TS: Advancing and Broadening Access to Laser-Ablation (U-Th)/He Thermochronlogy

该项目将为CU TRAIL(科罗拉多大学博尔德分校-热年代学研究和仪器实验室)的人力基础设施支助提供资金，以帮助将高空间分辨率的LA-(U-Th)/He热年代学从世界各地少数地质年代学家才能获得的专门方法转变为可供国家地球科学界广泛使用的技术。(U-Th)/He测年现在是约束热历史的基本工具，应用于构造、构造、地貌、沉积、岩石学、火山成因和行星研究的一系列领域。现有的(U-Th)/He数据几乎都是常规的全晶体分析。激光烧蚀(LA)-(U-Th)/He测年，即对一小部分晶体进行一种或多种分析，具有丰富各种研究的巨大潜力。CU轨迹目前是美国地球科学界全晶体(U-Th)/He数据和培训的主要来源。该项目将通过加快TRAIL的LA-(U-Th)/He开发活动，并提供必要的资源，以更广泛地提供这一强大的技术，类似地为LATE中的LA-(U-Th)/He数据和培训创建社区资源。应用领域包括更高效地生成大N碎屑(U-Th)/(He-Pb)双日期数据集、用于约束基岩热历史的多点(U-Th)/He数据剖面、可与其他类型的颗粒内数据(例如拉曼)集成的单晶内(U-Th)/He图、原地岩石年代学以及对常规方法面临分析挑战的矿物的分析。新的TRAIL团队成员还将建立新的BAJEDI重点活动，并参与现有的BAJEDI活动，包括与丹佛一所79%的少数族裔STEM重点公立高中建立新的合作伙伴关系，实验室首次参与CU提升研究计划，该计划将代表少数族裔纳入STEM研究项目，并通过RESESS(学生在固体地球科学中的研究经验)计划与正在获得TRAIL暑期研究经验的少数族裔学生互动。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。

This project will provide funds for human infrastructure support in the CU TRaIL (University of Colorado Boulder - Thermochronology Research and Instrumentation Lab) to help transform high-spatial resolution, LA-(U-Th)/He thermochronology from a specialty method accessible to only a handful of geochronologists worldwide into a technique available for widespread use by the national geoscience community. (U-Th)/He dating is now a fundamental tool for constraining thermal histories, with applications across a spectrum of tectonic, structural, geomorphic, sedimentary, petrologic, volcanogenic, and planetary studies. Nearly all existing (U-Th)/He data are conventional whole-crystal analyses. Laser ablation (LA)-(U-Th)/He dating, in which one or more analyses are acquired on a small portion of a crystal, holds tremendous potential to enrich a wide variety of research. The CU TRaIL currently serves as a major source of whole-crystal (U-Th)/He data and training for the U.S. Earth science community. This project will similarly create a community resource for LA-(U-Th)/He data and training in TRaIL, by accelerating TRaIL’s LA-(U-Th)/He development activities and providing the resources necessary to offer this powerful technique more widely. Areas of application include more efficient generation of large-N detrital (U-Th)/(He-Pb) double-date datasets, multi-spot (U-Th)/He date profiles to constrain bedrock thermal histories, single-grain intracrystalline (U-Th)/He maps that can be integrated with other types of intra-grain data (e.g., Raman), in situ petrochronology, and analysis of minerals for which analytical challenges are posed by the conventional method. The new TRaIL team member will also establish new and engage in existing BAJEDI-focused activities that include a new partnership with a 79% minority, STEM-focused public high school in Denver, involvement of the lab for the first time in the CU Uplift Research Program that entrains underrepresented minorities in STEM research projects, and interacting with underrepresented minority students who are obtaining a summer research experience in TRaIL through the RESESS (Research Experiences in Solid Earth Science for Students) program.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.