9317213 Oreskes This award provides partial funding for the acquisition of a cathodoluminescence (CL) microscope system to be installed and operated in the Department of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College. The institution is committed to providing the remaining funds needed for the purchase of the equipment. The CL technique allows very sensitive detection of multiple phases of crystal growth when viewing minerals under the microscope (various types and concentrations of impurities and other defects cause characteristic luminescence under electron bombardment). The CL equipment will be used by researchers at Dartmouth who will apply the technique to identify growth phases of ore minerals and interpret the geochemical processes leading to ore formation. ***
