Early Career: Acquisition of a He system for (U-Th)/He thermochronology at the University of Colorado, Boulder

这个早期职业奖将资助购买一个He系统，用于自动脱气、同位素稀释和He的测量，用于博尔德科罗拉多大学（CU）地质科学系的一个新的（U-Th）/He热年代学设施。 该奖项还将资助三年的技术支持，并制定了一项计划，为这位致力于该设施的新技术人员提供未来的替代支持来源。除了对矿物进行脱气和分析He的能力之外，CU现在还建立了（U-Th）/He分析工作所需的所有其他设备和程序，包括矿物分离和选择、U-Th掺入和矿物溶解以及ICPMS U-Th分析的协议。 这将使CU作为一个完整的（U-Th）/He设施有效地上线。（U-Th）/He热年代学是一个不断扩大其应用范围的领域，以解决越来越多的地球科学问题。利用这一工具进行创新研究的潜力正在增长，地球科学界对这些数据的需求只会增加。CU博尔德的（U-Th）/He设施的目标是提供分析能力，以支持现有和计划的研究计划，支持CU教职员工和落基山脉地区大学的研究计划，并为学生提供实践培训，热年代学技术博士后研究员和教授。他在CU的设施将在培训科学家在本科生，研究生和专业水平的应用和解释地质年代学和热年代学数据的显着影响。一个特别的努力，将提供学生在thermochronology程序的实践经验作为论文研究项目的一部分。落基山脉地区目前没有（U-Th）/He实验室，该设施将扩大该地区的分析能力。CU的热年代学设施将进一步加强PI正在进行的努力，将有效的方法来教学关于深时间在她的本科和研究生教学。PI在她的实验室指导妇女方面有着良好的记录，并计划通过现有的NSF资助的非洲项目促进少数民族的培训。

This early career award will fund the acquisition of a He system for automated degassing, isotope dilution and measurementof He for use in a new (U-Th)/He thermochronology facility in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado (CU), Boulder. This award will also fund three-years of technician support, and a plan is in place for future alternative sources of support for this new technician dedicated to this facility. With the exception of the capacity to degas minerals and analyze He, all other equipment and procedures necessary for (U-Th)/He analytical work are now established at CU, including protocols for mineral separation and selection, U-Th spiking and mineral dissolution, and U-Th analysis by ICPMS. Thisaward will allow CU to come online efficiently as a complete (U-Th)/He facility. (U-Th)/He thermochronology is a field that continues to expand its application to a broadening array of earth science problems. The potential for innovative studies using this tool is growing and the demand for these data by the earth science community is only increasing. The goals of a (U-Th)/He facility at CU-Boulder would be to provide the analytical capacity to support existing and planned research initiatives, support the research initiatives of CU faculty members and universities in the Rocky Mountain region, and provide hands-on training for students, postdoctoral fellows and professors in thermochronology techniques.A (U-Th)/He facility at CU will have a significant impact in training scientists at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional level in the application and interpretation of geochronology and thermochronology data. A particular effort will be made to provide students with hands-on experience in thermochronology procedures as part of thesis research projects. No (U-Th)/He lab exists currently in the Rocky Mountain region, and this facility would expand the analytical capabilities in the region. A thermochronology facility at CU would further enhance the PI's ongoing efforts to incorporate effective approaches to teaching about deep time in her undergraduate and graduate teaching. The PI has a solid record of mentoring women in her lab, and has plans to facilitate the training of minorities through an existing NSF-funded project in Africa.