website or contact Dr. Colin Belby.
Demonstrations on the Em2 Stream Table
Augmented Reality Sandbox
The Department of Geography and Environmental Science Department constructed an Augmented Reality Sandbox (AR Sandbox) for instructional and outreach use. The AR sandbox provides students a hands-on understanding of how map contours translate to real world topography and how water flows across the landscape.
For more information about the AR Sandbox, please contact Steve Fulton or Dr. Colin Belby.
 Front View of AR Sandbox |
 Oblique View of AR Sandbox |
Augmented Reality Sandbox Major Components
| Computer | Alienware x51 r3 (i5) |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GTX970 |
| Projector | inFocus IN124sta |
| Mount | CHIEF RSM A-D |
| SAND | Sandtastik Play Sand - Sparkling White |
| Kinect | 1414 |
| Mount Frame | 80/20 |
| Control Box |
Groovy TB3 Trackball 8 Spectra Lite Pushbuttons 4 Arcade Prime Pushbuttons |
Sandbox Size: 36" x 48"