MRI: Acquisition of a New Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer with Carbonate System to Support Research and Education at the University of Southern California

资金将用于为南加州大学地球科学系购置一台新的双入口稳定同位素比质谱仪，该质谱仪具有碳酸盐制备系统和同位素聚集能力。南加州大学从事同位素方法研究的教师和学生将使用新仪器来调查社会面临的一些最大挑战，了解自然过程如何在十年和更长的时间尺度上影响地球环境。如果不清楚地了解地球的自然环境行为，就很难充分评估人类活动最终将如何影响地表环境。南加州大学的稳定同位素实验室是一个研究和教育设施。研究生和本科生将使用新工具来支持他们的教育和职业发展目标。学生将接受同位素地球化学、新仪器的操作和维护以及质谱分析用气体提取方面的培训。为了继续南加州大学的这些活动，有必要购置一台新的稳定同位素比质谱仪。 南加州大学和附近的加州州立大学多明格斯山的教师和学生进行NSF赞助的环境研究，每年需要数千次稳定同位素测量。这项研究包括对影响大气二氧化碳自然变化的地质过程的调查，这些变化伴随着过去100万年来地球上一些最大的气候变化。其他研究涉及在过去气候变化可能影响人类历史的关键时期用稳定同位素示踪剂重建古降水记录。新的同位素仪器将促进新的和创新的研究，使用聚集的同位素来研究地球古代的海洋锂预算。对氮的稳定同位素的测量正被用于研究现代海洋中的生物氮循环。新仪器将确保这些努力的持续成功，并为南加州大学的新创新和跨学科研究提供机会。新的同位素比质谱仪将取代一台连续使用18年后不再运行的仪器。新仪器由Nu Instruments制造。它将配备双入口和多收集器，电子设备专门设计用于对非常小的气体样品进行高精度同位素比测量。该仪器还将配备自动碳酸盐制备系统，用于连续在线测量碳酸盐。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Funding will be used to acquire a new dual inlet stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer with carbonate preparation system and clumped isotope capability for the Earth Sciences Department at the University of Southern California. The faculty and students at USC who are engaged in studies using isotope methods will use the new instrument to investigate some of society’s greatest challenges, to understand how natural processes affect the Earth’s environment on decadal and longer time scales. Without a clear understanding of Earth’s natural environmental behavior, it would be very difficult to adequately assess how anthropogenic influences will ultimately influence the surface environment. The stable isotope laboratory at USC is a research and an educational facility. Graduate and undergraduate students will use the new instrument to support their education and career development goals. Students will be trained in isotope geochemistry and in the operation and maintenance of the new instrument, as well as gas extractions for mass spectrometry. The acquisition of a new stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer is necessary to continue these activities at USC. Faculty and students at USC and nearby California State University Dominguez Hills conduct NSF-sponsored environmental research that requires thousands of stable isotope measurements each year. This research includes investigations of geologic processes that influence natural variations in atmospheric CO2 that accompanied some of Earth’s greatest climatic changes during the past 1 million years. Other research involves reconstructing paleo-precipitation records with stable isotope tracers at key times in the past where climate variability may have influenced human history. The new isotope instrument will facilitate new and innovative research using clumped isotopes to study the ocean’s Lithium budget in Earth’s ancient past. Measurements of the stable isotopes of nitrogen are being used to study biological nitrogen cycling in the modern ocean. The new instrument will ensure the continued success of these endeavors and provide opportunities for new innovative and interdisciplinary research at USC. The new isotope ratio mass spectrometer will replace an instrument that is no longer operational after 18 years of continuous use. The new instrument is manufactured by Nu Instruments. It will be equipped with dual inlet and multicollectors with electronics specifically designed to conduct high precision isotope ratio measurements of very small gas samples. The instrument will also be equipped with an automated carbonate preparation system for continuous online measurements of carbonates.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.