On 5 December 2024, a Jubilee Scientific Session to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ion Microprobe Laboratory of the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute in Warsaw was held in the building of the PGI-NRI Geological Museum. The main objective of the event was to summarise the scientific achievements which have been achieved thanks to the results of analyses obtained using the SHRIMP IIe/MC ion microprobe.

Participants of the session

The ion microprobe was purchased for the State Geological Survey thanks to a grant from the Fund for Polish Science and Technology (Ministry of Science and Higher Education). It is still the only device of its kind in Poland. As part of cooperation, it is also used by researchers from other national and foreign scientific centres.

Approximately 90 participants attended the session, including representatives of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management and various national scientific centres: The Institute of Geological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Warsaw, Wrocław and Cracow, the University of Warsaw, the University of Wrocław, the University of Upsala, the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow, the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Earth Museum of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Participants of the session

The guests were welcomed by Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek, Director of PGI-NRI. The guest of honour at the Jubilee was Prof. Ian Williams from the University of Canberra in Australia, who received from the hands of the PGI-NRI Director a distinction of 'Merit for the Polish Geological Institute'. The professor, who has cooperated with PGI-NRI for many years, made no secret of his surprise and great emotion. Referring to a paper he gave more than 10 years ago during the opening of the laboratory after the installation of the SHRIMP microprobe, in his presentation entitled ‘What's New in the World of SHRIMP?’, Professor Williams presented the latest analytical trends and developments for the SHRIMP ion microprobe.

Director of PIG-PIB, Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek

Speech by Professor Williams

The history of the scientific collaboration with the ion microprobe laboratory at the University of Canberra, and the subsequent path to raising funds and building our own laboratory, was presented by Prof. Stanisław Mikulski, Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs and Scientific Support of the State Geological Survey.

Prof. Stanisław Mikulski

The session presented research results and their application in various aspects of geology, palaeontology, deposit geology and archaeology. Eleven papers were delivered, and 15 scientific posters were presented.

Presentation by Ewa Krzemińska, PhD

Magdalena Pańczyk, PhD

Prof. Hubert Wierzbowski

Prof. Bogusław Bagiński 

Prof. Jerzy Nawrocki

The arriving guests, nearly ninety in number, were also served an anniversary cake.

Participants of the session

The session with papers was followed by a poster session in a relaxed atmosphere, combined with a short social event. Those wishing to do so were able to visit the SHRIMP Ion Microprobe Laboratory just before the conference or during the breaks.

The Jubilee Scientific Session was organised by the staff of the Micro Area Analysis Laboratory, under the leadership of Magdalena Pańczyk, PhD, who conceived the event. The forthcoming issue of the Geological Review journal will feature the history of the laboratory and articles summarising the results obtained.

Text: Magdalena Pańczyk