Acquisition of a clumped isotope gas-source isotope-ratio mass spectrometer and carbonate device for inclusive research and education at the University of Washington

获得的质谱仪和样品制备设备将用于推进地球系统科学各个领域的研究和教育，包括地质学、古气候学、生物学和海洋科学。新仪器将大大提高华盛顿大学（UW）新地球化学方法的分析能力，以精确测量在土壤、湖泊、海洋、断层带、热液系统和实验室实验中形成的碳酸盐矿物的温度和化学性质。温度估计和尖端的化学分析将支持对现代和古代环境的研究，以研究地球的气候系统，过去的大气二氧化碳浓度，科罗拉多高原等地貌的起源，以及生物多样性的地质驱动因素。对珊瑚和有壳生物的分析将支持与生态学、生理学和生物化学有关的环境和海洋科学研究。该仪器还将能够分析断层带和热液系统中形成的矿物，以研究地下流体和断层的相互作用，古地震以及与矿床，关键金属和二氧化碳封存有关的化学反应。此次仪器采购提供的研究和教育机会将推动UW和地球科学界的跨学科研究和教育。该奖项将通过直接支持代表性不足的少数民族学生和广泛传播包容性参与本科生的最佳做法，促进本科生实验室培训和研究的公平性。仪器的收购将大大加强基础设施的基本地球科学研究和教育，并有助于技术创新，社会相关的科学发现，并建立多元化的干人才。该奖项支持购买和安装新的碳酸盐样品制备设备和高精度气源同位素比质谱仪（IRMS），以测量UW的CO2聚集同位素，推进构造学，古气候，地球化学和其他地球科学学科的跨学科研究。获得IRMS和样品制备系统将能够对小（0.5毫克）碳酸盐样品进行快速、高精度的完整稳定同位素分析（质量44 - 49），用于广泛的正在进行的新研究，包括双聚团同位素分析的新应用，并释放现有仪器，以大幅提高新的三氧同位素分析能力。该系统将取代1）用于大（8-10 mg）碳酸盐样品的离线定制制备系统，2）现有的IRMS，其具有用于传统块状样品的改良收集器，（质量47过量）2012年在NSF资助下获得的工作，这两项工作都将进行优化，以支持碳酸盐氧-17过量分析;以及3）更换不再提供可靠的常规碳酸盐体稳定同位素数据的老化仪器。通过这种方式，拟议的仪器采购将被用来扩大碳酸氧-17过量分析，传统的散装稳定同位素分析的能力，并实现新的高精度双聚集同位素（47和48过量）分析小样本，大大受益于数百名地球科学研究人员和学生。拟议的研究与教育和外联紧密结合。该项目将通过以下方式增加本科生地球科学实验室的机会：1）与代表性不足的少数民族本科生的队列计划合作，直接支持学生技术培训和研究; 2）在全国范围内传播基于研究的实践，以增强归属感，可访问性，正义，公平，多样性，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The acquisition of a mass spectrometer and sample preparation equipment will be used to advance research and education in diverse fields of Earth-system science including geology, paleoclimate, and biological and ocean sciences. The new instrumentation will greatly enhance analytical capabilities in new geochemistry methods at the University of Washington (UW) to precisely measure the temperature and chemistry of carbonate minerals when formed in soils, lakes, oceans, fault zones, hydrothermal systems, and laboratory experiments. The temperature estimates and cutting-edge chemical analyses will support research on modern and ancient environments to study Earth’s climate system, past atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, the origin of landforms like the Colorado Plateau, and geologic drivers of biodiversity. Analyses of corals and shelled organisms will support environmental and marine sciences research relevant to ecology, physiology, and biochemistry. The instrumentation will also enable analysis of minerals formed in fault zones and hydrothermal systems to study the interactions of sub-surface fluids and faulting, ancient earthquakes, and chemical reactions relevant to ore deposits, critical metals, and carbon dioxide sequestration. The research and educational opportunities provided by this instrument acquisition will advance trans-disciplinary research and education at UW and in the Earth science community. The award will advance equity in undergraduate laboratory training and research through direct support of underrepresented minority students and broad dissemination of best practices for inclusive engagement with undergraduates. The instrument acquisition will substantially enhance infrastructure for essential Earth sciences research and education and contribute to technological innovation, societally-relevant scientific discovery, and building diverse STEM talent. This award supports the acquisition and installation of a new carbonate sample preparation device and high-precision gas-source isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) to measure clumped isotopologues of CO2 at UW, to advance interdisciplinary research in tectonics, paleoclimate, geochemistry, and other Earth-science disciplines. The acquisition of the IRMS and sample preparation system will enable rapid, high-precision complete stable isotopic analysis (masses 44 - 49 inclusive) of small (0.5 mg) carbonate samples for a wide range of ongoing and new research including novel applications of dual-clumped isotope analysis, and free up existing instrumentation to substantially increase capacity for novel triple-oxygen-isotope analyses. The system will replace 1) an off-line custom preparation system for large (8-10 mg) carbonate samples, 2) an existing IRMS with modified collector for traditional clumped (mass 47 excess) work acquired with NSF funding in 2012, both of which will be optimized to support carbonate oxygen-17 excess analyses; and 3) replace ageing instrumentation that no longer provides reliable conventional carbonate bulk stable isotope data. In this way, the proposed instrument acquisition will be leveraged to expand capabilities for carbonate oxygen-17 excess analysis, traditional bulk stable isotope analyses, and enable new high-precision dual clumped isotope (47 and 48 excess) analyses of small samples, substantially benefitting hundreds of Earth-science researchers and students. The proposed research is tightly integrated with education and outreach. The project will increase undergraduate geoscience lab opportunities through 1) direct support for student technical training and research in partnership with a cohort program for underrepresented minority undergraduates, and 2) national dissemination of research-based practices for enhancing belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in undergraduate geoscience laboratory research and training.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.