Acquisition of a Gas-Source Mass Spectrometer

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0004130FarquharThis grant provides partial support for the costs of acquiring a large sector gas-source mass spectrometer for the Isotope Geochemistry Lab at the University of Maryland. The PI, James Farquhar recently joined the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and Department of Geology at the University of Maryland as an Assistant Professor. The instrument will be the primary tool for Farquhar's research program in multiple isotope geochemistry of sulfur and oxygen (meant to imply measurement of 17O/16O in addition to 18O/16O, and 33S/32S and 36S/32S in addition to 34S/32S). The information provided by a knowledge of isotope ratios involving these less abundant oxygen and sulfur isotopes allows us to gain important new insights into chemical and physical processes and provides the potential to address a whole new class of geological and biogeochemical questions. The applications of the multiple isotope approach include the study of biological fractionation processes, the study of atmosphere-surface interactions, the study of the evolution of the atmosphere, studies of meteorites, and studies of crustal and mantle geochemistry. The facility will complement present and planned research capabilities of the University of Maryland geochemistry group (Becker, Candela, Kaufman, McDaniel, McDonough, Morgan, Ondov, Prestegaard, Rudnick, Tomascak, Walker) and will be accessible to researchers at the University of Maryland and in the wider geological and geochemical community. ***