Collaborative Research: GEOTRACES: Intercalibration exercise for Radium Isotopes in seawater

来自南卡罗来纳州大学和伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的研究人员计划参加2008年大西洋GEOTRACES相互校准巡航，以收集226 Ra、228 Ra、224 Ra和223 Ra的样本。 从一个河口，一个开放的海洋站，一个湾流站，和一个内大陆架站的复制样品将被收集和分发到世界各地的22个实验室，以分析上述镭同位素使用辐射测量技术，热电离质谱，或电感耦合等离子体质谱。 224 Ra和223 Ra的初步测量将在海上对选定的一组样品进行。 此外，科学家们计划测试流速对二氧化锰涂层纤维从海水中回收镭、钍和锕的影响，并将这些结果与一些新型提取介质（即，至于更广泛的影响，这项相互校准活动的结果将为科学界提供必要的协议，以准确和精确地测量镭同位素，无论哪个实验室生成数据，都可以进行比较/对比。 南卡罗来纳州大学的一名本科生将作为该项目的一部分得到支助和培训。

Investigators from the University of South Carolina and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution propose to participate in the 2008 Atlantic Ocean GEOTRACES intercalibration cruise to collect samples for 226Ra, 228Ra, 224Ra, and 223Ra. Replicate samples from an estuary, an open ocean station, a Gulf Stream station, and an inner shelf station would be collected and distributed to as many as 22 laboratories around the world to be analyzed for the above mentioned radium isotopes using either radiometric techniques, thermal ionization mass spectrometry, or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Initial measurements of 224Ra and 223Ra would be made at sea on a selected set of samples. Also, the scientists plan to test the effect of flow rate on the recovery of radium, thorium, and actinium from seawater on manganese dioxide coated fibers, as well as compare these results with some novel extraction media (i.e., Mn beads, Mn-coated cartridges).As regards broader impacts, results from this intercalibration activity would provide the science community with the necessary protocols to accurately and precisely measure radium isotopes that can be compared/contrasted regardless of which laboratory generated the data. One undergraduate student from the University of South Carolina would be supported and trained as part of this project.