Laboratory Technician Support: Enhanced Community Access to High-Precision U-Pb Geochronology Across the Earth Sciences

地质年代学科学提供地质时间的数值测量，确定地球历史事件的年龄，并限制形成和塑造地球的地质过程的速率和持续时间。的表面和内部。由于它在建立相关性，因果关系和速率方面的关键作用，地质年代学影响了地球科学中广泛的突出问题，从生命的进化和灭绝到板块构造和山脉带的隆起，从火成岩学和火山灾害到地质测绘和寻找矿物和能源。分析方法和技术的进步现在允许以前所未有的分辨率和更大的数量进行地质年代学测量，以应对这些挑战。博伊西州立大学同位素地质学实验室技术人员的资助将扩大其人力资源基础设施，以最大限度地有效和高效地向全国地质科学界的大部分人提供高精度U-Pb地质年代学。博伊西州立大学同位素地质学实验室在国家地质科学领域有十年的经验，先进的清洁实验室和热电离质谱方法和技术，以尽可能最好的时间分辨率测量地球物质的U-Pb同位素比和年龄。该实验室由联邦、州、大学和行业支持的组合建立和维护，在提供高精度U-Pb地质年代学数据和广泛的用户群地质年代学专业知识方面有着良好的记录。新的实验室技术和应用科学家将利用我们现有的最先进的仪器，人员和成本回收结构，成为一个面向社区的实验室，可以满足对地球系统和过程的高分辨率测年日益增长的需求。这些资源将扩大社区获取，提供教育，推广和培训，并促进创新研究和开发。除了向不同用户提供更多最高质量的锆石U-Pb年龄外，该项目的预期科学影响将包括：在热电离质谱仪中离子形成和检测方面的技术改进，通过将现场结构和地球化学分析与微量取样同位素稀释策略结合起来的岩石年代学方法，改进锆石U-Pb年龄的解释，扩大了对同一晶体进行串联原位/同位素稀释分析的用途，用于精确的碎屑锆石来源和最大沉积年龄估计，以及将放射性同位素测年、天体年代学和其他系统代用数据统计整合到年龄模型中的新策略，这些模型对解决地球系统科学最苛刻的问题至关重要。

The science of geochronology provides the numerical measurement of geological time, establishes the age of events in Earth history, and constrains the rates and durations of geological processes that form and shape the Earth?s surface and interior. Because of its key role in establishing correlation, causality, and rates, geochronology impacts a broad spectrum of outstanding problems in the Earth sciences, from the evolution and extinction of life to plate tectonics and the uplift of mountain belts, and from igneous petrology and volcanic hazards to geologic mapping and the search for mineral and energy resources. Advances in analytical methods and technology now allow geochronological measurements at unprecedented resolution and in greater quantities to address these challenges. This grant for laboratory technician support in the Isotope Geology Laboratory at Boise State University will expand its human resource infrastructure to maximize the effective and efficient delivery of high-precision U-Pb geochronology to a large cross-section of the national geoscience community.The Isotope Geology Laboratory at Boise State University has a decade of experience with state-of-the-art clean laboratory and thermal ionization mass spectrometry methods and technologies to measure the U-Pb isotope ratios and ages of Earth materials at the finest possible temporal resolution. Built and maintained by a portfolio of federal, state, University, and industry support, the laboratory has a proven track record of providing high-precision U-Pb geochronometric data and geochronological expertise across a broad user base. The new laboratory technical and applications scientist will leverage our existing state-of-the-art instrumentation, personnel, and cost recovery structure into a community-facing laboratory that can meet the increasing demand for high-resolution dating of Earth systems and processes. These resources will broaden community access, provide education, outreach, and training, and foster innovative research and development. Beyond the increased provision of the highest quality U-Pb zircon ages to diverse users, the anticipated scientific impacts of this project will include technical enhancements in ion formation and detection in the thermal ionization mass spectrometer, improved interpretation of U-Pb zircon ages through the petrochronological integration of in situ textural and geochemical analysis with micro-sampled isotope dilution strategies, broadened use of tandem in situ/isotope dilution analysis on the same crystals for refined detrital zircon provenance and maximum depositional age estimates, and new strategies for the statistical integration of radioisotopic dates, astrochronologies, and other systems proxy data into age models essential to addressing the most demanding problems of Earth systems science.