EA: Acquisition of a Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope for Washington and Lee University

Geoscientists study the Earth, seeking to understand its physical and chemical properties and to reconstruct its long and complex history. This grant provides funds for scientists at Washington & Lee University to acquire a Raman spectrometer for geoscientific investigation. This equipment will be used to address important scientific and societally relevant questions, such as: Why do volcanoes erupt? What controls the chemical behavior of critical metals? How does Earth’s crust evolve during mountain building? Furthermore, this instrument will support the education of students at Washington & Lee University through coursework and undergraduate research, better preparing the future geoscience workforce. This grant facilitates acquisition of a confocal Raman imaging microscope (CRIM) for faculty and students in the Department of Earth and Environmental Geoscience. Raman spectroscopy is an in-situ, non-destructive technique that allows for rapid, high spatial resolution acquisition of structural information on materials such as minerals, glasses, and dissolved liquids and gases. The new CRIM will be capable of both high spatial (< 1 μm) and spectral (< 1.5 cm-1) resolution single point analyses as well as sample-wide hyperspectral maps in 2D and 3D. This instrument will enhance a wide range of research projects, including investigations into the composition and fate of magmas by characterizing melt inclusions, studies of the composition of minerals relevant to pressing environmental concerns, and quantifying metamorphic temperatures in deformed terrains. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.