X-Ray Powder Diffraction in Geology

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X-ray diffraction has long been a standard technique for mineral identification. Improvements in modern instruments and major advances in the versatility of software have expanded the potential uses of X-ray diffractometers (XRDs) to include undergraduate instruction and student research in a variety of geological topics. This project involves acquisition of an XRD and enhancement of research opportunities for undergraduates. This project allows the geology department to require senior research problems to include analytical data. Integration of data from modern laboratory instruments with theory and field observations is essential because analytical instrumentation has become fundamental to the current practice of geoscience. The XRD is a major component of the Mineralogy and Petrology course sequence required of all geology majors, and essential applications of XRD are being introduced to undergraduates in other courses.