Thermal Infrared and Raman Microspectroscopy of Moganite-bearing Rocks
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2013
Abstract
We present the first thermal infrared reflectance spectral characterization of moganite and mixtures of moganite with microcrystalline quartz. We find that for relatively high (>50%) abundances of moganite, the absolute reflectance for samples is significantly reduced. Using microscopic-Raman (~1 μm/pixel) measurements, we estimate the moganite content for various samples. We then compare Raman-derived moganite abundances with microscopic infrared reflectance (25 μm/pixel) spectra to determine the effects of increasing moganite abundance on thermal infrared spectra. We find that moganite is broadly spectrally similar to quartz with major reflectance maxima located between ~1030 and 1280 cm−1 and ~400 and 600 cm−1; but there are characteristic differences in the peak shapes, peak center positions, and especially the relative peak reflectance magnitudes. For regions with high (>50%) moganite content, the relative magntitudes of the reflectance maxima at 1157 and 1095 cm−1(R1095/R1157 band ratio) can be used to estimate the moganite content. This work demonstrates the utility of thermal infrared microspectroscopy in isolating phases that are intimately mixed in a sample, and has applications in planetary science, where constituent phases of quartz-rich sedimentary rocks can be identified using remote or in situ thermal infrared spectroscopy.
Recommended Citation
Hardgrove, Craig and Rogers, Deanne, "Thermal Infrared and Raman Microspectroscopy of Moganite-bearing Rocks" (2013). Department of Geosciences Faculty Publications. 3.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/geo-articles/3
Moganite and other silica TIR spectra