Mystery Item

Our mystery item is the interior magnetic system of a magnetometer that was used in land surveys. Magnetic surveys measure the earth’s magnetic field and its variations at the topographic surface -- or above it in the case of aeromagnetic surveys. Magnetic surveys can be used in mineral exploration. This one was manufactured by Askania in the 1930's. It was donated to the GSH Museum Collection by Marathon.

This is a smoked paper recorder which was used in earthquake studies and monitoring.

It was donated by Mark Willis along with low frequency geophones also used in earthquake studies.

​The Wilson magnetometer was used mainly for regional magnetometer surveys on land. It was usually used on a plane table and included a Brunton compass. This model is from 1929 and was manufactured by Ainsworth - donated by Texaco.

Monroe Mechanical Calculator from the late 1950’s. It was used on seismic field crews as well as in the office. Donated by Gil berg.

We also have a slightly newer model from the 1960’s which is electric. Donated by Dick Conroy.

This is a Magnetometer Hut. It was used to protect a Base Unit magnetometer from the weather elements. It is from the 1930’s and was made by Ruska, and donated by Geophysical Associates International-Gravity Meter Exploration, or GAI-GMX. It is included in the GSH Museum Collection.

This is a cut-a way version of a gravity meter from the GSH museum Collection. It is from 1940 and the manufacturer was Atlas. The donor was Bible Geophysical.

​The instrument is included in the GSH Museum display at Lone Star College-North Harris County.

Light Box used with a torsion balance in the 1920’s to help with the gravity readings. It was built and donated by Humble Oil.

An Electro Magnetic Detector from the 1930s. It could also be called a geophone, a pick-up, or a seismometer.

It was probably used in seismic refraction work. This instrument was donated by Sun Oil, who was very active in the 1930’s and who donated many of our older instruments.

The Mystery Item is a Haubrich Protype Gas Gravimeter. It is part of the SEG Iverson Gravity Instrument Collection and is currently on display in the offices of Bell Geospace in Houston.

This Mystery Item is an offshore seismic detector planter - donated to the GSH Museum by Sun Oil.

An Opisometer. It is also called a map measurer and is used to measure lengths of curved or crooked lines on maps.

It could be used to measure the actual length of a curved road on topographic maps to help decide the amount of cable needed for land seismic lines that follow an existing road, or the amount of fencing needed along crooked parcels of land. It dates from the 1950’s.

A Single Trace Refraction Camera from 1930, donated by Sun Oil.