Centers, Facilities, and Institutes

The Northeast Regional Climate Center advances climate research by developing innovative information products, refining data analysis techniques, and expanding climate data applications.

These efforts enhance the Center’s services, delivering greater value to current and future clients across the region.

The Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO) is the equatorial anchor of the Western Hemisphere chain of Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) observatories extending from Lima, Peru to Søndre Strømfjord, Greenland. JRO is the premier scientific facility in the world for studying the equatorial ionosphere. The observatory is about half an hour drive inland (east) from Lima and 10 km from the Central Highway (11°57′05″S 76°52′27.5″W, 520 meters ASL). The magnetic dip angle is about 1°, and varies slightly with altitude and year. The radar can accurately determine the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field (B) and can be pointed perpendicular to B at altitudes throughout the ionosphere. The study of the equatorial ionosphere is rapidly becoming a mature field due, in large part, to the contributions made by JRO in radio science.

A 3km deep geothermal exploration and long-term monitoring well on campus and associated geologic and geophysical data and samples. Provides open hole access to formation for logging, monitoring and fluid sampling between 2.4 – 3 km depth, continuous record of drill cuttings available for analysis and subsampling, sidewall cores, and geophysical logs and borehole images.

The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences now offers a state-of-the-art microscopy laboratory featuring research-grade Leica compound (petrographic) and stereographic microscopes for transmitted and reflected light microscopy.

Equipped with digital photomicrography and advanced imaging analysis software, this cutting-edge facility enhances research capabilities.

The Cornell Mass Spectrometry (CMaS) facility is equipped with an advanced ESI NWR193UC excimer laser and a powerful Agilent 8900 ICP-QQQ (ICP-MS/MS), enabling high-precision elemental and isotopic analysis.

For imaging material surface as well as for identifying chemical signatures. Our SEM JEOL JSM-IT700HR is a compact emission field Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with a secondary (EDS) and backscattered electron (BSE) detector. The system can be operated in variable pressure mode (air) to reduce charging or image non-conductive specimens. Additionally, we have a CRESSINGTON 108C Auto Carbon Coater with a thickness monitor for coating non-conductive specimens prior to SEM analysis. Multiple evaporations allow ~20nm thickness without any need for rod shaping or adjustment. Located in the lab of Carolina Muñoz‐Saez.

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is an independent, globally recognized facility with deep connections to the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Renowned among paleontologists and malacologists for its exceptional fossil and shell collections, PRI supports groundbreaking research and classes led by Cornell faculty and students, as well as visiting scholars from across the world.

Home to the vibrant Museum of the Earth, PRI sparks public interest and engagement with critical earth and environmental issues.

The Institute for Study of the Continents (INSTOC) serves as a premier platform for advancing the development and training of scientists in the critical field of continental exploration.