WGNHS provides access to our Mount Horeb Research Collections and Educational Center (MHREC) and conducts pXRF analysis of drill core, hand samples, and well cuttings for a service fee. Please see below for details. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you.
Note: Both MHREC and the pXRF lab have limited capacity, and priority goes to WGNHS projects.
Mount Horeb Research Collections and Educational Center (MHREC)
Our Mount Horeb facility houses our extensive core repository. These collections include samples that are unique or otherwise irreplaceable. Please consult with the WGNHS Curator during development of research ideas and proposals that include utilizing portions of the collections. This is to avoid circumstances where proposed research, WGNHS collections policies, and sample availability are not aligned.
The facility fee for visiting MHREC is charged in 4-hour increments. Note that visits must be scheduled ahead of time, and drop-in visits are NOT possible. Please allow a minimum of 1 to 2 weeks for scheduling. Drop-in visits are NOT possible. Please email the WGNHS Curator, Carsyn Ames, to coordinate your visit: carsyn.ames@wisc.edu. Fees for visiting MHREC are listed below.
Researchers should review relevant WGNHS curation policies before scheduling a visit to ensure their goals align with all policies. Before any visit to sub-sample WGNHS collections for destructive methods, please complete and submit a WGNHS Destructive Sampling Request Form for approval to carsyn.ames@wisc.edu. WGNHS requests 1 week to complete the approval process. Not all destructive sampling requests can be approved due to a variety of factors. When approved by the WGNHS Curator, researchers will be contacted to schedule their visit.
| Facility use fee¹ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of visitor | Full day (>4 hours) | Half day (<4 hours) | Explanation of charges |
| WGNHS staff and collaborators²; UW-Madison Geoscience staff | No charge | No charge | |
| UW System; WGNHS research associate | $91 | $46 | 25% of facility use fee |
| Non-UW System colleges (public, private) | $183 | $92 | 50% of facility use fee |
| Students working on thesis or dissertation³ | No charge for first 2 days (per calendar year) | For additional days, appropriate rates apply | |
| State agencies | $183 | $92 | 50% of facility use fee |
| Industry | $505 | $253 | |
| ¹Rates are calculated as a percentage of facility use fee: $350 per day, $241 per half day plus 38% to cover indirect rate. | |||
| ²Collaborators are those working on active WGNHS projects | |||
| ³Students shall be accompanied by their advisor. In cases where this is not possible, students must make special arrangements with the WGNHS Curator prior to their visit. | |||
| Equipment/service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Core boxes, staging* | $4/box |
| *We request that researchers budget time to assist with staging and reshelving core on lower shelves. | |
pXRF lab
The WGNHS pXRF lab currently houses a Thermo Fischer Niton Xl3t pXRF, and will be transitioning in summer 2026 to a new Bruker Tracer5G pXRF. The lab is capable of analyzing a variety of media including: rock cores, soil and sediment samples (dried), water well cuttings, hand samples, and other pressed medias. Results are sent to requestors as raw data in excel files, including results of reference materials. WGNHS uses the following suite of certified reference materials:
- SiO2 – Silica Thermo Fisher
- SRM 1d – Limestone, Argillaceous USGS
- SDO-1 – Devonian Ohio Shale USGS
- SBC-1 – Brush Creek Shale USGS
- SDC-1 – Mica Schist USGS
- GSP-1 – Granodiorite USGS
The pXRF lab charges a per-sample rate. The base rate applies to ALL analyses, regardless of the type of sample. Samples that require additional preparation (e.g. water well cuttings, or other sediment samples) are charged an additional sample-prep rate to account for expendables. Repeat analyses (duplicates, triplicates, etc.) will incur the base-rate charge per analysis, but will not be charged the sample-prep rate, regardless of sample type. Please email carsyn.ames@ wisc.edu for more information.
Note: The pXRF lab only charges for running samples; any charges that may apply for pulling samples from MHREC are charged separately.
| Internal Rate* | External Rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Rate | $9.59/sample | $14.92/sample |
| Sample Prep Rate | $2.00/sample | $3.12/sample |
| *The internal rate applies to all UW System campuses; everyone else is charged the external rate. | ||