The mission of SEES (Synchrotron Earth and Environmental Science) is to advance research and education in synchrotron-based Earth and environmental science to better understand our planet from the atmosphere to the core, to address societally relevant problems, and to train the next generation of scientists. SEES is responsible for the management, operation, and development of multiple user facilities hosted at four DOE-operated US synchrotrons: Advanced Photon Source (APS), Advanced Light Source (ALS), National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), and Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL).
Facility Status and Upcoming Proposal Deadlines
Workshops
2026 Soft and Tender X-ray Synchrotron Imaging and Spectroscopy Workshop
We are excited to announce the 2026 West Coast Soft and Tender X-ray Synchrotron Imaging and Spectroscopy Workshop for Earth and Environmental Sciences, which will be held at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource on November 17–19, 2026. Over three days, beamline scientists from the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and Stanford
Events Calendar
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Sun, Oct 11 - Wed, Oct 14
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Mon, Oct 12 - Fri, Oct 23
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Wed, Oct 21
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Tue, Nov 17 - Thu, Nov 19
Science Highlights
Variable redox states of sulfur in porphyry copper–fertile arc magmas
Xuyang Meng, Adam C. Simon, Jingwen Mao, Brian A. Konecke, Kouki Kitajima, and Owen K. Neill. Sci. Adv. 12 (36), eaed1386 (2026). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aed1386
High-pressure structure-property relations of oP32-Ge
Barbara Lavina, Muhtar Ahart, Zhenxian Liu, Jesse S. Smith, Liangzi Deng, Arnold M. Guloy, Zhongjia Tang, Ching-Wu Chu, Yuki Sakai, James R. Chelikowsky, Marvin L. Cohen, and Russell J. Hemley. Phys. Rev. B 113, 224115 (2026). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/m19t-5gt6
CaSiO3 Glass Under Pressure: Structural Evolution, Elastic Response, and Comparison with MgSiO3 and SiO2 Glasses
Ryu, Young Jay, Yanbin Wang, Tony Yu, Vitali B. Prakapenka, Stella Chariton, Peter Eng, Joanne E. Stubbs et al. American Mineralogist (2026), DOI : 10.2138/am-2026-10220
A laser heating diamond anvil cell system for high-pressure nuclear resonant scattering at 3-ID, APS
Cijin Zhou, Barbara Lavina, Thomas S. Toellner, Vitali B. Prakapenka, Stella Chariton, Dongzhou Zhang, Mark L. Rivers, Wolfgang Sturhahn, Jennifer M. Jackson, Jiyong Zhao. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1 September 2026; 97 (9): 093901. DOI: 10.1063/5.0338437
Events & Outreach
SEES at the Bay Area Light Sources Joint Users’ Meeting
On September 20, SEES hosted a workshop at the Bay Area Light Sources Joint Users’ Meeting at SLAC. The session, Synchrotron X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopic Capabilities for Earth and Environmental Samples, included talks on both beamline capabilities and research applications, showing how combining soft, tender, and hard X-ray techniques at
Snapshots from the 2026 SEES-FORCE Joint Meeting
Thanks to everyone who joined us at the University of Chicago on August 10-12 for the 2026 SEES-FORCE Joint Meeting! We had a series of talks, two poster sessions, several discussions (including one on FAIR data management), and a tour of the SEES facilities at Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source. It