In the 1950's, as seismologists began to assemble detailed elastic velocity versus depth models of the Earth, the subject of the physical properties of minerals at the high pressure and high temperatures of the Earth's interior began to receive considerable attention. This area of geophysics research, now called mineral physics, has historically been concerned with supplying information on mineral properties to allow the seismic velocity versus depth profiles in the Earth to be interpreted in terms of composition, mineral structure, and temperature. Experimental methods that can be applied to this problem include both static compression and dynamic (or shock) compression.

In 1967, the late Professor Tom Ahrens established a laboratory to study the dynamic compression of minerals. The lab moved to its present home on the main Caltech campus in 1974 with the help of a gift from Helen and Roland Lindhurst. The main facilities include two large guns, able to accelerate projectiles to ~7.5 km/s, and a variety of diagnostic tools to observe the interactions that result when the projectiles hit stationary targets.

Measurements of the velocity of projectiles and of the passage of shock waves through material, as well as the radiant temperature of shock-heated material, allows us to study the thermodynamics and phase relations of minerals and melts under deep planetary conditions. The shock wave measurement of equations of state (that is, the functional relationship among pressure, density, and temperature) is fundamental to Earth science because pressure is known as an absolute quantity in shock wave experiments, and forms the basis for calibrating all the solid medium pressure markers used in static experiments.

Under Prof. Ahrens, research included both terrestrial and planetary applications, moving beyond equation of state studies to include the effects of shock deformation on minerals and rocks, shock pressure-induced phase changes, the energetics and geometry of impact cratering, and collisions with cosmic dust and planetary ring material. Prof. Ahrens retired in 2006 and passed away in 2010. Leadership of the lab was taken over by Professor Paul Asimow, who has moved the research into a stronger focus on melting and deep Earth processes.

Over the years many students, postdocs, and visitors have trained or conducted collaborative experiments in the lab. Many of these former denizens are now leaders in mineral physics throughout the world.