SEES: Synchrotron Earth and Environmental Science
Management and Operation of Synchrotron-Hosted Analytical Facilities for Earth Sciences
Overview
The mission of SEES (Synchrotron Earth and Environmental Science) is to advance research and education in synchrotron-based Earth and environmental science to better understand our planet from the atmosphere to the core, to address societally relevant problems, and to train the next generation of scientists. SEES will manage, operate, and enhance multiple user facilities hosted at four DOE-operated US synchrotrons: Advanced Photon Source (APS), Advanced Light Source (ALS), National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), and Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL). Experienced personnel and state-of-the-art instrumentation form the core of world-class facilities for Earth and environmental scientists, and users gain access via peer-reviewed beamtime proposals. SEES is to be managed with community input via an independent Users Group with additional advice from an External Advisory Committee.
Synchrotron facilities provide tools of major and growing importance for material property research in the Earth sciences. The tunability, brilliance, and collimation of synchrotron X-rays provide unique capabilities for probing the structural, chemical, and physical properties of many types of geological materials. Synchrotron facilities in the US operated by the Department of Energy facilitate the research of hundreds of geoscientists each year, including many undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs.
The National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences has for many years supported a portfolio of synchrotron beamlines and related support facilities and organizations. These included the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences (COMPRES) and GeoSoilEnviroCARS (GSECARS). On September 1, 2023, SEES became the single point of management for these NSF-supported facilities, continuing all operations of GSECARS and former COMPRES beamlines while also providing new and expanded support for beamlines highlighting applications in environmental science, low temperature geochemistry, and rock deformation studies. The integration of the beamline operations into a single organization will improve the user experience and optimize development of these user facilities.
To learn more, please visit the SEES website
Links of Interest
Who We Are
Latest News, Announcements, and Workshops
A detailed timeline of activities, events, and more can be found here
(PDF, updated 2/7/22).
Advances in Synchrotron-Based Research Towards Understanding the Structure, Evolution, and Dynamics of Earth and Planetary Interiors
We have hosted a virtual workshop to address future opportunities to advance geomaterials research at high pressures, temperatures, and strain rates.
Update on NSF Solicitation for New Geoscience Synchrotron Organization
At the COMPRES annual meeting, Thomas Duffy presented an update on the NSF Solicitation for New Geoscience Synchrotron Organization.
COMPRES Large Volume Multi-Anvil Press Meeting
The COMPRES community met over Zoom to discuss options and plans for supporting a “Large Volume Multi-Anvil Press User Facility” (LVMAP) in the United States.