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，以购买一台Cox Analytical XRF岩心扫描仪，该扫描仪能够对岩芯材料的元素组成、线扫描彩色图像和x射线照相进行超精细、无损测量。该仪器将专门用于分析沉积物岩心和可能的坚硬岩石样品。拟议的仪器将在SIO地质收集设施中运行，该设施拥有一个由NSF资助的主要沉积物岩心档案。拟议的仪器将用于支持对湖泊和海洋缺氧盆地层状沉积物中的海洋生态系统历史、海洋沉积过程、天然气水合物地球化学和气候档案的研究工作。拟议的仪器将是美国的三台仪器之一(截至撰写本文时)；另外两台位于伍兹霍尔海洋研究所和明尼苏达大学德卢斯分校。广泛影响：拟议的仪器将是美国三台仪器之一(撰写本文时)；另外两台位于伍兹霍尔海洋研究所和明尼苏达大学德卢斯大学。拟议的工具将被用作社区资产，作为特殊项目的成本中心，在线开放调度(先到先得)，并开放发布所获得的数据。拟议仪器的使用将被纳入现有的一门关于古生态学的本科生/研究生课程，并作为目前正在进行的地区高中、专科学校和公众核心资料库参观的一部分进行演示/展示。

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.