MRI-R2: Acquisition of Stable Isotope Instrumentation for High Precision Paleoclimatic and Environmental Research at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory

该合同由2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助，用于购置一台Picarro L1102-ia分析仪(用于波长扫描腔衰荡光谱分析)、两台Thermo Delata V+质谱仪和一台Elementar Isoprime，配备双进样和多重准备系统，用于更换Lamont-Doherty地球天文台稳定同位素设施中老化的分析设备。此外，新仪器在支持现有气候学研究人员的同时，也将在生物地理科学领域开展新的研究工作。按照目前的设想，一个新的LDEO生物地球科学研究仪器群将支持一些研究项目，这些项目将促进在古气候学、水文学、古水文学、古海洋学和生物学方面开展合作和综合研究的新途径。更广泛的影响包括维持一个高质量的国家和国际古气候研究协调中心，以及一项广泛的计划，让不同的本科生和研究生干部参与天文台的研究。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This award funds the acquisition of one Picarro L1102-ia analyzer (for wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down spectroscopy), two Thermo Delata V+ mass spectrometers, and one Elementar Isoprime with Dual Inlet and Multiprep systems to replace aging analytical equipment in the stable isotope facility at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO). These new instruments will allow a broad array of researchers at the LDEO, and elsewhere, to continue their cutting-edge research involving high precision analysis of stable isotopes in water, carbonate samples, and organic samples, including tree-ring cellulose and compound-specific organic extracts. Furthermore, the new instruments, while supporting existing researchers in climatology, will also new research endeavors in the field of biogeosciences. As currently envisioned, a new LDEO Biogeoscience Research Instrument Cluster would support research projects that serve to catalyze new avenues of collaborative and integrative research in paleoclimatology, hydrology, paleohydrology, paleoceanography, and biology.The broader impacts involve maintaining a high quality national and international focal point for paleoclimate research as well as an extensive plan to involve a diverse cadre of undergraduate and graduate students in the research of the Observatory. There are plans to leverage another NSF-funded activity -- the Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP) -- to provide hand-on research and mentoring for dozens of underrepresented minority high-school students drawn from New York City borough high schools.