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Minerals
Special Issues
Understanding Geological Processes through Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis
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Understanding Geological Processes through Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Crystallography and Physical Chemistry of Minerals & Nanominerals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2025 | Viewed by 7261

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Nancy Mcmillan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geological Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NW 88003, USA
Interests: LIBS analysis of earth materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has advanced from one-off instruments developed in individual laboratories to off-the-shelf instruments, including hand-held models.  The availability of LIBS instruments, the use of a variety of multivariate modeling techniques to LIBS spectra, and LIBS’ unique ability to analyze a large number of samples have led to an explosion of applications in many areas of the earth sciences.  This Special Issue aims to explore how our understanding of earth processes and resources are illuminated via LIBS analysis.

Prof. Dr. Nancy Mcmillan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • process
  • petrology
  • mineralogy
  • laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
  • petrogenesis
  • geochemistry

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2351 KiB  
Article
Rapid Determination of Ti in Quartz Using a Portable/Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Instrumentation: A Case Study on Quartz Veinlets in Hornfels from Italy
by Diego Díaz Pace, Alfredo Caggianelli, Olga De Pascale and Giorgio S. Senesi
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1257; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121257 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 874
Abstract
Recent advances in the use of portable/handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrumentation have allowed its use directly in the field. In this study, a portable/handheld LIBS demo kit was tested to detect the titanium (Ti) content in some quartz veinlets hosted by hornfels [...] Read more.
Recent advances in the use of portable/handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrumentation have allowed its use directly in the field. In this study, a portable/handheld LIBS demo kit was tested to detect the titanium (Ti) content in some quartz veinlets hosted by hornfels collected from the contact aureole of a Pliocene granite from Italy. Results of the present study demonstrate the promising potential of LIBS in the rapid detection of low and very variable Ti contents in quartz, which can be used as a preliminary test for the estimation of the temperature of quartz crystallization in the laboratory. However, to date, the limited availability of matrix-matched calibration samples, the refinement of sampling protocols, as well as the development of suitable algorithms for data processing and spectral analysis still require further investigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Geological Processes through Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis)
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Review

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35 pages, 10915 KiB  
Review
Geochemistry of Mars with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS): ChemCam, SuperCam, and MarSCoDe
by Roger C. Wiens, Agnes Cousin, Samuel M. Clegg, Olivier Gasnault, Zhaopeng Chen, Sylvestre Maurice and Rong Shu
Minerals 2025, 15(8), 882; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080882 - 21 Aug 2025
Abstract
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been used to explore the chemistry of three regions of Mars on respective missions by NASA and CNSA, with CNES contributions. All three LIBS instruments use ~100 mm diameter telescopes projecting pulsed infrared laser beams of 10–14 mJ [...] Read more.
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been used to explore the chemistry of three regions of Mars on respective missions by NASA and CNSA, with CNES contributions. All three LIBS instruments use ~100 mm diameter telescopes projecting pulsed infrared laser beams of 10–14 mJ to enable LIBS at 2–10 m distances, eliminating the need to position the rover and instrument directly onto targets. Over 1.3 million LIBS spectra have been used to provide routine compositions for eight major elements and several minor and trace elements on >3000 targets on Mars. Onboard calibration targets common to all three instruments allow careful intercomparison of results. Operating over thirteen years, ChemCam on Curiosity has explored lacustrine sediments and diagenetic features in Gale crater, which was a long-lasting (>1 My) lake during Mars’ Hesperian period. SuperCam on Perseverance is exploring the ultramafic igneous floor, fluvial–deltaic features, and the rim of Jezero crater. MarSCoDe on the Zhurong rover investigated for one year the local blocks, soils, and transverse aeolian ridges of Utopia Planitia. The pioneering work of these three stand-off LIBS instruments paves the way for future space exploration with LIBS, where advantages of light-element (H, C, N, O) quantification can be used on icy regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Geological Processes through Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis)
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41 pages, 35191 KiB  
Review
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy in Mineral Exploration and Ore Processing
by Russell S. Harmon
Minerals 2024, 14(7), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070731 - 22 Jul 2024
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5545
Abstract
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a type of optical emission spectroscopy capable of rapid, simultaneous multi-element analysis. LIBS is effective for the analysis of atmospheric gases, geological fluids, and a broad spectrum of minerals, rocks, sediments, and soils both in and outside the [...] Read more.
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a type of optical emission spectroscopy capable of rapid, simultaneous multi-element analysis. LIBS is effective for the analysis of atmospheric gases, geological fluids, and a broad spectrum of minerals, rocks, sediments, and soils both in and outside the traditional laboratory setting. With the recent introduction of commercial laboratory systems and handheld analyzers for use outside the laboratory for real-time in situ analysis in the field, LIBS is finding increasing application across the geosciences. This article first overviews the LIBS technique and then reviews its application in the domain of mineral exploration and ore processing, where LIBS offers some unique capabilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Geological Processes through Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis)
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