Laboratories and Research Facilities

Modern laboratory facility is available for grain size analysis, and microscopic study of petrography.

This laboratory was established in 2006 with significant funding support from Columbia University, NY and Geology Department of Dhaka University. The lab houses 20 high performance Desktop PCs build into a Local Area Network through a Server that hosts the floating licenses of ArcGIS software. Currently the lab is using the 9.2 version of this software. Both ArcGIS and Erdas Imagine software are used to teach the 4th year students fundamental courses in Remote Sensing and GIS. The MS students engaged in thesis research also uses this lab to facilitate spatial data interpretation relevant to their research topics. Faculty members also makes good uses of the lab facilities in their research projects creating and analyzing GIS data and digital processing of satellite imagery. This laboratory will be housed in a dedicated room in the new 1st floor wing of the department once the construction is completed.

The lab is equipped with Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS), Ion Chromatograph (IC) UV-Visible Spectrometer, Flame photometer, Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyzer to conduct research for the postgraduate students in the field of hydrogeology and environmental geology focusing environmental pollution, groundwater contamination, water quality assessment and management of groundwater resources.

The Geology Department of Dhaka University has a Geological and Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory equipped with the most technologically advanced testing equipment. The laboratory has Fully Automated Cyclic Triaxial Testing Equipment, Universal Triaxial Testing Equipment, Direct Shear Testing Equipment, Consolidation Testing Equipment, PS Logging Equipment. All these equipment have been donated by the European Commission (EC) through United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness Component of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP).

The Cyclic Triaxial Testing Equipment is used for earthquake research to evaluate the liquefaction potential of the subsurface geological materials subjected to earthquakes that include an evaluation of the dynamic strength of the soil under the foundations of the civil engineering structures. Universal Triaxial Test and Direct Shear Test Equipment are used to determine the shear strength parameters such as internal friction angle and cohesion of geological materials. The shear strength parameters are essential for the foundation design of the civil engineering structures, such as building, road, bridge, tunnel, etc. These parameters are also necessary for slope stability analysis of mines and road cut in hilly region. The Consolidation Test Equipment is used to evaluate the consolidation or settlement characteristics of geological materials. Differential settlement under the foundations of civil engineering structures can cause foundation failures. The PS Logger is used to determine the shear wave velocity of the geological materials upto the depth of engineering bed rock. The shear wave velocity is important for the preparation of engineering geological map which is used in seismic (earthquake) hazard and vulnerability assessment.

This lab is equipped with high configuration computers and all necessary softwares for groundwater flow and transport simulation.

This laboratory was established in 2008 supported by Schlumberger. Schlumberger donated industry standard Software -"Petrel" for Seismic to simulation workflow along with two high end workstations. This software is used for 2D/3D Seismic Visualization and Interpretation, Geological modeling, Reservation characterization and Reservoir Simulation.

Bangladesh having situated in an active tectonic region bears, by and large, a character of earthquake prone. The present seismicity and tectonic setting envisages that about 60% of the country falls in high risk zone.

The Department of Geology of Dhaka University has initiated an extensive research on earthquake and crustal dynamics in collaboration with Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University in New York, USA since 2000. The department is housed with the state-of-the-art technology for monitoring earthquakes and three dimensional crustal deformations know as ‘Dhaka University Earth Observatory (DUEO)’ established in February 2003. The observatory is equipped with digital broadband seismograph and Global Positioning System (GPS). DUEO is a Foreign Affiliate Member of ‘Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS).

DUEO is a consortium formed in co-operation with Rajshahi University, Khulna University, Chittagong University, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU), Shajalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).

Dhaka University Earth Observatory operates network of 6 permanent seismic stations, 6 portable seismographs and 18 continuous geodetic GPS stations in the country. The objectives of the Observatory is to carryout research on crustal dynamics, plate motions and to monitor the seismic activity in Bangladesh and surrounding countries, as well as to disseminate information of earthquakes to the government and the public. Data is open to scientific community.

The department has a drafting section equipped with necessary cartographic and drafting gears. The section provides necessary support to the students in preparing base maps and geological maps for field work. The section also provides cartographic services in research activities of the department.