Community Facility Support for Geochronology and Thermochronology at the Arizona LaserChron Center

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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, with micron-scale spatial resolution, and with the precision necessary to address a wide range of problems in Earth Science. The Arizona LaserChron Center (ALC) is a community 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 U-Th-Pb ages, Hf isotope ratios, and trace element concentrations of the best precision, accuracy, and spatial resolution possible from LA-ICPMS, (2) provide opportunities for researchers from around the world (and especially NSF-supported scientists) to use our instruments and expertise to address geologic problems, (3) drive the development of new techniques and applications of geochronology, thermochronology, and petrochronology, (4) build new cyberinfrastructure for data acquisition, analysis, and archiving, and (5) use every aspect of facility operation as an opportunity to enhance expertise and diversity among geochronologists and users of geochronology. 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. These projects focus on generating new knowledge about the growth of continents, emergence of life, processes of mountain building, mechanisms and timing of volcanic eruptions, distribution of sediment through space and time, formation of mineral, energy, and water resources, and linkages between climate and tectonics. The ALC will also continue to help drive the development of numerous new analytical techniques, applications, and instruments, as well as the cyberinfrastructure needed to utilize and integrate the information generated. Educational activities will include hosting visits from several hundred faculty and student researchers per year, teaching short courses at annual meetings, developing materials that can be used in Earth Science courses, providing opportunities for non-scientists to learn about geochronology, creating new tools for displaying and interpreting geochronologic data, and driving the development of global databases that host U-Th-Pb geochronologic information.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.