MRI: Acquisition of an X-Ray Fluorescence scanner for automated high-resolution sensing of Earth system archives

越来越多的证据表明，人类对地球自然系统的影响是普遍的，因此必须评估这些不同系统的自然变异性，人类对平均状态或极端状态的扰动程度，以及这些扰动是否超出了系统的自然变异。沉积物化学的变化反映了塑造地球表面的物理、生物和人为过程的变化，记录了气候、河流、冰川冰、海洋条件和生产力以及人类的变化。这项主要研究仪器奖资助购买一台高分辨率扫描仪，用于对沉积记录的主要和微量元素含量进行快速，具有成本效益和非破坏性的分析，以解决这一研究主题。下一代高分辨率扫描仪以高精度和高分辨率测量从铝到铀的元素浓度，并配准样品的高分辨率彩色图像和/或内部图像。这些数据的收集速度比传统的湿化学和成像方法快几个数量级（小时与周-月），并且扫描的高分辨率是物理采样无法实现的。通过下一代高分辨率扫描以其他不可能的分辨率快速获取数据，为解决地球自然系统在其全动态范围内的行为问题（包括人类影响）打开了新的大门。购买高分辨率元素扫描仪并与俄勒冈州州立大学海洋地质储存库配对，将立即对太平洋西北地区的研究界产生广泛影响，那里非常需要这种仪器，服务将扩展到国家和国际研究界。该仪器将加强至少10门课程的经验学习，并在数据密集型地球化学研究方面培训研究生和本科生。该扫描仪将通过使用本科生研究经验和增加地球科学多样性项目，指导代表性不足的群体进行地球自然系统的最先进研究，促进地球科学的多样性。俄勒冈州和地球，海洋和大气科学学院（CEOAS）的研究人员将使用快速，高分辨率，精确测量沉积物记录中的地球化学变化，以跟踪地球自然系统从沉积物源到沉积物汇的变化。利用该奖项购买的下一代X射线荧光（XRF）扫描仪将成为研究地球系统过程沉积地球化学档案的重要工具。俄勒冈州立大学购买的XRF扫描仪将是太平洋西北地区的第一台此类仪器，大大推进了科学探索。CEOAS拥有管理大型实验室、分析设备和服务外部用户的丰富经验。NSF资助的俄勒冈州立大学海洋地质资料库将容纳XRF扫描仪，该扫描仪可有效应用于全国最大的岩心档案之一，并补充现有的工具，包括Geotek多传感岩心测井轨道和医疗CT扫描仪。这些工具将服务于俄勒冈州立大学，区域，国家和国际研究界。先进的高分辨率传感工具的可用性将支持与现代“大数据”倡议（如NSF的EarthCube）相一致的数据密集型项目。该仪器将立即促进的具体研究计划包括：1）利用现有和新的沉积物档案重建格陵兰岛，科迪勒拉，劳伦蒂德和南极冰盖的第四纪历史及其对全球变暖的敏感性。2)对这些冰盖附近的海洋气候、热带太平洋的变化及其对碳循环的影响以及全新世晚期高纬度地区的季节性至世纪性变化进行古气候研究，所有这些研究都是为了确定相对于近期偏差的自然变率范围。3)构建地球关键地带的季节性到世纪规模的变化，从植被的顶部延伸到人类依赖和影响的风化基岩的底部。4)调查工业化前的古环境和人类景观的相互作用，最近的关键区变化的基线。5)记录太平洋西北部过去地震的频率和严重程度及其对临界区的影响。

The growing evidence for pervasive impacts of humanity on Earth's natural systems makes it critical to assess natural variability in these diverse systems, the extent to which humans perturbed the mean state or extreme ends, and if these perturbations are beyond the systems natural variance. Changes in sediment chemistry reflect changes in physical, biological and anthropogenic processes shaping Earth's surface, recording change in climate, rivers, glacial ice, and ocean conditions and productivity, and humans. This Major Research Instrumentation award funds the acquisition of a high-resolution scanner for rapid, cost-effective and non-destructive analyses of major and trace elemental content of sedimentary records to address this research theme. Next-generation high-resolution scanners measure elemental concentrations from Aluminum to Uranium at high precision and high resolution, and co-register a high-resolution color image of the sample and/or an internal image. These data are collected orders of magnitude faster than traditional wet-chemistry and imaging approaches (hours vs. weeks-months), and the high resolution of scanning is impossible to achieve by physical sampling. This rapidity of data acquisition via next generation high resolution scanning at otherwise impossible resolutions opens new doors for tackling questions of Earth's natural systems behaviors over their full dynamic range including human impacts. The acquisition of a high-resolution elemental scanner and its pairing with the Oregon State University-Marine Geology Repository will have an immediate broad impact on the Pacific Northwest research community where this instrument is greatly needed, and service will extend to national and international research communities. The instrument will enhance at least 10 courses with for experiential learning, and train graduate and undergraduate students in data-intensive geochemical studies. The scanner will promote diversity in Earth sciences through its use of Research Experience for Undergraduates and Increasing Diversity in Earth Sciences programs, coaching underrepresented groups in state-of-the-art studies of Earth's natural systems.Researchers at Oregon State and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) will use rapid, high-resolution, and accurate measurements of geochemical changes in sedimentary records to track variations in Earth's natural systems from sediment source to sink. A next-generation X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanner purchased with this award will be an essential tool for the study of sedimentary geochemical archives of Earth system processes. OSU's acquisition of an XRF scanner would be the first such instrument in the Pacific Northwest, significantly advancing scientific exploration. CEOAS has extensive experience managing large labs, analytical equipment, and serving external users. The NSF-funded OSU Marine Geology Repository will house the XRF scanner, efficient for application to one of the nation's largest core archives and complementing existing tools including Geotek multisensing core logging tracks and medical CT-scanner. These tools will serve the OSU, regional, national and international research communities. Availability of advanced high-resolution sensing tools will support data-intensive projects consistent with modern "big data" initiatives like NSF's EarthCube. Specific research programs that the instrument will immediately catalyze include: 1) Reconstructing the Quaternary history of the Greenland, Cordilleran, Laurentide and Antarctic ice sheets and their sensitivity to global warming using existing and new sediment archives. 2) Paleoclimate studies of ocean climate adjacent to these ice sheets, tropical Pacific changes and their impact on the carbon cycle, and late-Holocene seasonal to century-scale changes in the high latitudes, all of which are to determine the range of natural variability relative to recent deviations. 3) Construct seasonal to century-scale changes in Earth's critical zone that extends from the top of vegetation to the base of weathered bedrock upon which humanity depends and is impacting. 4) Investigate preindustrial paleoenvironments and human-landscape interactions, a baseline for recent critical zone changes. 5) Document the frequency and severity of past earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest and their impacts on the critical zone.