Acquisition of a gas bench for stable isotopic analysis of carbonates and water

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Carbonate minerals are an integral part of many natural systems including petroleum reservoirs, sedimentary basins, magmatic rocks, and salt lakes.  Otoliths, which are fish ears, are also made up of calcium carbonate.  These carbonate minerals can preserve a rich record of fluid-solid interaction that may be exploited to aid our efforts to understand many geological processes including hydrocarbon accumulation in sandstone reservoirs, paleoclimates, generation and chemical evolution of carbonatitic magmas and fluids, and assess migratory behavior of fresh and salt water fish from different latitudes.  However, recovery of this information requires the capability to perform high precision carbon (C) and oxygen (O) isotopic analyses with sub-per mil accuracy.  This RTI proposal requests funds for a gas bench system for C and O isotopic analyses of carbonates and waters. The gas bench is a versatile device used for automated acid digestion and C and O isotopic analysis of carbonate minerals (e.g., calcite, dolomite, magnesite, siderite, and ankerite) and gases, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in fluids, and is capable of stripping and analyzing O from water.  It is the method of choice for accurate and precise isotopic characterization of carbonate minerals and waters that can rapidly (96 samples/12 hours) analyze much smaller samples (µg vs. mg).  The instruments funded under this RTI proposal will be used to train student users and external collaborators in state-of-the-art techniques for making C and O stable isotope analyses of carbonate minerals.  This research will help refine paleoclimatic models, improve our understanding of global warming and provide techniques that can be used to effectively explore for petroleum, which will benefit Canada and the private sector.