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有力工具，例如确保足够的矿产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，Kendall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。从富含有机物的沉积岩中获得的铀-铀-铊同位素数据和金属浓度数据是一种新的方法，可以使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的变化。对全球中元古代至泥盆纪沉积岩（18.5亿至3.6亿年前）的分析将提供新的见解，说明允许的环境条件与遗传和生态因素对地球上最初动物多样化的时间和古生代动物进化模式的相对重要性。为了帮助实现这一目标，现代湖泊在西北部安大略（实验湖区），代表了早期地球海洋化学的现代模拟将进行研究，以更好地了解金属同位素行为与金属去除缺氧和富铁沃茨的有机物丰富的沉积物。这方面的研究还将研究有害蓝藻水华扩散期间湖泊的变化，从而为环境保护和修复战略提供信息。在世界级的布鲁克斯岭铅锌银区（阿拉斯加），来自热液未蚀变和蚀变的富含有机物的沉积岩以及与热液活动同时沉积的岩石的铀-铀-铊同位素耦合数据将有助于更好地了解沉积物承载的铅锌矿化的形成，这将有助于勘探公司寻找新的矿床。 ** 加拿大的经济和环境的未来是至关重要的，有足够的专业知识来处理有关勘探/开采自然资源和保护/修复环境的科学挑战。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。研究生获得的分析技能将在高需求，因为在金属同位素地球化学的研究正在迅速扩大在地球，环境和行星科学的各个方面。因此，参与拟议的研究计划的研究生将拥有一套技能，这将是有吸引力的就业在加拿大学术机构，政府研究机构，以及与自然资源，环境，医学地质学和分析化学相关的行业职位。

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.**