Facility Support: Multi-User Facility Support for U-Th-Pb Geochronology and Complementary Isotope Geochemistry and SEM imaging at the Arizona LaserChron Center

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Recent developments in geochronologic methods and instrumentation are revolutionizing many different aspects of Earth Science research. Some of the most exciting advances are being driven by Laser-Ablation ICP Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), which generates U-Th-Pb ages and complementary geochemical information rapidly and with micron-scale spatial resolution. The Arizona LaserChron Center (ALC) is a multi-user facility that utilizes LA-ICPMS to determine U-Th-Pb ages, Hf isotope ratios, and trace element abundances from a variety of minerals that occur in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. We also utilize a dedicated Scanning Electron Microscope that generates the high-resolution and high-magnification images necessary for state-of-the-art micro-analysis. Primary goals of the ALC are to (1) generate robust geochronologic and geochemical data in support of many different NSF-funded projects, (2) use every aspect of facility operation as an opportunity to train faculty and student researchers in geochronologic theory and methodology, and (3) drive the development of new techniques and applications that take advantage of the high efficiency and fine spatial resolution of LA-ICPMS. Research at the ALC is conducted in a highly collaborative mode, with ALC scientists providing assistance with all aspects of a project (from initial design of the study to final publication of results) and faculty members and students from other institutions visiting the lab to generate their own data and learn the theory and methodology of U-Th-Pb geochronology.Funding from this award will enable the ALC to facilitate the acquisition of geochronologic information in support of a large number of NSF-funded projects, drive the development of numerous new analytical techniques and applications, and provide a broad array of educational opportunities such as teaching short courses at annual meetings, developing materials that can be used in Earth Science courses, creating new tools for displaying and interpreting geochronologic data, and driving the development of a global database "Geochron" that hosts U-Th-Pb geochronologic information. Research conducted at the ALC will continue to generate important new knowledge about the growth of continents, processes of mountain building, generation and dispersal of sediment, formation of mineral and hydrocarbon resources, history of evolutionary changes, and genetic linkages between climate and tectonics.