We investigated the surfaces of natural iron-based minerals that are magnetite, hematite, goethite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, bornite and vivianite, using synchrotron radiation based techniques. Most iron chalkogenides are very suitable for photoemission microscopy studies due to their low resistivity, which prevents from surface charging. The local compositions were studied employing photoemission microscopy in combination with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Imaging of the sample in the near-edge region of the absorption edges was used to visualise the spatial distributions of the chemical phases on the surface. Distributions of trace elements are imaged with high chemical and lateral resolution. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.482-485PART 1568573Margaritondo, G., (1995) Scanning Spectromicrosc., 9, p. 949Ade, H., Spectromicroscopy (1997) J. Electron. Spectrosc. Rel. Phenom., 84Margaritondo, G., (1997) Progr. Surf. Sci., 56, p. 311Swiech, W., Fecher, G.H., Ziethen, Ch., Schmidt, O., Schönhense, G., Grzelakowski, K., Schneider, C.M., Kirschner, J., (1997) J. Electron. Spectrosc. Rel. Phenom., 84, p. 171Ziethen, Ch., Schmidt, O., Fecher, G.H., Schneider, C.M., Schönhense, G., Frömter, R., Seider, M., Funnemann, D., (1998) J. Electron. Spectrosc. Rel. Phenom., 88-91, p. 983Peters, C., Thompson, R., (1998) J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 183, p. 365Van Aken, P.A., Liebscher, B., Styrsa, V.J., (1998) Phys. Chem. Minerals, 25, p. 323Crocombette, J.P., Pollak, M., Jollet, F., Thromat, N., Gautier-Soyer, M., (1995) Phys. Rev. B, 52, p. 3143Colliex, C., Manoubi, T., Ortiz, C., (1991) Phys. Rev. B, 44, p. 11402Pratt, A.R., Muir, I.J., Nesbitt, H.W., (1994) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 58, p. 827Bertaut, E.F., (1953) Acta Crystallogr., 6, p. 557Jeandey, C., Oddou, J.L., Mattei, J.L., Fillion, G., (1991) Solid State Commun., 78, p. 195Becker, U., Munz, A.W., Lennie, A.R., Thornton, G., Vaughan, D.J., (1997) Surf. Sci., 389, pp. 66-87Putnis, A., Grace, J., (1976) Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., 55, p. 311