Palynology and Mineral Separation Laboratories
Palynology is an inter-disciplinary science that brings together aspects of geography, earth science, plant biology and ecology.
The work undertaken in the Palynology Laboratory helps inform research and knowledge of past climates and environments - essentially, we’re exploring the past to help us understand the future.
Our Expertise
Our palynology technicians extract pollen from a variety of samples, including sediment, consolidated rock and coals. The resulting slides are analysed by palynologists to reconstruct past environmental conditions and understand how they have changed over time, whether by natural or human (anthropogenic) impacts.
The primary function of the Palynology laboratory is to process rock and sediment samples for pollen, spores, dinoflagellate cysts and other microscopic organic material (palynomorphs). Once processed and analysed, these samples contribute to the research and understanding of our paleoclimate, stratigraphy and vegetation history.
We also house a Mineral Separation laboratory and crushing room facilities, which process samples for mineralogical, geochemical, sedimentological, and isotopic analysis. Additionally, this area encompasses laboratory space and tools for digesting rock/sediment and preparation of other microfossils, including radiolarians and diatoms.
The Palynology team actively collaborates within the wider GNS science campus, which means our collective expertise includes fossil collection, preparation, analysis, documentation and preservation, along with the preparation, curation, storage and analysis of palynological samples and libraries for future use.
Our Equipment
The Palynology and Mineral Separation laboratories house equipment capable of preparing and extracting fossil samples through both physical and chemical processes. These services include dedicated palaeontological processing laboratories with hydrofluoric processing capability. Additionally, our NIC campus has mineral separation and crushing equipment including a roller mill, ram, ring mill and Frantz magnetic separator.
Our laboratory is designed for a wide range of sample preparation and analysis within a secure, safe and contaminant-free environment.
Our Location
The Palynology and Mineral Separation laboratories are located within the National Isotope Centre (NIC) in Gracefield, Wellington.
Meet the Team
The Palynology and Mineral Separation laboratories includes specialist scientists, researchers, technicians and curators. The team is led by principal technician, Roger Tremain.
Get in touch with Sonja Bermudez, our Geological Research Labs and Collections Manager.
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Did you know?
Palynology is literally the "study of dust" (from Greek: παλύνω). Palynō: strew, sprinkle and -logy; of particles that are strewn.