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
Characterisation of mineral forms of arsenic in garden soils from a historic gold mining region
Sean McHale, Heather E. Jamieson, Michael J. Palmer, Iris Koch, Characterisation of mineral forms of arsenic in garden soils from a historic gold mining region, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 975, 2025, 179275, ISSN 0048-9697, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179275.
Unusual sulfide-rich magmatic apatite crystals from >2.7 Ga Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada
Meng, Xuyang, David R. Mole, Adam C. Simon, Jingwen Mao, Daniel J. Kontak, Pedro J. Jugo, and Jackie M. Kleinsasser. “Unusual sulfide-rich magmatic apatite crystals from > 2.7 Ga Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada.” American Mineralogist 110, no. 4 (2025): 622-629.
High-Pressure Phase Transition of Metastable Wurtzite-Like CuInSe2 Nanocrystals
Shinhyo Bang, Juejing Liu, Bipeng Wang, Carlos Mora Perez, Ting-Ran Liu, Kyle D. Crans, Zhaohong Sun, Andrew Strzelecki, Oleg V. Prezhdo, Yu-Tsun Shao, Xiaofeng Guo, and Richard L. Brutchey, High-Pressure Phase Transition of Metastable Wurtzite-Like CuInSe2 Nanocrystals, Chemistry of Materials Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c00152
Magnetic compressibility of layered ferromagnet under pressure
Matt Boswell, Cheng Peng, Wenli Bi, Antonio F. Moreira dos Santos, Weiwei Xie; Magnetic compressibility of layered ferromagnet under pressure. J. Appl. Phys. 21 March 2025; 137 (11): 115906. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0253878
Pressure-Induced Phase Transitions in Bismutotantalite (BiTaO4): Insights from Single-Crystal Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy
Luying Wang, Dongzhou Zhang, Maining Ma, Yi Zhou, Jingui Xu, Dawei Fan, and Wenge Zhou, Pressure-Induced Phase Transitions in Bismutotantalite (BiTaO4): Insights from Single-Crystal Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy, Inorganic Chemistry Article ASAP. DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5c00260
Low-symmetry polymorph of GaP upends bonding paradigms of metallic high-pressure III-V compounds
Barbara Lavina, Enrique Zanardi, Andrés Mujica, Hyunchae Cynn, Yue Meng, Vitali Prakapenka, Jesse S. Smith, Low-symmetry polymorph of GaP upends bonding paradigms of metallic high-pressure III-V compounds, Materials Today Physics, 2025, 101686, ISSN 2542-5293, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtphys.2025.101686.
Science Highlights
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
Research at GSE after APS-U featured in ANL Highlight
A new era of research comes into focus as the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade nears completion, GSE scientists anticipate the experimental possibilities.
Mark Rivers at the APS All-Hands Meeting
GSE scientist Mark Rivers presented Beamline Commissioning at Sector 13 at the APS All-Hands Meeting.
Matt Newville spoke at IIT
GSE scientist Matt Newville spoke at IIT concerning X-ray Microprobe Opportunities at APS.
“P”ushing It All the Way at XFM
The first real test of P K-edge XANES, the VERY BOTTOM of their energy range (2.1 keV)!