Acquisition of a Multicollector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer for Earth Science Research and Research Training in Northern New England

通过该合同，PIs和UNH以及其他北新英格兰机构的教职员工将获得一台多收集器电感耦合等离子体质谱计（MC-ICP-MS），用于对地球和环境科学研究中适用的各种元素进行高精度同位素测量。地球和环境材料的同位素表征继续革新我们跟踪和量化过程的能力，以及了解地球系统不同储层之间的元素通量。同位素数据对于破译地球历史上重大事件的时间也是至关重要的，这些事件对生命的进化产生了深远的影响。美国的气候和大陆、海洋盆地和地球的物理发展？室内。利用这一设施的项目将包括：(1)改进和加强地球部分融化的同位素后果的定量模型。年代地壳;(2)地幔熔融动力学地球化学评价；(3)利用新的生物地球化学实验对土壤矿物质、真菌物质和树木组织进行同位素表征，旨在为养分限制提供元素和同位素代用指标；(4)地球的早期演化？太古宙早期克拉通的硅质和超铁质岩石记录了地幔和岩石圈；(5)地质年代学和示踪学研究，以量化地壳过程的速率和机制，重点研究现代板块边界和过去的造山活动；(6)同位素示踪剂在沉积物物源研究中的应用；(7)地质年代学和示踪剂应用限制地球环境变化？年代的历史;(8)同位素比的水文地质应用，以确定地表水和地下水的相互作用以及人为对混合用途流域的贡献；(9)气团来源与大气化学反应的同位素追踪。该分析设施的广泛影响将包括学生培训，新分析技术的创新，以及加强（和发展）几个新英格兰机构之间的研究联系。在这个设施中收集的数据将促进定量模型的发展，以描述各种地球深部、地球表面、深部时间和大气过程。

With this award, the PIs and faculty colleagues at UNH and other Northern New England institutions will acquire a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) to carry out high-precision isotopic measurements for a variety of elements applicable to studies in the Earth and environmental sciences. Isotopic characterization of Earth and environmental materials continues to revolutionize our capability to track and quantify processes as well as understand elemental fluxes between different reservoirs of the Earth system. Isotopic data are also critical to deciphering the timing of major events in Earth history that profoundly impact the evolution of life, Earth?s climate and the physical development of the continents, ocean basins and the planet?s interior. Projects capitalizing on this facility will include: (1) advancement and enhancement of the quantitative model for the isotopic consequences of partial melting of Earth?s crust; (2) geochemical assessment of mantle melting dynamics; (3) isotopic characterization of soil minerals, fungal material, and tree tissues from novel biogeochemical experiments designed to develop elemental and isotopic proxies for nutrient limitation; (4) early evolution of Earth?s mantle and lithosphere, as recorded by silicic and ultramafic rocks in early Archean cratons; (5) geochronologic and tracer studies to quantify the rates and mechanisms of crustal processes, with emphasis on modern plate boundaries and past orogenic events; (6) isotopic tracer applications to elucidate sediment provenance; (7) geochronologic and tracer applications to constrain environmental change in Earth?s history; (8) hydrogeological applications of isotopic ratios to identify surface and ground water interactions and anthropogenic contributions to mixed-use watersheds; and (9) isotopic tracking of air mass provenance and atmospheric chemical reactions. Broader impacts of this analytical facility will include student training, innovation of new analytical techniques, and the strengthening (and development) of research ties between several New England institutions. Data collected in this facility will foster the growth of quantitative models for characterizing varied deep Earth, Earth surface, deep time and atmospheric processes.