Pacific Northwest Paleomagnetism Laboratory

Established in 1970, this laboratory has produced many of the important contributions to our understanding of the tectonic history of the Pacific Northwest. In 1997-1998 a major upgrade of the laboratory, funded by Western Washington University and the National Science Foundation, was completed. The new equipment is allowing this lab to continue to provide a world-class facility to students at Western who wish to pursue paleomagnetic research projects. We have avoided the use of automated sample holders and demagnetizers in order to focus our efforts on obtaining the best possible results from each individual sample. Our aim is to be like a paleomagnetic micro-brewery, producing a modest number of high quality studies.