Cathodoluminescence images of zircon mineral grains from an Archean-age rock found in the Yellowstone region

Cathodoluminescence images generated by the interaction of electromagnetic radiation ranging in energy from ultraviolet to near infrared with sectioned and polished zircon mineral grains from an Archean-age rock found in the Yellowstone region. These images show textures commonly associated with igneous-grown zircon—the regularly repeating bands of light and dark are formed as the mineral crystallizes from magma. The dark hexagon in the image on the right is a mineral inclusion that the zircon incorporated while it grew.  The round white circles show the analyzed locations for uranium-lead age determinations using the USGS-Stanford Sensitive High-Resolution Ion Micro-Probe (SHRIMP), a mass spectrometer that can excavate tiny amounts of solid minerals using a beam of ions that are then separated by their mass-to-charge-ratio and counted with sensitive electronic equipment. Images taken by Lauren Harrison in May 2022.