Analytical transmission electron microscopy in the study of diagenetic lay minerals

A s discussed by Lorimer (this volume), the several advantages of analytical electron microscopy over conventional e ectron probe microanalysis are par-ticularly appropriate to the study of clay minerals. First of these is greatly improved spatial resolution which is partly the result of very small excitation volumes in the ultra-thin rock sections normally used. It is thus possible to obtain analytical data from single crystals of micrometre dimensions--a necessity for most clay mineral research. In many cases this level of resolution is required simply to avoid contamination by oxides and hydroxides as well as by other clay minerals. This analytical advantage should also be seen i