The Department of Earth Science, University of Northern Iowa, will expand and broaden opportunities for undergraduate projects and research by the acquisition of equipment for fluorescence microscopy. Although widely used in the biological and medical fields, fluorescence microscopy has received only limited use in the geosciences. Recent studies, however, document the value of fluorescence microscopy in recognizing depositional textures in dolomitized and recrystallized carbonate rocks. Acquisition of a research-quality petrographic microscope, equipped for fluorescence studies and photography, will open up new fields of investigation at the institution. Undergraduate students will be able to systematically tackle questions dealing with the environment of deposition of the dolomitized strata which are so abundant in the state. Geology students enrolled in stratigraphy and sedimentation will be introduced to fluorescence microscopy. Subsequently, interested students will utilize fluorescence microscopy further in undergraduate research projects designed to decipher the depositional history of dolomitized strata. Undergraduate research is a requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree. In addition, a number of Bachelor of Arts majors select undergraduate research as an elective in their programs. The University will match the award with an equal amount of funds.
