The Geophysical Institute was established by an Act of Congress in 1946 and has earned an international reputation for studying the earth and its physical environment at high latitudes and training students in related disciplines. It is one of the few institutes in the country where scientists study a whole spectrum of geophysical processes ranging from the center of the earth to the center of the sun and beyond.

A large part of the success of the Institute is attributable to the support staff and their expert services including machine and electronic shops, a research library, and laboratories.