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
Structure and Superconductivity of Hydrogenated TiZr Alloys UnderHigh Pressure
Bin Li, Young Jay Ryu, Dongzhou Zhang, Dohyun Kim, Sooyeon Hwang, and Jaeyong Kim, Structure and Superconductivity of Hydrogenated TiZr Alloys Under High Pressure, ACS Applied Energy Materials Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.4c02632
Synthesis, structure, and stability of a novel 2H-azirine under pressure
Alexa Cabrera, Fatemah Safari, Ravhi Kumar, Haoran Zhu, Muhtar Ahart, Zhenxian Liu, Tom G. Driver, Russell J. Hemley, Synthesis, structure, and...
Thermoelastic Properties of Iron‐Rich Ringwoodite and the Deep Mantle Aerotherm of Mars
Wang, F., Bausch, H. J., Gardner, L. L.,Zhang, D., Armstrong, K., Bell, A. S., et al.(2025). Thermoelastic properties of iron‐rich ringwoodite and the deep mantleaerotherm of Mars. Geophysical ResearchLetters, 52, e2024GL109666. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109666
Helium Incorporation into Scandium Fluoride, a Model Negative Thermal Expansion Material
Shangye Ma, Samuel J. Baxter, Changyong Park, Stella Chariton, Antonio M. dos Santos, Jamie J. Molaison, and Angus P. Wilkinson, Helium Incorporation into Scandium Fluoride, a Model Negative Thermal Expansion Material, Chemistry of Materials Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c03329
Double-core nanothread formation from α-furil via a pressure-induced planarization pathway
Dunning, Samuel G., Anirudh Hari, Li Zhu, Bo Chen, George D. Cody, Sebastiano Romi, Dongzhou Zhang, and Timothy A. Strobel. “Double-core nanothread formation from α-furil via a pressure-induced planarization pathway.” Chemical Science (2025). DOI: 10.1039/D4SC07412B
High Pressure Synthesis of Pr2O5 – A Unique Lanthanoid(IV) Oxide Peroxide
N. T. Flosbach, L. Brüning, P. L. Jurzick, E. Bykova, M. Ekholm, I. A. Abrikosov, M. Amirabbasi, M. Mezouar, B. Wehinger, N. Giordano, T. Fedotenko, V. Prakapenka, S. Chariton, M. S. Wickleder, M. Bykov, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, e202422929. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202422929
Science Highlights
U and Th zonation in apatite observed by synchrotron X-ray fluorescence tomography and implications for the (U–Th) ∕ He system
U and Th zonation in apatite observed by synchrotron X–ray fluorescence tomography and implications for the (U–Th)/He system...
Phase transition kinetics of superionic H2O ice phases revealed by Megahertz X-ray free-electron laser-heating experiments
Husband, R.J., Liermann, H.P., McHardy, J.D. et al. Phase transition kinetics of superionic H2O ice phases revealed by Megahertz X-ray free-electron laser-heating experiments. Nat Commun 15, 8256 (2024).
Structure and transport properties of FeS at planetary core conditions
E. Edmund, T. Bi, Z.M. Geballe, K. Brugman, J.-F. Lin, S. Chariton, V.B. Prakapenka, J. Minár, R.E. Cohen, A.F. Goncharov, Structure and transport properties of FeS at planetary core conditions, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 646, 2024, 118959, ISSN 0012-821X
Compressional and shear wave velocities of Fe-bearing silicate post-perovskite in Earth’s lowermost mantle
Jing Yang, Suyu Fu, Jin Liu, Jung-Fu Lin, Compressional and shear wave velocities of Fe-bearing silicate post-perovskite in Earth’s lowermost mantle, Geoscience Frontiers, 2024, 101915, ISSN 1674-9871
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.
Uranium oxidation states in zircon and other accessory phases
Shane K. Houchin, François L.H. Tissot, Mauricio Ibañez-Mejia, Matthew Newville, Antonio Lanzirotti, Frank Pavia, George Rossman, Uranium oxidation states in zircon and other accessory phases, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2024, ISSN 0016-7037
Latest Happenings
Andy Campbell talks at “New Opportunities and Developments in SEES”.
https://uic.zoom.us/j/99098590328?pwd=Qkxia2ROdXVvSHRNUGdNaHN1Wjlodz09
Young scientists attend the 3rd South Science Festival
Children of GSE scientists, Vida and Peter, had a blast learning about science at the South Science Festival, which hosted over 4,500 local attendees.
SEES Booth at GSA Conference
SEES had an exhibition booth at the GSA conference in Anaheim this year. Joanne Stubbs (Beamline...
South Side Science Festival 2024
GSE scientists Tim Officer and Stella Chariton get ready for the South Side Science Festival, Oct 5th