About the NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility

The GEF forms part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Scientific support and Facilities portfolio. We support high-quality, peer reviewed projects across a broad spectrum of earth and environmental sciences by provision of internationally-recognised, state-of-the-art geophysical instrumentation for marine and land-based field experiments.

The GEF consists of three nodes:-

and is guided by the NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility Steering Committee (GEFSC).

History of the Steering Committee

1989

The Geomagnetic Equipment Pool and the Seismic Equipment Pool combine to form the Geophysical Equipment Pool Management Committee (GEPMC).

2003

Seis-UK is added as a node to the Geophysical Equipment Pool and the committee is renamed to the Geophysical Equipment Facility Steering Committee (GEFSC).

2007

The Ocean Bottom Instrument Facility (OBIF) is added as a third node.

2013/14

The management of the GEF is transferred, along with other facilities, from the NERC Swindon Office to the British Geological Survey (BGS). The committee combines with the BIGF and SGF to become the NERC Geophysics and Geodesy Facilities Steering Committee (NGGFSC).

2018

The BIGF and SGF are removed from the remit of the committee which again becomes the Geophysical Equipment Facility Steering Committee (GEFSC).

Useful Links

Manufacturers and Suppliers to the GEF

Other NERC Facilities

Data Archiving