Studying Planetary Processes with the M4 TORNADO

Planetary materials – including meteorites, samples returned from space exploration (e.g., the Moon or asteroid capture), or deposits formed through meteorite impacts – are precious and commonly irreplaceable. Destruction of these materials through sub-sampling and further sample preparation must be kept to a minimum and only where justified.

Micro-XRF spectroscopy using the M4 TORNADO allows minimally invasive, spatial characterization of major, minor and trace elements, providing essential information its own right, and guiding further decisions on subsampling or micro-analysis that allows the most to gained from further sample destruction.

The high spatial resolution provided by the <20 µm X-ray spot coupled with the ability to measure almost the entire periodic table down to trace concentrations makes characterization of meteorite samples a must using Bruker’s M4 TORNADO micro-XRF spectrometer. In addition, without the need for substantial sample preparation, great detail can be provided without consuming precious sample materials.

Rapid elemental mapping may provide:

Bulk compositional information to allow robust meteorite classification.

Elemental zoning within minerals, clasts or matrix materials to understand formation and alteration processes (including those occurring after landing on Earth).

Digital isolation of clasts or regions of matrix for precise compositional quantification allowing comparisons to potential correlation with other planetary samples or formations on source bodies.

In addition to elemental mapping, long-count point measurements on minerals allow even lower limits of detection for trace elements that are key to understanding the origins of some meteorites.

Learn more about the study here:

• Crow, C.A., Tong, C., Erickson, T.M., Moser, D.E., Bell, A.S., Kelly, N.M., Prissel, T.C., Hyde, B.C. (2024). Impact origin of lunar zircon melt inclusions in Apollo impact melt breccia 14311. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 59, 1509-1522.  
• Huidobro, J., Aramendia, J., García-Florentino, C., Ruiz-Galende, P., Torre-Fdez, I., Castro, K., Arana, G., Madariaga, J.M. (2021). Mineralogy of the RBT 04262 Martian meteorite as determined by micro-Raman and micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopies. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 53, 450-462.
• Li, Y., Mccausland, P.J.A., Flemming, R.L., Osinski. G.R. (2025). Petrology and shock history of hybrid lunar feldspathic–troctolitic breccia Northwest Africa 11515. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 60, 347–370. 

Detection and characterization of ancient meteorite impact events reveal important details about the evolution of the Earth’s early surface. The Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, preserves some of the earliest physical records of large impacts on Earth, estimated to have occurred as far back as ~3.4 Billion years ago.

Elemental mapping using Bruker’s M4 TORNADO micro-XRF spectrometer has allowed detailed characterization of precious drill core segments that preserve impact spherule layers (glassy spherical particles formed from molten droplets generated during large impacts that melt the target rocks) and geochemical anomalies associated with the impact. The M4 TORNADO is able to provide a geochemical image on a larger scale and across a wider range of elements, without the need for subsampling required for SEM.

Micro-XRF mapping was able to confirm an impact origin for spherules and the later effects of hydrothermal alteration (based on shapes and composition), as well as patterns that reveal post-deposition reworking, which provides a more sound basis for interpretations of layer geometries.

Learn more about the study here:

• Goncalves de Oliveira, G.J., Reimold, W.U., Crósta, A.P., Hauser, N., Mohr-Westheide, T., Tagle, R., Galante, D., Kaufman, F. (2020). Petrographic characterization of Archaean impact spherule layers from Fairview Gold Mine, northern Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 162, 103718.
• Hoehnel, D., Reimold, W.U., Altenberge, U., Hofmann, A.,  Mohr-Westheide, T., Özdemir, S., Koeberl, C. (2018). Petrographic and Micro-XRF analysis of multiple archean impact-derived spherule layers in drill core CT3 from the northern Barberton Greenstone Belt (South Africa). Journal of African Earth Sciences, 138, 264-288. 
• Fritz, J., Tagle, R., Ashworth, L., Schmitt, R.T., Hofmann, A., Luais, B., Harris, P.D., Hoehnel, D., Özdemir, S., Mohr-Westheide, T., Koeberl, C. (2016). Non-destructive spectroscopic and petrochemical investigations of Paleoarchean spherule layers from the ICDP drill core BARB5, Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 51, 2441-2458. 

The stratigraphy of the Raton Basin in southwestern USA records a well-preserved section through the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary, defined by ejecta deposits from the Chicxulub impact event ~66 Myr ago. The ejecta deposit profile has previously been described as having a dual layer stratigraphy, defined by a lower basalt spherule claystone bed and an overlying carbonaceous shale rich in shocked mineral grains such as zircon and quartz.

The M4 TORNADO micro-XRF spectrometer was used to characterize the micro-scale chemo-stratigraphy of the K-Pg boundary section to determine in much greater detail the nature of the deposits. One advantage of the M4 TORNADO is the ability to work with larger, minimally prepared samples, limiting the need for extensive sub-sampling, and making decisions for additional sub-samples to be made based on reliable data. In addition, the integration of a <20 µm X-ray spot and high sensitivity EDS detectors, measurements capture major, minor and trace elements quickly – at points, along lines, and areas (maps). 

The use of detailed elemental mapping and line scans across a sample, which included fully quantified compositions calculated from the micro-XRF data, revealed a more complex zoning picture not previously seen in bulk sampling or SEM images. An important outcome of the study was the detailed pictured revealed of the overlying lignite where elemental enrichments are interpreted to be a mixture of ejecta from the impacted basement (e.g., enriched Zr) and the impactor itself (seen from enrichment and zoning in Cr and Ni). The data reveal key insights into the dynamics and timescales of major impacts and their effects on planetary surfaces.

Learn more about the study here:

• Kaskes, P., Tagle, R., Rey, M., Goderis, S., Decrée, S., Smit, J., and Claeys, P.  (2025). Disentangling Impact Ejecta Dynamics Using Micro–X‐Ray Fluorescence (μ‐XRF): A Case Study From the Terrestrial Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K‐Pg) Boundary. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 26, e2024GC012151. 

Whether you're exploring new instrumentation, planning your next grant proposal, or simply curious about how micro-XRF could fit into your workflow - we're here to help.

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