Williams College will purchase equipment to establish mineral separation and uranium-lead geochemistry laboratories. These laboratories will be used for undergraduate research projects in geochronology, and to improve instruction in several undergraduate geology courses. The mineral separation equipment will be used to concentrate heavy minerals from sediments and sedimentary rock and to isolate fossils in courses in geomorphology, paleontology, and sedimentology. Together with the equipment for carrying out U-Pb geochemistry it will be used in courses in tectonics and geochronology to illustrate the principles of isotopic dating. The NSF grant of $16,898 for equipment will be matched by an equal amount of funds from Williams College. In addition, Williams College is providing approximately $50,000 in funds for building renovation to accommodate the new equipment.
