MRI: Acquisition of a State-of-the-Art Water Isotope Analyzer to Monitor Changes in the Coupled Climate System and Water Cycle at High Latitudes

阿拉斯加大学安克雷奇环境与自然资源研究所（ENRI）稳定同位素实验室在为广泛的研究界服务和促进学术和政府科学家之间的合作研究北极方面有着悠久的历史。有了这笔核磁共振奖金，研究人员将用购买新仪器来取代退役的设备，以收费服务的方式高精度地分析氢和氧的稳定同位素。作为水分子的组成部分，氢和水的同位素在耦合气候系统和水循环中是有价值的示踪剂，同位素数据可以用来了解空气、水和冰随时间和空间的变化。除了支持广泛的科学研究外，该实验室还为高中生和本科生举办参观活动，并培训本科生和研究生分析技术，作为他们课程的一部分。研究人员将购买一台新的Picarro L2130-I空腔衰荡光谱水同位素分析仪，以取代退役的早期型号，该型号已经处理了超过50,000个水样。分析能力将通过增加一个新的汽化器和自动进样器来扩展，并添加到环境和自然资源研究所稳定同位素实验室操作和维护的仪器套件中。这个实验室是阿拉斯加中南部唯一的同类实验室，它提供的数据被阿拉斯加及其他地区的学术和政府科学家用来了解北极的水文循环和气候。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The University of Alaska Anchorage's Environment and Natural Resources Institute (ENRI) stable isotope laboratory has a long history of serving a broad research community and fostering collaborations among academic and government scientists studying the Arctic. With this MRI award, the investigators will replace retired equipment with the purchase a new instrument to analyze the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen with high precision on a fee-for-service basis. As components of water molecules, isotopes of hydrogen and water serve as valuable tracers within the coupled climate system and water cycle, and isotope data can be used to understand changes in air, water, and ice over time and space. In addition to supporting a wide range of scientific studies, the laboratory hosts tours for high school and undergraduate students and trains undergraduate and graduate students in analytical techniques as part of their coursework.The investigators will purchase a new Picarro L2130-I cavity ring-down spectroscopy water isotope analyzer to replace retired, early models that have processed more than 50,000 water samples. Analytical capability will be expanded by adding a new vaporizer and autosampler and add to the suite of instruments operated and maintained in the Environment and Natural Resources Institute Stable Isotope Laboratory. This lab, the only of its kind in Southcentral Alaska, produces data that are used by academic and government scientists in Alaska and beyond to understand the hydrologic cycle and climate in the Arctic.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.