Applications of Electron Microbeam Analysis in the Earth Sciences

 Naturally formed geological materials are not constrained in the number of elements which may be present and a wide range of concentrations can be expected. Oxides are a frequent component and water may be present. The particular problems posed for quantitative analysis in some representative applications are described and solutions suggested. Critical testing of the results for consistency with mineral formulae and for repeatability provides confidence in those results. Examples of applications of quantitative analysis of minerals are used to show the variety of problems encountered in electron microbeam analysis and how the analytical results can be used to determine the conditions (time, pressure, temperature) of the minerals or the rocks in which they occur.