Operation of a National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spec

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The National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (NOSAMS) was established to provide analyses of 14C at natural levels. NOSAMS plays an important role in the oceanographic community by generating high accuracy, high precision 14C data in a timely manner for seawater, groundwater, organic carbon (OC), carbonates, sediments, individual compounds, and other materials. The three-pronged mission of NOSAMS is to make high quality radiocarbon measurements accessible to the ocean sciences community, to continuously improve and develop new measurement capabilities, and to serve as an educational and outreach resource. NOSAMS provides significant training opportunities for early career scientists, and especially graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Graduates are offered internships that will lead to experience gained from running their own samples, and publication of the results. Postdocs will be supported for 2-year terms through the award, as well as a WHOI postdoc at no cost to this award. The PIs plan to hold a series of one-day short courses every year at either OSM or AGU Fall meetings.NOSAMS is unique in offering comprehensive radiocarbon services and expertise to a diverse community of users. NOSAMS has provided data that is critical to understanding geophysical process in the earth's surface environment, for example past and present ocean circulation, and biogeochemical cycling of carbon. Water samples collected as part of two major NSF-funded experiments known as the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) and Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) have comprised a significant fraction of samples analyzed by NOSAMS to date. NOSAMS will continue to provide 14C analysis for the oceanographic community for the next five years and will continue to research new methods for 14C dating. Over the next five years NOSAMS plans to capitalize on the new capabilities of the recently installed MIni CArbon DAting System (MICADAS) and to streamline operations by increasing automation. The hybrid gas interfaces of the MICADAS offer new opportunities for rapid measurements, new procedures, and new sample types.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.