Welcome to the official website of the
11th International GeoRaman
Conference
GeoRaman 2014
welcomed scientists from all over the world to join us, to present their newest studies, to participate in active discussions, and to build future collaborative relationships. This website serves as a permanent record of all the
memomorable presentations, events and happenings from the
very successful 11th GeoRaman conference in St. Louis.
Preface
At the first GeoRaman Conference in 1986 (Paris, France), I was a PhD student of Professors
Michel Delhaye and Paul Dhamelincourt at LASIR. These two scientists designed the first
Raman microprobe, and introduced this technology to the scientific community around the
world. They are not the discoverers of the Raman Effect per se, but their new concept of Raman
instrumentation opened a door. That door allows complicated, dirty, even non-crystalline,
natural samples to be investigated by laser Raman spectroscopy, which is an intrinsically
weak physical process but an extremely powerful tool for molecular characterization. The
contributions of these two great human beings (now deceased) are to be remembered.
Since 1986, various Raman systems have been developed for use in the scientific laboratory,
industrial process control, homeland security, terrestrial field expeditions, and robotic undersea
and planetary explorations. Benefitting from technological developments, the scientific
applications of laser Raman spectroscopy have deepened and broadened over the years.
Enhanced Raman technology has allowed us to study the effects of high pressure and
temperature in the Earth's mantle and core, the interaction of geological fluids with their physical
and chemical surroundings, the results of biological activity in recent and ancient environments,
the properties of biologically precipitated minerals and how they differ from their geological
counterparts, products and processes in current and paleo-environments, human cultural
heritage as reflected in art and artifacts, and the nature of extraterrestrial processes happening
now and in the past on other planetary bodies, as well as during the formation of our solar system.
Past and current International GeoRaman Conferences try to capture what is new in both the
science and technology in all these fields. We also attempt in these conferences to generate
new ideas, questions, and collaborations, as well as to introduce new researchers to the
excitement of the field of laser Raman spectroscopy.
During the preparation of GeoRaman XI, we have been extremely fortunate to get financial
support from many sponsors, scientific guidance from the GeoRaman International Science
Advisory Committee (GRISAC), highly productive collaboration among members of GeoRaman
XI's United States Organization Committee (USOC), and timely and consistent help on logistics
from the Conference Assistants. I would like to express my deepest personal appreciation to all of them.
The USOC wishes you a fruitful GeoRaman XI conference in St. Louis.
Alian Wang
Co-Chairman of GeoRaman XI
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