Application of Neutron Scattering in Earth Sciences

The unique properties of neutron interaction with materials have long been applied to the study of geological materials, with Shull and Smart using them in 1949 to determine the antiferromagnetic structure of manganosite (MnO). Neutron diffraction provides an accurate method for crystal structure determination of hydrous phases, particularly ices, and investigations of cation ordering of elements that are adjacent in the Periodic Table, such as Al-Si in feldspars and zeolites. Both elastic and inelastic scattering have been used to determine the properties of fluids that are present in many sedimentary rocks, including shales that are often saturated with brines or hydrocarbons. Due to minimal absorption and deep sample penetration, neutron scattering has become a favorite tool for crystallographic preferred orientation (texture) analysis of rocks as well as destruction-free three-dimensional (3D) tomographic characterization of microstructures.