Facilities Support: Amino Acid Geochronology Laboratory

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EAR-0620455KaufmanIn 2004, the Amino Acid Geochronology Laboratory (AAGL) at Northern Arizona University was awarded a two-year grant from EAR/IF to establish itself as an NSF Multi-User Facility. During the last two years, the AAGL has provided about 2300 analyses to 15+ collaborative scientists involved in research projects representing a broad range of geoscience disciplines. In addition, the AAGL generated about 1600 analyses on the taxonomic effects and temperature sensitivity of amino acid racemization in single foraminifera tests. The goal of the AAGL is to increase the accessibility and reliability of a geochronological tool used to understand the timing, frequency, and rates of Earth surface processes. The sustained productivity of the AAGL can largely be attributed to the dedication of the laboratory's technician/manager, Jordon Bright, who has worked in the AAGL for ten years. The primary purpose of this proposal (and about one half of the total direct costs) is to fund one half of Bright's salary. The intellectual merit of this proposal is derived from the variety of research projects that the Multi-User Facility is currently scheduled to support. The small sample sizes and the ease of analysis afforded by recent analytical refinements present new opportunities to use small shell fragments from mixed-age populations and microfossils from sediment cores for amino acid geochronology and paleothermometry. For example, the AAGL is currently planning to analyze foraminifera from premier suites of marine cores recently recovered from the Santa Barbara Basin and from the Arctic Ocean, and is collaborating on new research into time averaging of benthic fossil assemblages from the continental shelves of Brazil, Texas, and California. Approximately 1000 analyses per year will be offered at a nominal fee ($10 per sample, about one-fifth the standard rate). The AAGL will also collaborate with researchers to design and conduct experiments aimed at improving the accuracy and applicability of the technique.***