Explore the laboratories below to learn about the research interests of our department, and to see what type research you can undertake with your studies in Geography, Environment or Geomatics! Note that computer lab SMD038 is accessible weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Laboratories
Our department features several state-of-the-art laboratories, where undergraduate, graduate students and professors are engaged in cutting-edge research.
Our labs
Physical Geography Laboratory (LGPGL)
The Physical Geography Lab supports all levels of teaching and research both on campus and in the field. It includes two large classrooms and processing laboratories. Major emphasis is on soil and sediment sampling and analyses, on hydrological and micro-meteorological monitoring and on paleo-environmental studies. A full-time coordinator manages the day-to-day operation and collaborates with professors for the design of laboratory and field courses and activities.
Simard Hall, Room 005
Teaching Laboratory Coordinator: Jean Bjornson
Laboratory for Applied Geomatics and GIS Science (LAGGISS)
LAGGISS is a nexus for new applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) science and geomatics within the physical, social and environmental sciences. The laboratory contains workstations with specialized software for GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis and 3-D visualization (ArcGIS, PCI, ENVI, Geomatica). With private and public research partners, the laboratory supports original applications of GIS and geomatics for research projects examining the use of machine learning in automated environmental mapping, environmental change, and population health on continental, national and regional scales.
Simard Hall, Room 042
Director: Professor Michael C. Sawada
CryoLab for Arctic, Antarctic and Planetary Studies (CLAAPS)
Cryolab for Arctic, Antarctic and Planetary Studies provide the facilities to undertake cutting-edge research about the terrestrial cryosphere and icy planetary bodies. Our lab facilities support the fieldwork we perform in the Canadian Arctic and in Antarctica.
Simard Hall, Room 0020
Director: Professor Denis Lacelle
Environment, Community and Health Laboratory
The Environment, Community and Health Laboratory (ECoHLab) supports applied, qualitative and quantitative research across local, national and international scales with a focus on: food and water security in Arctic Canada, health equity, Indigenous health and well-being, access to health services, environmental risk perception, and risk communication.
Simard Hall, Room 036
Co-Directors: Sonia Wesche & Eric Crighton
Laboratory for Cryospheric Research (LCR)
The Laboratory for Cryospheric Research provides dedicated facilities for the measurement, observation and monitoring of the cryosphere. Key equipment housed in the laboratory includes 7 computer workstations, together with a variety of field equipment such as ice corers, cold weather clothing, GPS units and a radio-echo sounding system for determination of snow and ice depths.
Simard Hall, Room 043
Director: Professor Luke Copland
Environment, Society and Policy Group (ESPG)
Research in the Laboratory for Environment, Society, and Policy Group (ESPG) is highly interdisciplinary – bridging the natural and social sciences to understand the human and policy dimensions of environmental change. We focus on tracking and responding to environmental change within key geographic regions (coasts, Arctic and alpine) and important industrial sectors (mining, transportation, tourism).
Simard Hall, Room 0021A
Director: Professor Jackie Dawson
Laboratory for Climate Change research
The laboratory for Climate Change research (LCC) explores the dynamics and physical causes of climate variability and change. Using innovative geospatial/GIS and statistical approaches, we explore local to global scale climate change; past, present and future
Simard Hall, Room 0021C
Director: Professor André Viau
Laboratory for paleoclimatology and climatology (LPC)
The Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology (LPC) is involved in the analysis and modeling of climate changes and their impacts on ecosystems, with an emphasis on the analysis of the fossil record as a way to better understand the present and the future. Work in the lab includes the gathering and analysis of new paleoecological and paleolimnological data, especially from lake sediment cores, the statistical analysis of databases of environmental change, with an emphasis of spatio-temporal analysis, and the modeling of environmental processes.
Simard Hall, Room 004
Director, Konrad Gajewski
Shallow-Water Earth Observation Laboratory (SWEOL)
The Shallow-Water Earth Observation Laboratory at the University of Ottawa focuses on using satellite remote sensing technology to improve our understanding of the status and changes happening to coastal zones worldwide. This includes development of image processing techniques to map and monitor marine habitats and biodiversity, water depth, and water quality.
Simard Hall, Room 040
Director, Professor Anders Knudby
