MRI: Acquisition of a New Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer for High-Precision Isotope Chronology and Chemistry

在这份合同的帮助下，北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校（UNC-CH）地质科学系将获得一台新的热电离质谱仪，用于高精度测量同位素比率。该仪器将用于高精度年龄测定，以调查地质过程的速率，并分析作为示踪剂的同位素，以解决板块构造学、岩石学、古气候学、环境地质学和考古学方面的问题。PIs在实验室进行的具体研究包括调查与“超级火山”有关的岩浆积聚速度；岩浆作用与经济金、银、钼矿化的关系记录在美国大西洋中部沿岸平原沉积物中的古代气候；以及海洋地壳岩石的固碳潜力。我们的研究与许多地质年代学技术相结合，在技术的相互校准中发挥着重要作用。该实验室将继续为北卡罗来纳大学和其他地方的研究生和本科生提供教学服务。我们通过提供数据全力支持外部用户（pi和学生，主要由NSF支持），但更重要的是，通过培训他们样品制备、数据采集和分析技术。该实验室积极参与美国国家科学基金会资助的增加多样性和加强学术（IDEA）计划，赞助和培训来自地球科学领域代表性不足群体的本科生。该实验室是国家EARTHTIME倡议的参与者，并定期向包括NAVDAT和EarthChem在内的国家和国际地质数据库提供数据。

With assistance from this award, the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) will acquire a new thermal ionization mass spectrometer to perform high-precision measurement of isotope ratios. The instrument will be used for high precision age determination to investigate the rates of geologic processes, and the analysis of isotopes as tracers to address questions in plate tectonics, petrology, paleoclimatology, environmental geology and archaeology. Specific research in the laboratories by the PIs includes investigation into the rates of magma accumulation associated with "supervolcanoes"; the connections between magmatism and economic gold, silver and molybdenum mineralization; ancient climates as recorded in the sediments of the US middle Atlantic coastal plain; and the carbon sequestration potential of oceanic crustal rocks. Our research is integrated with many geochronologic techniques and is playing a significant role in intercalibration of techniques. The lab will continue a strong history of teaching graduate and undergraduate students from both UNC-CH and elsewhere. We fully support external users (PIs and students, mostly supported by NSF) by providing data, but more importantly, by training them in techniques for sample preparation, data acquisition and analysis. The lab actively participates in the NSF-funded Increasing Diversity and Enhancing Academia (IDEA) program by sponsoring and training undergraduate students drawn from underrepresented groups in the geosciences. The lab is a participant in the national EARTHTIME initiative and regularly contributes data to national and international geologic databases including NAVDAT and EarthChem.