EA/Ed: Acquisition of a carbon dioxide and methane Cavity Ringdown Spectrometer for education and research

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Carbon occurs in many different chemical phases on Earth. As with elements in general, carbon is converted from one phase to another as part of a geochemical cycle. Importantly, carbon may be incorporated into greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and fossil fuels (among other phases), providing both societal and economic motivation to understand its chemical behavior. This project incorporates research and educational activities to promote a better understanding of how carbon is converted into different materials as part of the natural carbon cycle through geochemical data collection in the field, laboratory and classroom. Project participants will include students at the high school, community college and university levels, many of whom come from underrepresented groups in the sciences. Characterization of the carbon cycle requires an understanding of how phases are converted across Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. This can be achieved through carbon concentration and stable isotope composition geochemical analyses. This project will explore many aspects of the carbon cycle related to greenhouse gas production, microbe-induced mineral formation, biologically critical intervals in Earth’s history and wildfire ash formation, among others. Recent technological advances have led to the development of relatively inexpensive and broadly accessible instrumentation (Cavity Ringdown Spectrometers) that can be used by not only experienced analytical scientists but also by more novice groups (e.g., high school students). This research and the involvement of individuals of variable technical skill level and academic knowledge will promote a far-reaching educational experience to educate next-generation scientists and scholar citizens.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.