This course focuses on the use of spectroscopic methods to obtain geological information related to, for example, minerals and rocks, mineralised and geothermal systems, soils and other natural materials. It is designed for students with a solid understanding of Earth Sciences who wish to use state-of-the-art spectroscopic methods to analyse the mineral content and texture of samples.
The course will cover the interaction of matter with electromagnetic radiation of different wavelength ranges (e.g. visible, near- & short-wave infrared, as well as long-wave infrared). The students will be involved in laboratory measurements with various imaging and non-imaging spectroscopic instruments, and compare and contrast the results with those from other mineralogical and geochemical analytical methods.
The course further contains a component on statistical data processing and (semi-) quantitative spectral modelling techniques derived from current research. These analytical techniques will lead to information on the mineralogy and mineral chemistry of samples, as well as Earth surface parameters. The students will experiment with, validate and compare multiple approaches, investigate their assumptions and limitations, and critically evaluate their suitability to solve Earth science problems.