Enhancing the Geology Curriculum by Incorporating Cathodoluminescence Microscopy into Courses and Student Projects

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For an enhanced geology curriculum, students need more engaging methods of learning. The primary goal of this project is the development of hands-on experiences that link geology and chemistry. Many geology students work on projects in which they determine the chemistry of natural waters, but the department has no instruments with which to do the same using rocks. Thus, students are able only to hear about the chemistry of rocks rather than determine it themselves. A powerful tool that can help bridge the gap between petrography and rock chemistry is cathodoluminescence (CL). CL gives a clear, visual picture of trace element distributions in common minerals (e.g., Mn and Fe in calcite). Students who have gleaned all that they can from a rock by using standard microscopic observations can discover much more about the sample's geochemistry by complementing their studies with CL. In Sedimentation-Stratigraphy lab, students are identifying minerals using luminescence, observing luminescent zoning, and interpreting diagenetic histories. Students then conduct an independent class project using samples that they collect. From these exercises, students can see complexities in the rock record that they could not see using standard microscopic techniques. Geochemistry students can gain further insight into the chemical scenarios that produced these complexities through class discussions and a lab exercise. Students can continue to pursue their interest in petrography and geochemistry by applying CL analysis in Research in Geology. Project leaders can evaluate the proposed project by tracking use of the CL unit and by asking students pertinent questions on course evaluation forms concerning the impact of the instrument on their learning. At professional meetings and in educational journals, the value of using CL as a tool to provide hands-on experiences that link two disciplines can be discussed. Students can present results of research projects at local and regional professional meetings.