Facilities

1 MW 5-cm (C-band) simultaneous dual-polarization Doppler radar, located on the west side of campus, is used for student research and coursework.

The weather observation deck, adjacent to the weather center and meteorology classrooms, offers an unobstructed view of the southern and western horizon. From the observation deck and the windows in the Weather Center, it is possible to observe all 360 degrees of the sky from the second floor of Kallay-Christopher Hall.

Portable and fixed InterMet Radiosonde systems track weather balloon radiosondes and retrieve the atmospheric data in real time. Students launch weather balloons from the weather observation deck and in the field. Used for coursework and student research, the sounding data can be found on the Valpo Meteorology Online Weather Center.

A Dodge Ram crew cab pickup, used during summer storm chases, is outfitted with a variety of instrumentation during field studies, including a mobile weather balloon launching system and Kestrel hand-held weather sensors. iPads provided through a generous GoFundMe initiative also provide vehicles in the convective summer field study with a mobile computer platform.

Located in Schnabel Hall, which is connected to Kallay-Christopher Hall by a glass walkway, the Weather Studio outfitted with WSI TruVu software emulates the environment of many professional broadcast studios. The Weather Studio gives meteorology students the opportunity to learn the technical aspects as well as the art of TV weather broadcasting. Check out student broadcasts on ValpoVUTV here!

Located on the west side of Kallay-Christopher Hall, the Valparaiso University Ozone Garden started in April 2025 allows students to monitor the effects of surface (or tropospheric) ozone. Part of the broader efforts across the country of the collective National Ozone Garden Network, student researchers analyze ozone concentration data and track the health of plants in the garden, which show visual signs of high levels of surface ozone. While we often recognize ozone as an integral part of Earth’s upper atmosphere, surface ozone is a serious pollution concern. This garden provides a great space for students to unwind in, conduct research, and learn more about the impact of pollutants on our health and the environment.

This drone allows us not only to engage in high-resolution aerial mapping, but the imagery extending into the near infrared allows us to easily determine vegetation health as well as other remote sensing spectral-based analyses. Students who obtain a remote pilot certificate from the FAA can fly the drone during various courses and field projects.

Our department van enables us free regional travel for fieldwork and courses like the 5-day Process Geomorphology Trip, where students explore caves and other geographical features during Fall Break. The van also allows for easy travel to conferences and events for student engagement in the profession.

The map collection located on the first floor of the Christopher Center includes maps from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, CIA, and Departments of Agriculture and Interior. The collection also contains National Geographic maps and maps of cities in Indiana, the United States, and the world.

Located in the map cabinets in the downstairs lab, the departmental map collection includes selected USGS topographic maps for all 50 states.

Tools of the trade for geography field work, students benefit from a variety of instrumentation, including:

• Horiba Particle Analyzer
• Fluxgate Gradiometers
• Trimble GeoXM GPS portable unit and field antenna
• Trimble Juno GPS handheld units
• Garmin GPSMAP 62st handheld units
• DeLorme Earthmate PN-60 handheld units
• GarminMap 76S handheld units

Along with the Bart J. Wolf Weather Center on the second floor of Kallay-Christopher Hall, another dedicated study space for students is located on the first floor. This area provides a welcoming environment for students, with computers to use and a white board for study review. This space also looks out on the department’s Ozone Garden.

The first floor lobby of Kallay-Christopher Hall provides a pleasant meeting and study space for students and visitors, with café tables for a quick lunch or study space, comfortable chairs and couch for a group discussion area, and real-time weather and model data updated on wall-mounted monitors. Around the corner at the northeast entrance, a GeoChron tracks the global daylight coverage through the year.

Located on the first floor of Kallay-Christopher Hall, the conference room is perfect for small class discussions, department meetings, student executive board sessions, and quiet study.