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).
2025 SEES-ISRD Joint Meeting
SEES and ISRD invite you to attend our annual meeting to be held jointly at the University of Chicago on August 11-13, 2025. Keynote speakers will discuss topics in rock and mineral deformation and rheological properties in Earth, and there will be a poster session with a broad scientific focus. All SEES and ISRD researchers are welcome and encouraged to attend. Click here to learn more.
Recent Publications
Structural mechanisms of pressure-induced isosymmetric second-order phase transitions
Zhong, Qifa, Jingui Xu, Dongzhou Zhang, Shanrong Zhang, Mengzeng Wu, Hailing Gu, Yi Zhou, and Dawei Fan. “Structural mechanisms of pressure-induced isosymmetric second-order phase transitions.” American Mineralogist 110, no. 7 (2025): 1072-1081.https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-9497
Hydrogen-rich hydrate at high pressures up to 104 GPa
Goncharov, Alexander F. and Bykova, Elena and Batyrev, Iskander and Bykov, Maxim and Edmund, Eric and Karandikar, Amol and Mohammad, Mahmood and Chariton, Stella and Prakapenka, Vitali and Glazyrin, Konstantin and Mezouar, Mohamed and Garbarino, Gaston and Wright, Jonatha, Hydrogen-rich hydrate at high pressures up to 104 GPa, Phys. Rev. Mater., 2025, 9 (7): 073601. […]
La3Pd2NaO9: A High-Valent Insulating Palladate
Yang, Qingqing, Ning Guo, Tieyan Chang, Zheng Guo, Xiaoli Wang, Chuanyan Fan, Chao Liu et al. “La3Pd2NaO9: A High-Valent Insulating Palladate.” Inorganic Chemistry (2025).
Pressure-induced metallization and tetravalent antimony formation in the mixed-valent defect perovskite Cs2SbBr6
Weilong He, Guiyan Dong, Jun Zhou, Yu Liu, Boyang Fu, Feng Du, Jiangang He, Defang Duan, Weizhao Cai; Pressure-induced metallization and tetravalent antimony formation in the mixed-valent defect perovskite Cs2SbBr6. Appl. Phys. Lett. 23 June 2025; 126 (25): 252101. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0268029
Plagioclase under compression: A path to diaplectic glass and maskelynite
Xie, Tianqi, Sean R. Shieh, Stella Chariton, Mauritz van Zyl, Ricardo D. Rodriguez, Vitali B. Prakapenka, and Dongzhou Zhang. “Plagioclase under compression: A path to diaplectic glass and maskelynite.” Science Advances 11, no. 25 (2025): eadv8231.
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...
Science Highlights
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...
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...
Photochemically Induced Co-oxidation of Aqueous Manganese and Cobalt and the Formation of Cobalt-Incorporated Manganese Oxides
Zhenwei Gao, Gwan Yeong Jung, Ping-I Chou, Olaf J. Borkiewicz, Matthew Newville, Rohan Mishra, and Young-Shin Jun, Photochemically Induced Co-oxidation of Aqueous Manganese and Cobalt and the Formation of Cobalt-Incorporated Manganese Oxides, Environmental Science & Technology Article ASAP
The origin of vertebrate teeth and evolution of sensory exoskeletons
Haridy, Yara, Sam CP Norris, Matteo Fabbri, Karma Nanglu, Neelima Sharma, James F. Miller, Mark Rivers, Patrick La Riviere, Phillip Vargas, Javier Ortega-Hernandez, Neil H. Shubin, “The origin of vertebrate teeth and evolution of sensory exoskeletons.” Nature (2025): 1-6.
The origin of vertebrate teeth and evolution of sensory exoskeletons
Link to Article | Link to UChicago News Haridy, Y., Norris, S.C.P., Fabbri, M. et al. The origin of vertebrate teeth and evolution...
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...
Latest Happenings
Students from Metea Valley High School participated remotely, investigating arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of herbs in the presence of excess copper, 13 IDE, March 2025.
Synchrotron Environmental Science (SES-2025) Symposium
The Synchrotron Environmental Science (SES) Symposium will be held at Stony Brook University from...
Upcoming APS/SEES School on CONUSS/PHOENIX
Webinar: Nuclear Resonant Spectroscopy at the APS
Nuclear Resonant Spectroscopy (NRS) takes advantage of low-energy nuclear resonances found in...