MRI: Acquisition of an X-Ray Fluorescence scanner for automated high-resolution sensing of Earth system archives

越来越多的证据表明，人类对地球自然系统的影响无处不在，因此，评估这些不同系统的自然变异性、人类对平均状态或极端末端的扰动程度以及这些扰动是否超出了系统的自然变异就变得至关重要。沉积物化学的变化反映了塑造地球表面的物理、生物和人为过程的变化，记录了气候、河流、冰川、海洋条件和生产力以及人类的变化。该主要研究仪器奖资助购买一种高分辨率扫描仪，用于快速、经济、无损地分析沉积记录的主要和微量元素含量，以解决这一研究主题。下一代高分辨率扫描仪以高精度和高分辨率测量从铝到铀的元素浓度，并共同配准样品的高分辨率彩色图像和/或内部图像。这些数据的收集速度比传统的湿化学和成像方法快几个数量级（几小时比几周-几个月），并且扫描的高分辨率是不可能通过物理采样实现的。这种通过下一代高分辨率扫描以其他不可能的分辨率获取数据的速度为解决包括人类影响在内的地球自然系统行为的全动态范围问题打开了新的大门。高分辨率元素扫描仪的获得及其与俄勒冈州立大学海洋地质储存库的配对将对太平洋西北研究界产生直接的广泛影响，那里非常需要这种仪器，并且服务将扩展到国内和国际研究社区。该仪器将加强至少10门体验式学习课程，并培训研究生和本科生进行数据密集型地球化学研究。该扫描仪将通过使用本科生研究经验和增加地球科学项目的多样性来促进地球科学的多样性，在地球自然系统的最先进研究中指导代表性不足的群体。俄勒冈州立大学和地球、海洋和大气科学学院（CEOAS）的研究人员将使用沉积记录中快速、高分辨率和精确的地球化学变化测量来跟踪地球自然系统从沉积物源到汇的变化。该合同购买的下一代x射线荧光（XRF）扫描仪将成为研究地球系统过程的沉积地球化学档案的重要工具。俄勒冈州立大学获得的XRF扫描仪将是太平洋西北地区第一个这样的仪器，大大推进了科学探索。CEOAS拥有管理大型实验室、分析设备和服务外部用户的丰富经验。美国国家科学基金会资助的俄勒冈州立大学海洋地质储存库将容纳XRF扫描仪，有效地应用于全国最大的核心档案之一，并补充现有的工具，包括Geotek多传感岩心测井轨迹和医疗ct扫描仪。这些工具将服务于俄勒冈州立大学、地区、国家和国际研究界。先进的高分辨率传感工具的可用性将支持与现代“大数据”倡议一致的数据密集型项目，如NSF的EarthCube。该仪器将立即催化的具体研究项目包括：1)利用现有和新的沉积物档案重建格陵兰、科迪勒兰、劳伦泰德和南极冰盖的第四纪历史及其对全球变暖的敏感性。2)对这些冰盖附近的海洋气候、热带太平洋变化及其对碳循环的影响、晚全新世至世纪高纬度地区的季节变化进行古气候研究，以确定相对于近期偏差的自然变率范围。3)构建从植被顶部延伸到风化基岩底部的地球临界带的季节到世纪尺度的变化，人类依赖并影响着这些临界带。4)研究前工业时代的古环境和人类与景观的相互作用，这是近期关键地带变化的基线。5)记录太平洋西北地区过去地震的频率和严重程度及其对临界带的影响。

The growing evidence for pervasive impacts of humanity on Earth's natural systems makes it critical to assess natural variability in these diverse systems, the extent to which humans perturbed the mean state or extreme ends, and if these perturbations are beyond the systems natural variance. Changes in sediment chemistry reflect changes in physical, biological and anthropogenic processes shaping Earth's surface, recording change in climate, rivers, glacial ice, and ocean conditions and productivity, and humans. This Major Research Instrumentation award funds the acquisition of a high-resolution scanner for rapid, cost-effective and non-destructive analyses of major and trace elemental content of sedimentary records to address this research theme. Next-generation high-resolution scanners measure elemental concentrations from Aluminum to Uranium at high precision and high resolution, and co-register a high-resolution color image of the sample and/or an internal image. These data are collected orders of magnitude faster than traditional wet-chemistry and imaging approaches (hours vs. weeks-months), and the high resolution of scanning is impossible to achieve by physical sampling. This rapidity of data acquisition via next generation high resolution scanning at otherwise impossible resolutions opens new doors for tackling questions of Earth's natural systems behaviors over their full dynamic range including human impacts. The acquisition of a high-resolution elemental scanner and its pairing with the Oregon State University-Marine Geology Repository will have an immediate broad impact on the Pacific Northwest research community where this instrument is greatly needed, and service will extend to national and international research communities. The instrument will enhance at least 10 courses with for experiential learning, and train graduate and undergraduate students in data-intensive geochemical studies. The scanner will promote diversity in Earth sciences through its use of Research Experience for Undergraduates and Increasing Diversity in Earth Sciences programs, coaching underrepresented groups in state-of-the-art studies of Earth's natural systems.Researchers at Oregon State and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) will use rapid, high-resolution, and accurate measurements of geochemical changes in sedimentary records to track variations in Earth's natural systems from sediment source to sink. A next-generation X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanner purchased with this award will be an essential tool for the study of sedimentary geochemical archives of Earth system processes. OSU's acquisition of an XRF scanner would be the first such instrument in the Pacific Northwest, significantly advancing scientific exploration. CEOAS has extensive experience managing large labs, analytical equipment, and serving external users. The NSF-funded OSU Marine Geology Repository will house the XRF scanner, efficient for application to one of the nation's largest core archives and complementing existing tools including Geotek multisensing core logging tracks and medical CT-scanner. These tools will serve the OSU, regional, national and international research communities. Availability of advanced high-resolution sensing tools will support data-intensive projects consistent with modern "big data" initiatives like NSF's EarthCube. Specific research programs that the instrument will immediately catalyze include: 1) Reconstructing the Quaternary history of the Greenland, Cordilleran, Laurentide and Antarctic ice sheets and their sensitivity to global warming using existing and new sediment archives. 2) Paleoclimate studies of ocean climate adjacent to these ice sheets, tropical Pacific changes and their impact on the carbon cycle, and late-Holocene seasonal to century-scale changes in the high latitudes, all of which are to determine the range of natural variability relative to recent deviations. 3) Construct seasonal to century-scale changes in Earth's critical zone that extends from the top of vegetation to the base of weathered bedrock upon which humanity depends and is impacting. 4) Investigate preindustrial paleoenvironments and human-landscape interactions, a baseline for recent critical zone changes. 5) Document the frequency and severity of past earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest and their impacts on the critical zone.