A cryogenic laser ablation cell for trace metal and isotopic analyses of ice cores

用于冰芯痕量金属和同位素分析的低温激光烧蚀室

• 批准号: RTI-2017-00440
• 负责人: Pearson, David
• 金额: $ 7.08万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=616676
• 关键词: cryogenic; laser; ablation; cell; trace

The development of the new Canadian Ice Core Archive (CICA) at the University of Alberta, operational from Jan 2017, presents a unique opportunity to establish an on-site capability to measure the trace element and isotopic fingerprints of ice-borne dust in ice sheets across Canada and its arctic regions. Ice cores are key sources of data on past atmospheres, climate and climate changes, and on the rates, pathways and histories of atmospheric transport of natural dusts, aerosols and a diverse array of pollutants to Polar and high mountain regions. The relatively high accumulation rates of ice sheets compared to other proxies for climate change such as ocean sediments mean that the temporal resolution of data can be measured to unprecedented resolution, if new technological solutions can be found. Laser ablation micro-sampling coupled to ultra-sensitive plasma mass spectrometry is key to accessing this information at high temporal resolution. This proposal aims to establish a unique facility in Canada for the laser ablation analysis of ice core samples by acquisition of a custom-designed cryogenically cooled laser ablation cell that is fully compatible with existing state-of-the-art mass spectrometry and laser ablation hardware recently installed at the Arctic Resources Laboratory at the University of Alberta. The facility will enable the minimally destructive analysis of trace elements and isotopes of lead in ice cores. These geochemical proxies act as faithful fingerprints of the source of origin of dust particles. Adding the cryogenically cooled laser ablation cell and sample handling module to an existing deep UV laser ablation system will create a powerful need tool. In addition to maximizing, by orders of magnitude, the preservation of ice core during analysis, and attending new levels of temporal resolution, laser ablation offers a solution to the significant problems of preferential leaching that beset melting and solution analysis approaches. The new cryogenic ablation cell will be a centre-piece analytical capability for the national CICA facility, accessible to the Canadian and international visiting scientists. The cryogenic ablation cell will have broader applications in the measurement and source tracing of airborne pollutants around extraction resource industries and in the analysis of brain and other tissues. It will form a focus of HQP training in innovative new approaches to environmental analysis and monitoring. The cryogenic ablation facility would be investing in, and enhancing world class scientific infrastructure within Canada

加拿大阿尔伯塔大学的新加拿大冰芯档案馆（CICA）于2017年1月开始运作，为建立现场能力提供了一个独特的机会，可以测量加拿大及其北极地区冰原中冰载尘埃的微量元素和同位素指纹。冰芯是关于过去大气、气候和气候变化以及自然尘埃、气溶胶和各种污染物向极地和高山地区大气输送的速率、途径和历史的关键数据来源。与其他气候变化代用品（如海洋沉积物）相比，冰盖的积累率相对较高，这意味着如果能够找到新的技术解决方案，可以将数据的时间分辨率测量到前所未有的分辨率。激光烧蚀微采样耦合超灵敏等离子体质谱是获得高时间分辨率信息的关键。