MRI: Acquisition of an XRF Core Scanner - A Revolutionary Tool for Studying the Long-Term Behavior of Ocean Ecosystems and Climate

智力优势：PI正在申请资金，以获得一台考克斯分析型XRF岩心扫描仪，该扫描仪能够对岩心材料的元素成分、线扫描彩色图像和X射线照相进行超细、非破坏性测量。 该仪器将专门用于分析沉积物岩心和可能坚硬的岩石样本。 拟议的仪器将在SIO地质收藏设施运行，该设施拥有一个由国家科学基金会资助的主要沉积物岩心档案。 拟议的仪器将用于支持对海洋生态系统历史、海洋沉积过程、天然气水合物地球化学以及湖泊和海洋缺氧盆地层状沉积物中的气候档案的研究工作。 更广泛的影响：拟议的仪器将是美国的三个仪器之一（截至编写本报告时）;其他两个分别位于伍兹霍尔海洋学研究所和明尼苏达大学德卢斯分校。 拟议的工具将被用作社区资产，作为特别项目的成本中心，在线开放时间表（先到先得）和公开发布所获得的数据。 拟议的仪器的使用将被纳入现有的本科/研究生课程古生态学和演示/展示的一部分，目前正在进行的核心存储库的地区高中，大专和公众的图尔斯。

Intellectual Merit:The PI is requesting funds to acquire a COX Analytical XRF Core Scanner which is capable of ultra-fine, non-destructive measurements of elemental composition, line scan color images, and x-radiography in core materials. The instrument would be dedicated to the analysis of sediment cores and potentially hard rock samples. The proposed instrument would be operated at the SIO Geological Collections facility which houses a major, NSF-funded sediment core archive. The proposed instrument will be used to support research efforts into marine ecosystem history, marine sedimentation processes, gas hydrate geochemistry, and climate archives in laminated sediments in lakes and marine anoxic basins. The proposed instrument will be one of three in the United States (as of this writing); the other two are located at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.Broader Impacts:The proposed instrument will be one of three in the United States (as of this writing); the other two are located at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The proposed instrument will be used as a community asset, operating as a cost center for special projects, with on-line open scheduling (first come, first serve) and open posting of acquired data. The use of the proposed instrument will be incorporated into an existing undergraduate/graduate course on Paleoecology and be demonstrated/displayed as part of tours currently being conducted of the core repository for area high schools, junior colleges, and the public.