Acquisition of High-Precision Water Isotope Analyzer for Arid-Zone Hydrology

由于人类活动、农业和气候变化的增加，干旱和半干旱地区正在扩大并变得更加干燥。包括西德克萨斯州在内的美国西南部的可持续发展，关键取决于创造性和有效地利用水资源，水资源是社会最重要的自然资源。水在地表和地表以下的迁移在干旱和半干旱环境的水循环中起着关键作用。美国国家科学基金会的这笔赠款支持德克萨斯理工大学购买一台高精度红外激光光谱仪，用于水的同位素分析。这一工具将提供新的研究机会，从而在这些地区更好地保护水资源。它还将为本科生、研究生和得不到充分服务的少数民族学生提供机会，作为他们学习的一部分，开展具有科学和社会意义的研究项目。这项来自美国国家科学基金会的拨款支持德克萨斯理工大学购买高精度红外（IR）激光光谱仪，用于水的同位素分析。该仪器能够测量，除了传统的δ 2 H和δ 18 O值，17 O-过量，这是一种新的，非常有用的示踪水扩散控制的水文过程，如蒸发的水从表面和土壤沃茨。因此，结合使用#948; 2 H-#948; 18 O-17 O-过量值可以帮助我们进一步了解干旱和半干旱地区的水的行为和运输。迄今为止，只有少数实验室通过高度熟练的同位素比质谱法对水进行了高精度的17 O过量测量。然而，商业化的高精度水同位素分析仪的最新发展使得除了#948; 2 H和#948; 18 O值之外，还能够常规地高精度测量17 O过量（15/meg）。该仪器的获得将有利于西德克萨斯州和邻近的美国西南地区的几个当前和未来的同位素水文项目，涉及德克萨斯理工大学，联邦和地区机构的许多研究人员。它还将为本科生、研究生和服务不足的少数民族学生提供机会，作为他们课程的一部分，开展具有科学和社会重要性的研究项目。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Arid and semi-arid zones are expanding and becoming drier due to increasing human activity, agriculture, and climate change. Sustainable development of the southwestern United States, including West Texas, critically depends on creative and efficient use of water resources, which are the most important natural resource to society. The transport of water at and below the surface plays a key role in the water cycle in arid and semi-arid environments. This grant from the National Science Foundation supports the purchase of a high-precision infrared laser spectrometer at Texas Tech University for isotopic analysis of water. This instrument will provide new research opportunities that will lead to better water conservation in these regions. It will also provide undergraduate, graduate and underserved minority students with opportunities to conduct scientifically and socially important research projects as part of their studies. This grant from the National Science Foundation supports the acquisition of a high-precision infrared (IR) laser spectrometer at Texas Tech University for isotopic analysis of water. This instrument is capable of measuring, in addition to conventional δ2H and δ18O values, the 17O-excess, which is a novel, very useful tracer of water for diffusion-controlled hydrologic processes such as evaporation of water from surface and soil waters. Thus, a combined use of δ2H - δ18O -17O-excess values can help advance our understanding of the behavior and transport of water in arid and semi-arid zones. To date, high-precision 17O-excess measurements of water have been conducted only by a select few laboratories via highly skilled isotope ratio mass spectrometry. However, recent developments of commercial, high-precision water isotope analyzers enable routine, high-precision measurements of 17O-excess (15 per meg), in addition to δ2H and δ18O values. The acquisition of this instrument will benefit several current and future isotope hydrology projects in West Texas and adjacent U.S. southwest regions, involving many researchers from Texas Tech University, and Federal and regional agencies. It will also provide undergraduate, graduate and underserved minority students with opportunities to conduct scientifically and socially important research projects as part of their curriculum.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.