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
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).
Hessam Shahbazi et al., Resiliency, morphology, and entropic transformations in high-entropy oxide nanoribbons. Science 388, 950-956 (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adr5604
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).
E L Anquillare et al, An unexpectedly shrunken bandgap in V2O5 nanoparticles, 2025, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 37 235302 DOI 10.1088/1361-648X/add63c
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
Jiayi Li, Jan Hofmann, Robert M. Stolz, Jiajia Wen, Christina R. Deschene, Hannah Bartels, Zhenxian Liu, Alberto Salleo, Yu Lin, Karena W. Chapman, and Hemamala I. KarunadasaJournal of the American Chemical Society 2025 147 (22), 19026-19038DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c03696
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
Free Virtual Tutorial
Earth & Environmental Science Applications of X-ray Spectromicroscopy for New Users
Latest Happenings
ESRP 2025 – GSECARS hosted students from East Aurora High School
GSECARS hosted students from East Aurora High School as part of ANL’s Exemplary Student Research Program (ESRP). The students studied local air pollution as measured by passive air samples in Aurora, Illinois, by using the GSECARS Scanning Electron Microscope. Argonne – Exemplary Student Research Program
SEES Town Hall at AGU
SEES Principal Investigator Andy Campbell and members of the Executive Committee shared updates from SEES-supported beamlines at a town hall event at the American Geophysical Union’s annual conference in Washington, DC.