The Department of Geology is located in the Sanger Center for the Sciences. You can find us by taking the stairs or elevator to the fourth floor and heading to the southeast corner of the building.

Introductory geology courses provide students with the fundamentals of geology and an opportunity to explore the local geology.

The mineralogy and petrology lab has petrographic microscopes and microscope cameras for identifying minerals.

Geomorphology, Hydrogeology, Paleontology, and Sedimentology are taught in this room.

The wet lab is used in the Sedimentology, Hydrogeology, and Geomorphology courses.

The GIS (geographic information systems) and Visualization Lab has nine workstations, a large format scanner, and a large format printer.

We use the seminar room for Geology Club meetings, for lunch, and for other gatherings.

Every major gets their geologic name placed on a mug. After graduation, your mug and your senior thesis wait for you to visit in the Geology seminar room.

The Geology Department's extensive collection of equipment is stored in the field gear room.

Geology students visualize fluvial processes with the Geology Department's stream table.

One of the several Beane Crinoid Collection display cases in the Sanger Center for the Sciences.

Samples from our mineral and rock collection are on display on the fourth floor of the Sanger Center for the Sciences.

The Solem Fossilized Wood Collection is on display on the fourth floor of the Sanger Center for the Sciences.

The Geology Department's rock collection is stored in the basement of the Sanger Center for the Sciences.

The scanning electron microscope is used in the mineralogy and petrology courses, chemistry courses, and for student and faculty research.

One of the research labs used by geology faculty and students.

Another research lab used by geology faculty and students.

Thin-section preparation tools can be found in the Geology Department's basement labs.

Posters summarizing student research hang in the Geology Department halls. All Geology majors participate in research during their time at Beloit College.

The geology student room provides students a space to work, store belongings, relax between classes, and watch movies.

The Geology Department common area.

Instrumentation and Equipment in the Geology Department

• Scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer
• Portable X-ray fluorescence elemental analyzer
• X-ray diffractometer (XRD)
• Handheld gamma ray spectrometer
• Handheld magnetic susceptibility meter
• Hydrogeology equipment, including water level meters, water quality meters, current meters, pressure transducers with data loggers, and more
• Petrographic microscopes with cathodoluminescence and fluid inclusion capabilities
• Extensive range of field and camping supplies in our field gear room
• and a variety of other analytical equipment

Collections

• B.H. Beane Crinoid Collection (on display in the atrium of the Sanger Center for the Sciences)
  • Fall 2025 H.H. Woodard Lecturer - Dr. Forest Gahn - Historical and scientific importance of the fossil crinoid collection at Beloit College
• Solem Fossilized Wood Collection (on display in the Geology Department)
• Extensive mineral, rock, and fossil collections