About GSECARS

GSECARS (GeoSoilEnviroCARS) is a national scientific facility located at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. A division of the University of Chicago’s Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, GSECARS provides cutting-edge synchrotron X-ray capabilities to support research in geosciences, planetary sciences, soil and environmental sciences, and related fields. We operate five state-of-the-art X-ray stations (beamlines) at APS Sector 13, providing capabilities for X-ray microprobe and spectroscopy, interface, surface and powder diffraction, high pressure and temperature diamond anvil cell and large volume press studies, and X-ray computed microtomography. This allows our visiting scientists to study the structure, chemistry, and behavior of Earth materials from the atomic and molecular level to macroscopic materials while at extreme pressures and temperatures similar to what is found deep within the Earth.

Research conducted at GSECARS seeks to address a broad variety of critical scientific challenges. Just a few examples include expanding our understanding the Earth’s deep interior, tracing the movement of contaminants and nutrients in soil and water, characterizing natural resources for exploration and developing enhanced recovery technologies, studying the distribution and cycling of chemical elements in the continental and oceanic crusts, in our oceans, and in the atmosphere, and understanding the chemical and mineralogical evolution of our solar system, including the Moon, other planetary bodies, asteroids and comets. Many other examples exist.

GSECARS operates as an open, proposal-driven facility, funded primarily by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Synchrotron Earth and Environmental Science (SEES) initiative, with supplementary support from Department of Energy Geosciences and NASA Planetary Sciences.