Adrian is working with Richard Shaw at BGS to present a workshop on luminescence methods in the Applied Earth Sciences. It will be one of the formal workshops at SEG2023.
Luminescence is a powerful mineralogical tool that encodes the geochemistry and growth history of a mineral, including many in ore deposits. It can be used as a petrographic tool, exploring the distribution of defects and states of order in minerals across rocks and individual crystals, or spectroscopically, identifying the wavelength profiles and lifetimes of individual defect types. Since luminescence is an exceptionally subtle probe of composition and structural state, it is often profoundly changed during geological, including ore-forming, processes. It is also an important aspect in the identification and value of gems.
The purpose of this short course is to take participants through the fundamentals and practical applications of luminescence phenomena in mineral systems, focusing particularly on those of relevance to mineralizing and gem-forming processes. We will begin with some of the fundamentals of the process, and explore different types of excitation with their pros and cons. This includes, particularly, Ultra-Violet Fluorescence in minerals, cathodoluminescence (i.e., excitation by electron beams) as well as more unusual forms such as x-ray and ion-beam luminescence methods.
We will include flood-gun and electron-microscope hosted cathodoluminescence methods. The course will include both petrographic analysis of the data, as well as spectroscopy methods, including spectroscopic lifetime data. We will then explore the luminescence behavior of several rock-forming minerals and the geological information one can obtain from such data.
Attendees will receive certificates of participation. For more information, see the link below:
https://www.segweb.org/SEG-2023/Program/Workshops/SEG-Conference/SEG-2023/Workshops/WS01.aspx
Professor Adrian Finch 