Renovation of Department of Geological Sciences Research Facilities

加州州立大学长滩分校地质科学系（CSULB）的成员研究岩石圈、水圈、生物圈和大气之间的相互作用。研究人员现在把重点放在环境污染的地质方面，确定碳氢化合物是如何在岩石圈和海洋环境中产生和降解的。成功的研究依赖于高质量的实验室，而这些实验室目前还不具备。彼得森大厅2号和3号的研究空间是在20世纪50年代和60年代初设计和建造的，不利于支持现代研究和研究培训。研究空间与教学空间共享，再加上教师和学生只能使用五个通风柜，造成了颗粒物污染的严重问题，阻碍了研究和研究培训活动。该奖项将为分散的研究实验室整合为一个现代化的实验室设施提供支持，为所有参与地球化学研究的教师和学生提供足够的排气罩通风、空气净化和仪器空间。目前在附近机构进行的地球化学分析将转移到本所进行，进一步提高本系吸引优质研究生的能力。这次整修将纠正目前实验室的不足，使研究能够在有效和清洁的环境中进行，使发展新的研究技术成为可能，并促进研究小组之间的相互作用。新实验室将是在环境科学领域发展正式跨学科项目的第一步。

Members of the Department of Geological Sciences at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) investigate the interactions among the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. Researchers are now focusing on the geological aspects of environmental contamination, determining how hydrocarbons are generated and degraded in the lithosphere and the marine environment. Successful research is dependent upon quality laboratories that the department currently does not possess. Research space, housed in Peterson Halls 2 and 3, was designed and built in the 1950's and early 1960's and is not conducive to support modern research and research training. Sharing of research space with teaching space, coupled with faculty and students having access to only five fume hoods, creates severe problems with contamination by particulate matter, that impedes research and research training activities. This award will provide support for the consolidation of dispersed research laboratories into one modern laboratory facility, providing adequate exhaust hood ventilation, air purification, and instrumentation space for all faculty and students involved in geochemical research. Geochemical analysis now conducted at a nearby institution will be shifted to CSULB, further enhancing the ability of the Department to attract quality graduate students. The renovation will rectify deficiencies in the current laboratories, allowing research to be performed in an efficient and clean environment, enabling the development of new research techniques, and fostering interaction between research groups. The new laboratory will be the first step in developing a formal interdisciplinary program in the environmental sciences.