Collaborative Research: Intercalibrating Analytical Methods for Osmium Isotopes and Concentrations in Seawater

锇是海洋中最稀有的元素之一，以多种氧化态存在。 迄今为止，已使用不同的分析方案来分析三个海洋盆地的海水样品中的锇，导致每个样品的结果不同。 来自伍兹霍尔海洋研究所、达特茅斯大学和夏威夷大学的科学家建议分析两次GEOTRACES相互校准航行期间收集的样本，以确定三个海洋盆地获得的不同结果是系统内在差异的结果，还是由于不同的分析协议。 PI将相互校准锇标准和示踪剂溶液，制备“无锇”水和评估空白，并评估采样和储存对锇同位素含量的影响。 至于更广泛的影响，准确和精确的锇浓度和同位素比率将为科学界提供海洋化学和古海洋学中潜在的新示踪剂。

Osmium is one of the rarest elements present in the oceans existing in multiple oxidation states. To date, different analytical protocols have been used to analyze seawater samples from the three ocean basins for osmium resulting in different results for each. Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Dartmouth University, and the University of Hawaii propose to analyze samples collected during the two GEOTRACES intercalibration cruises to determine whether divergent results obtained for the three ocean basins is the result of inherent differences in the system or due to the different analytical protocols. The PIs would intercalibrate an osmium standard and tracer solutions, prepare "osmium free' water and assess blanks, and evaluate the effect of sampling and storage on the osmium isotopic content. As regards broader impacts, accurate and precise osmium concentrations and isotopic ratios would provide the sciences community with a potential new tracer in marine chemistry and paleoceanography.