Application of LIBS to Terrestrial Geological Research

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a convenient, versatile, and reliable form of optical atomic spectrometry that can be applied to material compositional interrogation and has a persuasive set of advantages that make it ideally suited for the chemical analysis in the field. LIBS analysis is useful for quantitative elemental analysis in minerals because emission spectral line intensity is proportional to concentration. Bulk analysis of coarse-grained rocks is often difficult, but LIBS has shown to be straightforward and effective for the quantitative analysis of fine-grained sedimentary rocks and their metamorphic equivalents such as, limestones/marbles and shales/slates, as well as metamorphic hornfels and other such rocks. The versatility of LIBS is highlighted by its capability for the determination of a rock's physical properties. Detection of rare-earth elements (REEs) by LIBS can be difficult both because of the generally low content of REEs in most geomaterials and due to significant spectral interferences.