Further development of redox-sensitive metal isotopes as tracers for sedimentary systems

氧化还原敏感的金属同位素系统正在成为解决进化中的基本问题和重大社会挑战的强大工具，例如确保足够的矿物和能源资源，以维持日益先进的技术社会，同时保护环境。在接下来的五年里，肯德尔博士的团队将进一步开发和应用现有的和创新的氧化还原敏感金属同位素系统(钼、铀、铊)，作为现代和古代沉积系统的示踪剂。来自富含有机物质的沉积岩的钼-铀-铊同位素数据和金属浓度数据是利用创新的数学模型以更定量的方式跟踪海洋氧化程度随时间变化的新方法。对全球一套中元古代至泥盆纪(18.5亿至3.6亿年前)沉积岩的分析将提供新的见解，以了解可允许的环境条件与遗传和生态因素在地球上最初动物多样化的时间上的相对重要性，以及古生代动物进化的模式。为了帮助实现这一目标，将对安大略省西北部(实验湖地区)的现代湖泊进行研究，这些湖泊代表着早期地球海洋化学的现代类似物，以更好地了解金属同位素行为，这些行为与从缺氧和富铁的水域到富含有机物质的沉积物中金属的去除有关。这方面的研究还将研究有害蓝藻水华繁殖期间湖泊的变化，从而为环境保护和补救战略提供参考。来自热液未蚀变和蚀变的富有机沉积岩以及世界级布鲁克斯山脉铅锌银区(阿拉斯加)与热液活动同时沉积的岩石的钼-铀-铊同位素组合数据将有助于更好地了解沉积物赋存铅锌矿化的形成，这将有助于勘探公司寻找新的矿藏。*对加拿大的经济和环境未来至关重要的是，加拿大必须有足够的专门知识来应对自然资源勘探/开采和环境保护/补救方面的科学挑战。肯德尔博士在滑铁卢的金属同位素地球化学实验室为研究生提供了一个高质量的研究培训环境。由于金属同位素地球化学的研究在地球、环境和行星科学的各个方面都在迅速扩展，因此研究生获得的分析技能将是非常需要的。因此，参与拟议研究计划的研究生将拥有在加拿大学术机构、政府研究机构和与自然资源、环境、医学地质学和分析化学相关的行业职位上具有吸引力的技能。

Redox-sensitive metal isotope systems are emerging as powerful tools to address fundamental questions in evolution and major societal challenges such as securing sufficient mineral and energy resources to sustain an increasingly advanced technological society while simultaneously protecting the environment. Over the next five years, Dr. Kendall's group will further develop and apply established and innovative redox-sensitive metal isotope systems (molybdenum, uranium, thallium) as tracers for modern and ancient sedimentary systems. Coupled molybdenum-uranium-thallium isotope data and metal concentration data from organic-rich sedimentary rocks represents a novel approach for tracking changes in the extent of ocean oxygenation through time in a more quantitative manner using innovative mathematical models. Analysis of a global set of middle Proterozoic to Devonian sedimentary rocks (1,850 to 360 million years ago) will provide new insights on the relative importance of permissible environmental conditions versus genetic and ecological factors on the timing of initial animal diversification on Earth and on patterns of animal evolution in the Paleozoic Era. To help accomplish this objective, modern lakes in northwestern Ontario (Experimental Lakes Area) that represent a modern analogue for early Earth ocean chemistry will be studied to better understand metal isotope behavior associated with metal removal from anoxic and iron-rich waters to organic-rich sediments. This aspect of the research will also study changes to the lakes during the proliferation of harmful cyanobacterial algal blooms and thus will inform strategies for environmental protection and remediation. Coupled molybdenum-uranium-thallium isotope data from hydrothermally unaltered and altered organic-rich sedimentary rocks as well as rocks deposited simultaneously with hydrothermal activity in the world-class Brooks Range lead-zinc-silver district (Alaska) will help better understand the formation of sediment-hosted lead-zinc mineralization, which will aid exploration companies with finding new ore deposits. ******It is critical to Canada's economic and environmental future that there is sufficient expertise to handle scientific challenges regarding exploration/exploitation of natural resources and protection/remediation of the environment. Dr. Kendall's Metal Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory at Waterloo offers graduate students a high-quality research training environment. Analytical skills acquired by graduate students will be in high demand because research in metal isotope geochemistry is rapidly expanding in all aspects of the Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences. Hence, the graduate students involved in the proposed research program will have a skill set that will be attractive for employment in Canadian academic institutions, government research organizations, and industry positions related to natural resources, environment, medical geology, and analytical chemistry.**