In the Thin Sections Lab, we produce laboratory preparations of rocks, minerals, soil, pottery, bones, etc. for analysis with a polarizing petrographic microscope, electron microscope and electron microprobe. The sample, mounted on a glass slide, will be ground smooth using progressively finer abrasive grit until the sample is only 30 μm thick. The method involved using the Michel-Lévy interference color chart. Typically, quartz is used as reference to determine thickness as it is one of the most abundant minerals.

It is also possible to embed all kinds of specimen, such as whale/shark teeth and microfossils. This is done for weak, fragile or small specimens, which will otherwise break or are too small to be held securely in a chuck during sectioning. After embedding, there is also the option to prepare a polished surface of the sample with 0.3 μm Al₂O₃ for surface analyses and measurements.