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

地球科学中的新分析能力使我们对重要过程的理解取得了根本性的突破，从发生在地表的过程（如气候变化）到发生在地球深处的过程（如熔化和熔体转移）。 基于新一代磁扇区多接收器电感耦合等离子体质谱仪（MC-ICP-MS）的天然重同位素测量的最新发展，在时间尺度和地质变化领域的精细尺度分辨率方面提供了前所未有的收益。例如，我们努力了解大陆的年尺度气候变率，这对于从机械上理解快速气候变化至关重要，目前由于我们目前的仪器缺乏精确度而受到挫折。 通过美国国家科学基金会的资助，在新墨西哥州大学的资助下，获得了一台MC-ICP-MS，这将为我们提供获得所需精度的工具。 同样，我们利用铀衰变系列同位素数据进行的岩浆生成、分异和迁移的时间尺度研究，将受益于新仪器，既可以获得我们有能力获得的那些核素的更精确数据，也可以让我们测量其他基本核素，如钚的同位素。 其他将受到影响的研究领域包括利用我们目前仪器无法测量的长寿命同位素系统的地球和行星项目，如锇同位素，或那些难以测量的同位素，包括铪同位素。 最近资助的环境同位素示踪项目需要大量数据，这些项目将大大受益于增加的能力。 该实验室还深入参与培训来自新墨西哥州各级大学和各种社会背景的学生。 这些新的分析能力将大大有利于这些新墨西哥州高等院校的广泛研究、培训和外联活动。

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.