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
Events Calendar
Recent Publications
Li et al, High-pressure structural behavior of silicon telluride Si2Te3 nanoplates, 2025, Phys. Rev. B 111, 144110 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.111.144110
Janice L. Musfeldt, Sobhit Singh, Kevin A. Smith, Xianghan Xu, Sang-Wook Cheong, Zhenxian Liu, David Vanderbilt, Karin M. Rabe, Pressure-Driven Polar Orthorhombic to Tetragonal Phase Transition in Hafnia at Room Temperature. Chem. Mater. (2025). [doi: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c02596]
A. Cabrera, F. Safari, R. Kumar, H. Zhu, M. Ahart, Z. Liu, T. G. Driver and H. Russell J. “Synthesis, Structure, and Stability of a Novel 2H-Azirine Under Pressure.” CrystEngComm, 2025, DOI: 10.1039/D4CE00937A.
Alexa Cabrera, Fatemah Safari, Ravhi Kumar, Haoran Zhu, Muhtar Ahart, Zhenxian Liu, Tom G. Driver, Russell J. Hemley, Synthesis, structure, and stability of a novel 2H-azirine under pressure. CrystEngComm (2025). [doi: 10.1039/D4CE00937A]
Sicheng Wang, Peter E. VanNatta, Bin Wang, Zhenxian Liu, Abdullah M. Al‐Enizi, Ayman Nafady, Shengqian Ma, Hao Yan, Pressure‐Modulated Luminescence Enhancement and Quenching in a Hydrogen‐Bonded Organic Framework. Small (2025). [doi: 10.1002/SMLL.202411362]
O. B. Ball, R. J. Husband, J. D. McHardy, M. I. McMahon, C. Strohm, Z. Konôpková, K. Appel, V. Cerantola, A. L. Coleman, H. Cynn, A. Dwivedi, A. F. Goncharov, H. Graafsma, L. Q. Huston, H. Hwang, J. Kaa, J.-Y. Kim, E. Koemets, T. Laurus, X. Li, H. Marquardt, A.
Science Highlights
Equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between olivine, pyroxene, spinel and MORB glass: Implications for mantle partial melting to generate MORBs
Nie, Nicole X., Anat Shahar, Peng Ni, Richard W. Carlson, Steven B. Shirey, Corliss K. Sio, Justin Y. Hu et al. “Equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between olivine, pyroxene, spinel and MORB glass: Implications for mantle partial melting to generate MORBs.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (2025).
Resiliency, morphology, and entropic transformations in high-entropy oxide nanoribbons
Hessam Shahbazi et al., Resiliency, morphology, and entropic transformations in high-entropy oxide nanoribbons. Science 388, 950-956 (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adr5604
Direct observations of transient weakening during phase transformations in quartz and olivine
Cross, A.J., Goddard, R.M., Kumamoto, K.M. et al. Direct observations of transient weakening during phase transformations in quartz and olivine. Nat. Geosci. 18, 548–554 (2025).
The origin of vertebrate teeth and evolution of sensory exoskeletons
Haridy, Y., Norris, S.C.P., Fabbri, M. et al. The origin of vertebrate teeth and evolution of sensory exoskeletons. Nature 642, 119–124 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08944-w Link to Article | Link to UChicago News</please let >
Deformation of Hydrous Phases Egg [AlSiO3(OH)], δ [AlO(OH)] and Stishovite [Si1-nH4nO2] Relevant to Anisotropy of the Earth’s Mantle
Kattemalavadi, A., Devoe, M., & Wenk, H.-R. (2025). Deformation of hydrous phases Egg [AlSiO3(OH)], δ [AlO(OH)] and stishovite [Si1-nH4nO2] relevant to anisotropy of the Earth’s mantle. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 130, e2025JB031362. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JB031362
Volatiles and Redox Along the East African Rift
Brounce, M., Scoggins, S., Fischer, T. P., Ford, H., & Byrnes, J. (2024). Volatiles and redox along the East African Rift. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 25, e2024GC011657.
Workshops
Upcoming New Soft X-ray Nanoscale Imaging and Spectromicroscopy Capabilities at NSLS-II
The Soft X-ray Nanoprobe (SXN) beamline, a new beamline under construction at NSLS-II, will offer researchers state-of-the-art soft X-ray nano-imaging and spectroscopy capabilities with world-leading coherent high photon flux in the energy range from 250 eV – 2500 eV. This two half-day workshop aims to bring experienced X-ray microscopy users,
Latest Happenings
SEES Booth at AGU Conference
SEES will have an exhibition booth at the AGU conference in Washington, DC. If you are planning to attend, please stop by Booth #146 to say hello and grab some SEES swag. For a list of presentations featuring SEES staff as authors/co-authors, please see the schedule here: SEES@AGU.
SEES Town Hall 2024
SEES Town Hall on FAIR Data Sharing Policies and Updates on APS and ALS upgrades Date & TimeWednesday Nov 6, 2024 at 3 PM CST At this Town Hall, SEES presented and discussed the results of a survey conducted by the SEES User Group on FAIR data sharing and invited