Denver Microbeam Laboratory
The USGS Denver Microbeam Laboratory provides critical analytical and characterization support for a wide variety of internal USGS projects and external collaborators. In addition, the lab continually works to develop new methods or improve existing methods to analyze a variety of sample matrices.
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U.S. Geological Survey and Colorado School of Mines announce long-term partnership
CSM to be new home of USGS labs, 150 government scientists
Attribution: Energy and Minerals, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Denver Microbeam Laboratory, Spectroscopy Lab
Date published: November 10, 2017
Investigating Lung Disease in Military Veterans
Six years ago, veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan had trouble breathing normally. The list of potential causes that soldiers were exposed to seemed endless: smoke from burn pits used for trash disposal, desert dust, diesel generator exhaust, humidity and temperature extremes, explosives, and city trash and sewage.
Attribution: Environmental Health, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Denver Microbeam Laboratory
Date published: October 1, 2017
New Uranium Mineral Named for USGS Scientist
Everyone's seen the news–scientists discover a new species of fly and name it for Beyonce; scientists discover a new species of monkey and auction its name off; etc. Hundreds of new species of animals, plants, and other organisms are discovered and named every year. But did you know that dozens of minerals are discovered every year too?
Attribution: Energy and Minerals, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, Southwest, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Denver Microbeam Laboratory
Method to characterize inorganic particulates in lung tissue biopsies using field emission scanning electron microscopy
Humans accumulate large numbers of inorganic particles in their lungs over a lifetime. Whether this causes or contributes to debilitating disease over a normal lifespan depends on the type and concentration of the particles. We developed and tested a protocol for in situ characterization of the types and distribution of inorganic...
Lowers, Heather A.; Breit, George N.; Strand, Matthew; Pillers, Renee M.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Todorov, Todor I.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Wolf, Ruth E.; Robinson, Maura; Parr, Jane; Miller, Robert J.; Groshong, Steve; Green, Francis; Rose, Cecile
Attribution: Data, Tools, and Technology, Environmental Health, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, United States of America, Denver Microbeam Laboratory
Heather A. Lowers, G. N. Breit, M. Strand, R. M. Pillers, G. P. Meeker, T. I. Todorov, G. S. Plumlee, R. E. Wolf, M. Robinson, J. Parr, R. Miller, S. Groshong, F. Green & C. Rose (2018) Method to characterize inorganic particulates in lung tissue biopsies using field emission scanning electron microscopy, Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, DOI: 10.1080/15376516.2018.1449042
Geochemistry and mineralogy of the Dotson Zone HREE deposit in the Bokan Mountain peralkaline igneous complex, southeastern Alaska, USA
The Bokan Mountain igneous complex (BMIC) is a typical example of a peralkaline intrusive system that has evolved to the point of developing late stage HFSE- and REE-rich silicic pegmatites and dikes. The Dotson Zone comprises a series of felsic dikes that extend from the southeast margin of the composite pluton and may represent an important...
Taylor, Cliff D.; Lowers, Heather A.; Adams, David; Robinson, R. James
Attribution: Minerals, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Mineral Resources Program, Alaska, United States of America, Denver Microbeam Laboratory
Taylor, C.D., Lowers, H.A., Adams, D.T., and Robinson, R.J., 2017, Geochemistry and mineralogy of the Dotson Zone HREE deposit in the Bokan Mountain peralkaline igneous complex, southeastern Alaska, USA. Proceedings of the 14th SGA Biennial Meeting, 20-23 August 2017, Quebec City, Canada, p. 1329-1332.
USGS Spectral Library Version 7
We have assembled a library of spectra measured with laboratory, field, and airborne spectrometers. The instruments used cover wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the far infrared (0.2 to 200 microns [μm]). Laboratory samples of specific minerals, plants, chemical compounds, and manmade materials were measured. In many cases, samples were purified...
Kokaly, Raymond F.; Clark, Roger N.; Swayze, Gregg A.; Livo, K. Eric; Hoefen, Todd M.; Pearson, Neil C.; Wise, Richard A.; Benzel, William M.; Lowers, Heather A.; Driscoll, Rhonda L.; Klein, Anna J.
Attribution: Data, Tools, and Technology, Mapping, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Data, Minerals, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Mineral Resources Program, United States of America, Denver Microbeam Laboratory, Spectroscopy Lab
Kokaly, R.F., Clark, R.N., Swayze, G.A., Livo, K.E., Hoefen, T.M., Pearson, N.C., Wise, R.A., Benzel, W.M., Lowers, H.A., Driscoll, R.L., and Klein, A.J., 2017, USGS Spectral Library Version 7: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 1035, 61 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ds1035.