Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) was used as spatially resolving method to explore the effect of electrochemical pumping with a positive voltage to porous platinum electrodes interfaced as working electrode to yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The experiments were conducted under UHV conditions (p approximate to 10(-9) mbar). In PEEM a uniform rapid darkening of the Pt surface was observed during anodic polarization followed by the appearance of bright spots on a dark background. The bright spots observed in PEEM images are due to zirconia reduction around electrically isolated Pt islands. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.