Lithium to Uranium: A modern microanalytical SEM supporting the global energy transition, environmental monitoring, and experimental geoscience

The natural processes that shaped, and continue to control, Earth's habitability and environmental sustainability occur over a huge range of length scales. The earliest life on Earth, from which we have all evolved, were tiny single-celled microbial organisms. Deposits of minerals and metals that provide the essential components for consumer electronics extend over millimetres to hundreds of metres. The impact of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that can have significant societal implications are felt over 100s to 1000s of kilometres. Mantle convection, which drives the motion of the tectonic plates and has modulated our atmospheric composition over Earth's history occurs on a whole Earth scale. Additionally, as the influence of society on the natural environment becomes increasingly apparent, now more than ever before it is critical that we effectively monitor and remediate our impacts on the natural world. Studying and understanding these processes requires the ability to quantify the major and trace element composition, mineralogy, and texture of natural and anthropogenic materials. This proposal will provide a unique microscope capable of performing all of these analyses simultaneously, enabling us to answer some of the most significant and societally relevant scientific questions in the NERC domain, e.g.: What are the causes behind climate change (both today and in the distant past)? Where will we find the resources needed for the transition to net zero? Can we reduce the environmental impact of global mining activities? Why is ice at the poles retreating so quickly? Can we trace environmental pollutants (e.g. microplastics and mine waste) such that their impacts can be effectively remediated? Can we better quantify earthquake and volcanic hazards to protect society? The requested microscope has two brand new capabilities, both of which expand the frontiers of environmental research in the UK. Firstly, it will have the ability to detect and measure the presence of lithium (and other light elements). This is revolutionary because as a critical component of many green technological devices it is predicted that the demand for Li will increase by more than 4200% by 2020 (IEA, 2021). There is no alternative way to study the spatial distribution of Li in environmental samples without access to expensive national facilities, so it really is an key upgrade. Secondly, the microscope will be equipped with an X-ray fluorescence system which allows trace element concentrations to be rapidly and accurately quantified. Whilst they are only present in tiny amounts, the presence and relative abundance of such trace elements is diagnostic for the occurrence of natural processes (such as ancient temperature fluctuations) and anthropogenic impacts (e.g. environmental contamination). Again, there is no other method available to spatially quantify trace elements (without sample destruction) in university laboratories. In addition to these brand-new capabilities, the microscope will also be equipped with significantly upgraded abilities (compared with other UK facilities) to map samples chemistry and texture at over centimetre-sized samples regions. Hosted at UCL, it will be perfectly situated to study ice samples synthesised in unique cold room facilities, to complement equipment investigating earthquake hazard during rock deformation, support world-leading environmental geochemistry research and be near enough to support analyses of planetary materials within the Natural History Museum's collections. Furthermore, based in London, it will be easily accessible to researchers from across the wider university and industrial research sectors.