Application of Cathodoluminescence Imaging to the Study of Sedimentary Rocks is a fairly comprehensive outline of the basic methods and essential applications of cathodoluminescence (CL) in sedimentary rocks. (CL is the light emitted by materials bombarded by electron beams such as those in scanning electron microscopes.) Scanning electron microscope (SEM) based CL microscopy has become increasingly vital for sedimentary and structural petrology because it reveals textures in rocks that are otherwise invisible. By detecting subtle diagenetic features, modern CL imaging is helping to revive sedimentary petrology. This book should have an audience among industry and academic researchers and graduate students interested in a rapidly developing area of sedimentary geology.

At only 165 pages, this book is succinct – its aim is clearly to provide an easily understood account of fundamentals, instruments, and an outline of key applications for geoscientists. The authors begin with a brief and useful synopsis of recent and classic monographs on CL and its applications. The first third of the book summarizes CL imaging basics, describes instruments used to obtain CL images, and concludes with a 10-page sketch of characterization techniques that complement CL microscopy. The balance of the book reviews applications of CL imaging in sedimentary rocks. The emphasis is on provenance studies, a research interest of the authors, and diagenesis of siliciclastic rocks. Much more could be said about applications in structural geology, where CL is proving useful for unraveling compaction, fractures and faults in increasingly important, deep and unconventional gas and oil reservoirs. I found only one odd editorial oversight (on the first page), and except for a few minor typographical errors, the book is solid and attractive.

The capacity of SEM-based CL to reveal subtle textures is the reason that this technique is so valuable. Surprisingly the book does not include colour CL images. Although CL images reproduced in the book are informative and illustrate the type of information that can be extracted, many images are from older publications (including mine) and lack the resolution that can now be achieved. These omissions no doubt show that instruments, techniques and applications are developing rapidly. Although not the gaudy coffee-table book that it might have been, this book is a useful introduction to a growing field.