Acquisition of a MC-ICPMS for Earth Sciences Research in New Mexico

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EAR-0326902AsmeromNew analytical capabilities in Earth Sciences have made possible fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of vital processes, ranging from those occurring at the surface, such as climate change, to those that occur deep within the earth, such as melting and melt transfer. Recent developments in the measurement of naturally occurring heavy isotopes, based on new-generation magnetic sector multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS), stand to provide unprecedented gains in fine-scale resolution of time-scales and domains of geological change. For example, our effort to understand annual scale climate variability in continents, which is essential for arriving at a mechanistic understanding of rapid climate change, is currently frustrated by the lack of precision of our current instrumentation. The acquisition of a MC-ICP-MS through this NSF grant, with contribution from the University of New Mexico, will provide us the tool by which to gain the needed precision. Similarly, our work on time-scale of magma generation, differentiation and transport, which utilizes data of uranium decay series isotopes, will benefit from the new instrumentation, both with respect to getting more precise data for those nuclides for which we have capabilities, and also allow us to do measurement of other essential nuclides, such as the isotopes of protactinium. Other areas of research interests that will be impacted include terrestrial and planetary projects that utilize long-lived isotopic systems that our current instrumentation can not measure, such as osmium isotopes, or those that are difficult to do, including hafnium isotopes. Recently funded environmental isotope tracer projects, which require high throughput of data, will greatly benefit from the added capabilities. The Laboratory is also deeply involved in training students from New Mexico universities at all levels and from very diverse social backgrounds. These new analytical capabilities stand to profoundly benefit a wide range of research, training and outreach activities at these New Mexico institutions of higher learning.