Tools & Methods

Geophysical Equipment Program

Hydrogeophysical Equipment for Science Centers and Offices

The ESPD geophysical-equipment program provides USGS scientists with state-of-the-art surface, borehole, and water-borne geophysical hardware and software for program development, staff training, and unique project requirements.

USGS Offices interested in borrowing equipment should make their requests as far ahead as possible, as equipment is in high demand. All loans are subject to availability and usage policies. If you are interested in borrowing equipment, please be sure that you have reviewed the usage policies prior to contacting HGB.

This page is updated as new equipment becomes available; however, please contact HGB for the latest information. Equipment systems are listed below.

Equipment, methods, and office needs evolve rapidly. Does your office or project need access to equipment or methods that the Branch of Geophysics does not currently support? Contact us.

• Borehole Geophysical Equipment

  Mount Sopris Matrix System and MGXII Logger:

  The point of contact for the Mount Sopris logger systems is:
  John Williams, (518)285-5670, jhwillia

  The base location of the Mount Sopris logger systems is:
  USGS New York WSC
  425 Jordan Road
  Troy, New York 12180

  The usage fee for all Mount Sopris logger systems is $500 ($250 if tools only without logger).

  Mount Sopris tools:

  • Acoustic televiewer and deviation
  • Caliper, fluid resistivity, and temperature
  • Dye dilution
  • Electromagnetic flowmeter (EMFM)
  • Electromagnetic (EM) induction
  • Full waveform sonic
  • Gamma, single-point resistance, and SP
  • Heat-pulse flowmeter (HPFM)
  • Induced Polarization (IP)
  • Multi-parameter water-quality (Idronaut)
  • Optical televiewer and deviation
  • Spectral gamma
  • Water sampler
  • Packer and differential transducer system (4" to 8" wells)

  Additional Mount Sopris equipment:

  • Data acquisition software (Matrix, MSLOG, and MSHEAT)
  • Drawworks with 650 ft of single-conductor cable
  • Drawworks with 2,000 ft of single-conductor cable
  • Drawworks with 1,000 ft of 4-conductor cable

  Century System VI Logger:

  The point of contact for the Century logger systems is:
  John Williams, (518)285-5670, jhwillia

  The base location of the Century logger systems is:
  USGS New York WSC
  425 Jordan Road
  Troy, New York 12180

  The usage fee for all Century logger systems is $500 ($250 if tools only without logger).

  Century tools:

  • Acoustic televiewer and deviation (3" to 9" wells)
  • Caliper
  • Electromagnetic flowmeter (EMFM) (2" min. diam. wells)
  • Full waveform sonic
  • Gamma and electromagnetic (EM) induction
  • Gamma, fluid resistivity, and temperature
  • Gamma, magnetic susceptibility, and deviation
  • Gamma, single-point resistance, and SP
  • Water sampler

  Additional Century equipment:

  • LOG log and log image acquisition software
  • DISPLAY log and log image analysis software
  • Drawworks with 1,000 ft of 4-conductor cable
  • Drawworks with 3,000 ft of 4-conductor cable

  Borehole radar:

  The point of contact for the borehole radar systems is:
  Carole Johnson, (860) 487-7402 x17, cjohnson

  The base location of borehole radar systems is:
  USGS 11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015
  Storrs, CT  06269

  The usage fee for all borehole radar systems is $500.

  Malå Geoscience RAMAC "Heavy" Borehole Radar System:

  • 22 and 60 MHz antennas
  • 60 MHz directional antenna
  • Single-hole reflection - omnidirectional and directional (60 MHz)
  • Cross-hole tomography
  • Drawworks with 1,000 ft of fiber-optic Kevlar cable

  Malå Geoscience RAMAC "Light" Borehole Radar System:

  • 100 MHz antennas
  • Single-hole reflection - omnidirectional only
  • Cross-hole tomography
  • 750 ft of fiber-optic Kevlar cable (2 sets)

  Additional Malå Geoscience RAMAC "Light" Borehole Radar equipment:

  • Laptop computer and control unit
  • RAMAC acquisition and analysis software

  Borehole resistivity:

  The point of contact for the borehole resistivity systems is:
  Carole Johnson, (860) 487-7402 x17, cjohnson

  The base location of borehole resistivity systems is:
  USGS 11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015
  Storrs, CT  06269

  The usage fee for all borehole resistivity systems is $500.

  • IRIS system with borehole electrode cables
  • MPT system with borehole electrode cables

  Borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR):

  The point of contact for the borehole NMR tools is:
  Carole Johnson, (860) 487-7402 x17, cjohnson

  The base location of borehole NMR systems is:
  USGS 11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015
  Storrs, CT  06269

  The tool is currently being used for demonstration and evaluation projects.

  • Vista Clara JP175 tool (2" min. diam. boreholes)
  • Vista Clara JP238 tool (2.5" min. diameter boreholes)

  Borehole Video Camera for Well Inspections:

  The point of contact for the borehole video camera system is:
  Carole Johnson, (860) 487-7402 x17, cjohnson

  The base location of system is:
  USGS 11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015
  Storrs, CT  06269

  • Well-Vu (Vision Systems) Borehole Video Camera System

   

• Surface Geophysical Equipment

  The point of contact for all surface geophysical systems is:
  Carole Johnson, (860) 487-7402 x17, cjohnson

  The base location of all surface geophysical systems is:
  USGS
  11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015
  Storrs, CT  06269

  The usage fee for all surface geophysical systems is $500

  Ground-penetrating radar:

  • Malå Systems: 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 MHz unshielded anntennas
  • Malå Systems: 100 and 250 MHz shielded anntennas
  • Malå Systems: 50 MHz rough-terrain attenna

  Resistivity:

  • AGI 2-D resistivity
  • IRIS 2-D resistivity
  • Double-ring infiltrometer with ABEM resistivity

  Electromagnetic induction:

  • EM 31 (pre-digital recorder)
  • EM 34
  • GEM-2
  • GEM-2H
  • Transient EM (EM 47)

  Temperature monitoring:

  • Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing systems
    • Sensortran
    • Oryx
  • FLIR T620, T640, and i7 thermal imaging cameras

  Seismic:

  • Geode seismometers (2, 24-channel each), with cables and geophones
  • Seismic land streamer (24 stations, with 2 geophones at each station), with PEG-40 accelerated weight-drop seismic source
  • HVSR Passive Seismic Systems:
    • Güralp EDU-T, 3-component, medium motion seismometers
    • Tromino seismometers
• Water-Borne Geophysical Equipment

  The point of contact for all water-borne geophysical systems is:
  Carole Johnson, (860) 487-7402 x17, cjohnson

  The base location of all water-borne geophysical systems is:
  USGS
  11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015
  Storrs, CT  06269

  The usage fee for all water-borne geophysical systems is $500

  Ground-penetrating radar:

  • Malå Systems: 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 MHz unshielded anntennas
  • Malå Systems: 100 and 250 MHz shielded anntennas

  Continuous-resistivity profiling (CRP):

  • Continuous-resistivity profiling (CRP) system

  Continuous-seismic-reflection profiling (CSP):

  • Swept frequency chirp (4 to 24kHz)
  • Swept frequency chirp (2 to16 kHz)
  • Boomer plate system (low frequency, 800 to 1000 Hz)
• Water-Quality Monitoring Equipment

  The point of contact for water-quality monitoring systems is:
  Martin Briggs, (860) 487-7402 x19, mbriggs

  The base location of all water-borne geophysical systems is:
  USGS
  11 Sherman Place, Unit 5015
  Storrs, CT 06269

  The usage fee for all geophysical systems is $500

  Dissolved Oxygen Sensor:

  • In-Situ SmartTROLL optical dissolved oxygen sensor
• Airborne

  Airborne systems are not currently part of the Geophysical Equipment Program. For information on drones, please contact Cian Dawson; for information on other airborne systems, please contact John Lane.

• Water Science Center Geophysics and Drilling Capabilities

  In August 2012 the Water Science Field Team (WSFT) Groundwater Specialists completed a survey of Water Science Center geophysics and drilling capabilities. The results of that survey are provided here to encourage and enable collaboration and equipment-sharing among WSCs. The information listed is from USGS Water Science Centers only and does not include other programs or Mission Areas. Questions about the survey can be directed to Rod Sheets (rasheets).

  • Water Science Center Geophysics and Drilling Capabilities- Note: To view the file, you must be logged into Bison Connect in the same browser as you open the link