The Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA) resides within the Geophysical Institute (Elvey Building) on the West Ridge of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Geophysical Institute was established by an Act of Congress in 1946 and enjoys an international reputation for studies of the earth and its physical environment. It is one of the few research institutes in the United States where scientists study a wide spectrum of geophysical processes ranging from the center of the earth to the center of the sun and beyond.