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

地质年代学方法和仪器的最新发展正在给地球科学研究的许多不同方面带来革命性的变化。激光消融电感耦合等离子体质谱(LA-ICPMS)推动了一些最令人兴奋的进展，它以微米级的空间分辨率快速产生U-Th-Pb年龄和补充的地球化学信息，并具有解决地球科学中广泛问题所需的精度。亚利桑那州激光计时中心(ALC)是一个社区设施，它利用LA-ICPMS来确定沉积、火成岩和变质岩中各种矿物的U-Th-Pb年龄、Hf同位素比值和微量元素丰度。我们还使用了专用的扫描电子显微镜，可以生成最先进的显微分析所需的高分辨率和高倍率图像。ALC的主要目标是(1)从LA-ICPMS获得尽可能高精度、准确度和空间分辨率的U-Th-Pb年龄、Hf同位素比值和微量元素浓度，(2)为来自世界各地的研究人员(特别是美国国家科学基金会资助的科学家)提供机会，利用我们的仪器和专业知识解决地质问题，(3)推动地质年代学、热年代学和岩石年代学新技术和应用的发展，(4)为数据采集、分析和存档建立新的网络基础设施，以及(5)利用设施运营的每一个方面作为一个机会，加强地质年代学家和地质年代学使用者之间的专业知识和多样性。ALC的研究是在高度协作的模式下进行的，ALC的科学家为项目的各个方面提供帮助(从研究的初始设计到结果的最终发布)，来自其他机构的教职员工和学生访问实验室来生成他们自己的数据并学习U-Th-Pb年代学的理论和方法。从这个奖项中获得的资金将使ALC能够促进获得地质年代学信息，以支持NSF资助的大量项目。这些项目侧重于产生关于大陆的生长、生命的出现、造山过程、火山喷发的机制和时间、沉积物在空间和时间上的分布、矿物、能源和水资源的形成以及气候和构造之间的联系的新知识。ALC还将继续帮助推动开发许多新的分析技术、应用程序和仪器，以及利用和整合所产生的信息所需的网络基础设施。教育活动将包括每年接待数百名教职员工和学生研究人员的访问，在年度会议上教授短期课程，开发可用于地球科学课程的材料，为非科学家提供学习地质年代学的机会，创造显示和解释地质年代学数据的新工具，并推动托管U-Th-Pb年代学信息的全球数据库的开发。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.