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This chapter (Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)) is a contribution to the Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research Handbook of Rock and Mineral Analysis – an online textbook that is a fully revised and updated edition of A Handbook of Silicate Rock Analysis (P. J. Potts, 1987, Blackie, Glasgow). Chapter 13 (from Section 3 of the handbook dealing with microbeam techniques) provides first a history of the development of laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy, and of the LIBS process, followed by an examination of the fundamental principles of LIBS and its instrumentation. Discussion is then provided on the preparation of sample material, LIBS matrix effects and signal processing. Different modes of compositional analysis that can be tackled by LIBS are described, including quantitative measurement (covering isotope measurements), compositional mapping, depth profiling and the determination of physical properties of geological materials. The recent tandem coupling of LIBS with laser ablation ICP‐MS instrumentation is explored. Finally, a suite of examples of LIBS analyses of silicate rocks and minerals is provided, demonstrating the utility of this measurement principle in rapid compositional assessment, detailed petrological studies and microgeochemical mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous ephemeral streams flow within the McMurdo Dry Valley Region of Antarctica that transport glacial meltwater to perennially ice-covered, closed-basin lakes during the austral summer. The diurnal behavior for two Taylor Valley streams of different character was examined during the summer of 2010-11. Andersen Creek is a short, 1st-order proglacial stream, whereas Von Guerard Stream is a long, high-order stream with an extensive hyporheic zone that has a substantial cyanobacterial algal mat community in its middle reaches. Both streams display strong daily cycles for temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Conductivity varies in concert with flow, with solute dilution occurring during the daily high-flow pulse. Dissolved oxygen co-varies strongly with pH at Andersen Creek but not for Von Guerard Stream. Each stream has a distinct geochemical character that for Andersen Creek is a direct reflection of its glacial source, unmodified by secondary effects, whereas that for Von Guerard Stream is modulated by its resident algal mat community and through extensive hyporheic zone interaction and exchange.

Over the past quarter century, multielement chemical analysis has become a common means for attributing the provenance of archaeological materials. The Coso Volcanic Field (CVF) in California, USA, contains at least 38 high-silica rhyolite domes, many of which contain obsidian glass that has been quarried for tools by the indigenous population for more than 12,000 years. Artifacts made from CVF obsidian are found throughout the southwestern United States and geochemical sourcing of CVF obsidian has been an important tool in understanding prehistoric Native American trading patterns. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a simple atomic emission spectroscopic technique that has the potential for real-time man-portable chemical analysis in the field. Because LIBS is simultaneously sensitive to all elements, a single laser shot can be used to record the broadband emission spectra, which provides a 'chemical fingerprint' of a material. Single-shot broadband LIBS spectra were collected using a commercial benchtop LIBS system for 27 obsidian samples from major sites across the CVF and four additional sites in California and western Nevada outside of CVF. Classification of the samples was performed using partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA), a common chemometric technique suitable for performing regression on high-dimensional data. Provenance identification for the obsidian samples was evaluated for three separate labeling frameworks. The first framework consisted of a binary classification problem to distinguish CVF samples from non-CVF samples. The second approach focused on the CVF samples with labels that corresponded to the eight separate Coso sites encompassed by the 27 samples. In the third analysis, non-CVF samples were excluded, and the remaining 27 CVF samples were labeled based on groupings defined from previous major and trace element chemical studies, which reduces the number of possible classes from eight to four. Different aspects of the classifier setup considered in this study include the training/testing routine (a 27-fold leave-one-sample-out setup versus a simple split of the data into separate sets for training and evaluation), the number of latent variables used in the regression model, and whether PLSDA operating on the entire broadband LIBS spectrum is superior to that using only a selected subset of LIBS emission lines. The results point to the robustness of the PLSDA technique and suggest that LIBS analysis combined with the appropriate statistical signal processing has the potential to be a useful tool for chemical analysis of archaeological artifacts and geological specimens. [c] 2010 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 140.3440, 300.6365.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an analytical technique real-time geochemical analysis that is being developed for portable use outside of the laboratory. In this study, statistical signal processing and classification techniques were applied to single-shot, broadband LIBS spectra, comprising measured plasma light intensities between 200 and 960 nm, for a suite of 157 garnets of different composition from 92 locations worldwide. Partial least squares discriminant analysis was applied to sets of 25 LIBS spectra for each garnet sample and used to classify the garnet samples based on composition and geographic origin. Careful consideration was given to the cross-validation procedure to ensure that the classification algorithm is robust to unseen data. The results indicate that broadband LIBS analysis can be used to discriminate garnets of different composition and has the potential to discern geographic origin. [c] 2010 OCIS codes: 140.3440, 300.6365.

The provenance of gem stones has been of interest to geologists, gemologists, archeologists, and historians for centuries. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) provides a minimally destructive tool for recording the rich chemical signatures of gem beryls (aquamarine, goshenite, heliodor, and morganite). Broadband LIBS spectra of 39 beryl ([Be.sub.3][Al.sub.2][Si.sub.6][O.sub.18]) specimens from 11 pegmatite mines in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine (USA) are used to assess the potential of using principal component analysis of LIBS spectra to determine specimen provenance. Using this technique, beryls from the three beryl-bearing zones in the Palermo #1 pegmatite (New Hampshire) can be recognized. However, the compositional variation within this single mine is comparable to that in beryls from all three states. Thus, a very large database with detailed location metadata will be required to routinely determine gem beryl provenance. OCIS codes: 140.3440, 160.0160.