Collaborative Research: P2C2--Tracking Long-Term Glacial-Interglacial Wind Pattern Variability in Central Asia Using Geochemical Analysis of Aerosol Derived Detritus

这是一个项目，旨在重建过去250万年来中亚和东亚第四纪期间的风的位置、环流模式和尘埃的源区。研究人员将采用一种新的技术，对风生沉积物以及各种潜在的上游污染源区域中发现的尘埃的化学成分进行指纹识别。化学特征将使用激光烧蚀质谱仪进行，测量将包括U/铅测年、痕量金属测量和HF(Hf)同位素变异性，以确定粉尘的来源区域。这种方法--对单个锆石颗粒使用激光烧蚀质谱仪--可能提供前所未有的矿物化学信息，快速的样品分析将为评估颗粒化学和来源区域的变化提供强有力的统计学基础。更广泛的影响包括：1)应用一种新的、新的方法来表征尘埃颗粒的化学特征；2)支持两所大学的研究生和本科生参与研究；3)支持一名新的研究人员开始学术生涯；以及4)中国西藏研究所与美国两所大学之间的强大国际合作因素。

This is a project to reconstruct the position of the winds, the patterns of the circulation and the source regions for the dust in central and eastern Asia during the Quaternary, the last 2.5 million years. The researchers will employ a novel technique of "fingerprinting" the chemical composition of the dust found in wind-derived sediments as well as in a variety of potential upstream source regions. The chemical characterization will be made using laser ablation mass spectrometry and the measurements will include U/Pb dating, trace metal measurements, and Hf (hafnium) isotope variability to determine source regions for the dust. The approach - using laser ablation mass spectrometry on individual zircon grains - is likely to provide unprecedented chemical information about the minerals and the rapid rate of sample analysis will produce strong a strong statistical basis for evaluating changes in grain chemistry and source region.The broader impacts include: 1) application of a novel, new approach for characterizing the chemistry of the dust grains; 2) support for graduate students and undergraduates at two universities to participate in the research; 3) support for a new researcher embarking on an academic career; and 4) a strong element of international collaboration between the Institute of Tibetan Research in China and two universities in the United States.