Acquisition of High-Precision Water Isotope Analyzer for Arid-Zone Hydrology

由于人类活动、农业和气候变化的增加，干旱和半干旱地区正在扩大并变得更加干燥。水资源是社会最重要的自然资源，美国西南部包括西德克萨斯州的可持续发展在很大程度上取决于对水资源的创造性和有效利用。在干旱半干旱环境中，地表和地表下水分的输送在水循环中起着关键作用。这项来自美国国家科学基金会的拨款支持在德克萨斯理工大学购买一台高精度红外激光光谱仪，用于水的同位素分析。这一仪器将提供新的研究机会，使这些地区能够更好地节约用水。它还将为本科生、研究生和服务不足的少数民族学生提供机会，使他们有机会进行科学和社会重要的研究项目，作为他们学习的一部分。这项来自美国国家科学基金会的拨款支持在德克萨斯理工大学购置一台高精度红外（IR）激光光谱仪，用于水的同位素分析。除了传统的&amp；#948；2H and &#948；18O值，17o过量，这是一种新的，非常有用的水示踪剂，用于扩散控制的水文过程，如地表水和土壤水的蒸发。因此，&#948；2H - &#948；18O - 17o的过量值有助于提高我们对干旱和半干旱区水的行为和运输的理解。迄今为止，只有少数几个实验室通过高度熟练的同位素比质谱法对水进行了高精度的17o -过量测量。然而，最近商业的发展，高精度的水同位素分析仪能够常规，高精度测量17o -过量（15 / meg），除了&amp；#948；2H and &#948；18 o值。该仪器的获得将有利于西德克萨斯州和邻近的美国西南地区的几个当前和未来的同位素水文项目，涉及来自德克萨斯理工大学、联邦和地区机构的许多研究人员。它还将为本科生、研究生和服务不足的少数民族学生提供机会，使他们有机会进行科学和社会重要的研究项目，作为他们课程的一部分。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。

Arid and semi-arid zones are expanding and becoming drier due to increasing human activity, agriculture, and climate change. Sustainable development of the southwestern United States, including West Texas, critically depends on creative and efficient use of water resources, which are the most important natural resource to society. The transport of water at and below the surface plays a key role in the water cycle in arid and semi-arid environments. This grant from the National Science Foundation supports the purchase of a high-precision infrared laser spectrometer at Texas Tech University for isotopic analysis of water. This instrument will provide new research opportunities that will lead to better water conservation in these regions. It will also provide undergraduate, graduate and underserved minority students with opportunities to conduct scientifically and socially important research projects as part of their studies. This grant from the National Science Foundation supports the acquisition of a high-precision infrared (IR) laser spectrometer at Texas Tech University for isotopic analysis of water. This instrument is capable of measuring, in addition to conventional δ2H and δ18O values, the 17O-excess, which is a novel, very useful tracer of water for diffusion-controlled hydrologic processes such as evaporation of water from surface and soil waters. Thus, a combined use of δ2H - δ18O -17O-excess values can help advance our understanding of the behavior and transport of water in arid and semi-arid zones. To date, high-precision 17O-excess measurements of water have been conducted only by a select few laboratories via highly skilled isotope ratio mass spectrometry. However, recent developments of commercial, high-precision water isotope analyzers enable routine, high-precision measurements of 17O-excess (15 per meg), in addition to δ2H and δ18O values. The acquisition of this instrument will benefit several current and future isotope hydrology projects in West Texas and adjacent U.S. southwest regions, involving many researchers from Texas Tech University, and Federal and regional agencies. It will also provide undergraduate, graduate and underserved minority students with opportunities to conduct scientifically and socially important research projects as part of their curriculum.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.