Technician Support: Laser Ablation and Inductively Coupled Plasma Laboratories - Phase I

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EAR-0233712PlankThis project supports a new technical position for the multi-user laser ablation and inductively coupled plasma laboratories in the Department of Earth Sciences at Boston University. These laboratories include a Merchantek 213 nm laser ablation microprobe, a VG PlasmaQuad ExCell ICP-MS, and a JY Ultima C ICP-ES. The facilities are the backbone of geochemical research in the Department of Earth Sciences, supporting the PIs' active research in subduction cycling, melt inclusions, marine biogeochemistry, marine export production proxies, ultra-high resolution paleoceanography, and silicate weathering. With over 75 different users during the past 2.5 years, the ICP laboratories also draw a large external userbase. In fact, 60% of the userbase is external to Boston University, and involves a wide range of predominantly NSF-funded research projects. Most of the applications involve high-precision, multi-element analysis of marine sediments and water column particulate matter, igneous rocks, volcanic glass, phenocrysts, and experimental run products. New directions include monazite and zircon geochronology, and trace element behavior in the weathering environment. The ICP facilities have a strong record of student involvement, with over 40% of the userbase being students (including 14 undergraduates). An important activity is the training of over 20 graduate students (12 internal, 11 external) as the next generation of analytical geochemists. ***