This invention discloses a compact laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) apparatus suitable for field operations. The LIBS apparatus comprises a Q-switched laser with laser pulse energy between several tens and several thousands of micro joules (μJ), which is significantly lower than that of traditional LIBS lasers. The spectrograph of the LIBS apparatus employs a dual CCD (charge coupled device) design, which maintains compact size and in the meantime offers large spectral coverage and high spectral resolution.