Acquisition of LA-ICP-MS Instrumentation for Geochemical, Hydrological, and Archaeological Research and Education

该合同全部或部分根据《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)向佐治亚州立大学(GSU)提供资金，用于购买激光烧蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(LA-ICPMS)和微波消解系统，用于大批量样品的制备。该仪器将支持格拉斯哥州立大学两个系的研究和教育：地球科学和人类学。研究主题分为几个主题：地球化学：了解地球及其组成部分的化学组成；古气候：解释过去的气候；水文学：了解水如何在我们的土地上流动；以及考古学：从物质遗迹中了解过去的人类生活。该工具将被用来解决每个主题中具有重大智力价值的引人注目的问题。地球化学和古气候研究试图重建过去11,500年来的东非季风水气候，并调查大陆地壳的起源和随时间的变化。水文学研究将研究城市河狸池塘对营养动态的影响，确定这些池塘如何影响总悬浮固体动态，并寻找一种指纹方法来确定这些池塘的重金属来源。考古研究包括调查古代美洲多个地区的文物制造和贸易。具体地说，来自美国东南部、尤卡坦半岛和南美洲安第斯山脉的古代陶器数据将为重建贸易网络如何在不同的生态和文化背景下与更广泛的社会政治变革相关地出现和发展提供前所未有的机会。这些项目已经得到了国家科学基金会的资助。除了支持现有的资助项目外，该仪器还将用于开始新的研究。此外，它将用于本科生和研究生水平的课程，涵盖地球化学仪器、考古方法和分析化学，从而直接加强GSU(少数民族服务机构)每年60至80名本科生和研究生的教、学和培训。LA-ICP-MS将被整合到体验式、基于项目和跨学科的课程(EPIC)计划中，该计划为在GSU的第一个学期的学生提供独特的动手研究。此外，该奖项将使本科生和研究生能够在尖端的地球化学和考古分析方面进行培训。这笔赠款还将使由代表不足的少数族裔(URM)和妇女组成的多样化的PI团队为亚特兰大地区社区提供有意义和有影响力的活动。PI将1)使用该仪器分析在大都会亚特兰大快速交通局(MARTA)轨道系统建设期间挖掘的考古文物，并将这些数据整合到公共展品中；2)创建针对K-12和大学生的在线短视频。对于K-12年级的学生，这些视频将通过简短的动态插图来针对一般的地球科学素养，展示仪器如何被用来解决地球科学中的“谜团”(即研究问题)。面向本科生和研究生的视频将包括更适合在课堂和研究工作中整合的高级内容和专业应用程序。为了进一步扩大参与，PIS将1)使用赠款资金支持研究生参加全国黑人地球科学家协会年度会议，2)与HBCU、MSI和亚特兰大周边及其他地区的社区学院的教职员工合作，3)通过在实验室环境中提供相关的导师来促进URM在GEOS中的保留。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) to Georgia State University (GSU) is for the acquisition of a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) and a microwave digestion system for bulk sample preparation. The instrument will support research and education in two departments at GSU: Geosciences and Anthropology. Research topics fall into several themes: geochemical: understanding the chemical makeup of the earth and its components; paleoclimatic: explaining the climate of the past; hydrologic: understanding how water moves across our landscape; and archaeological: understanding past human life from material remains. The instrument will be used to tackle compelling questions of significant Intellectual Merit in each theme. The geochemical and paleoclimate research seeks to rebuild the East African monsoon hydroclimate over the last 11,500 years and investigate the beginnings and change over time of the continental crust. Hydrological research will study the impact of urban beaver ponds on nutrient dynamics, determining how these ponds impact total suspended solid dynamics, along with looking at a fingerprinting approach to determine the sources of heavy metals to these ponds. Archaeological research includes investigating the manufacture and trade of artefacts in multiple regions of the ancient Americas. Specifically, data on ancient pottery from the American Southeast, the Yucatan, and Andean South America will facilitate an unprecedented opportunity to reconstruct how trade networks emerged and developed in different ecological and cultural contexts in relation to wider sociopolitical transformations. These projects are already funded by the National Science Foundation. In addition to supporting existing funded projects, the instrument will be used to begin new research. Further, it will be used in undergraduate and graduate level courses that cover geochemical instrumentations, archaeological methods, and analytical chemistry, thus directly enhancing the teaching, learning, and training of 60 to 80 undergraduates and graduate students each year at GSU, a Minority Serving Institution (MSI). The LA-ICP-MS will be integrated in the Experiential, Project-based and Interdisciplinary Curriculum (EPIC) program that provides unique hands-on research for students from their first semester at GSU. Moreover, this award will enable undergraduate and graduate students to train in cutting edge geochemical and archaeological analyses. This grant will also enable the diverse PI team of under-represented minorities (URM) and women to deliver meaningful and impactful activities for the Atlanta area community. The PIs will 1) use the instrument to analyze archaeological artifacts excavated during the construction of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system and integrate those data into public exhibits, and 2) create short online videos targeted at K-12 and college students. For K-12 students, the videos will target general earth science literacy through short dynamic vignettes that showcase how the instrumentation is used to solve “mysteries” (i.e., research questions) in earth sciences. Videos targeted at undergraduates and graduates will include advanced content and specialized applications better suited for integration in classes and research efforts. To broaden participation further, the PIs will 1) use grant funds to support graduate student travel to the National Association of Black Geoscientists annual conferences, 2) partner with faculty at the HBCUs, MSIs, and community colleges in the surrounding metro-Atlanta and beyond, and 3) foster the retention of URM in GEOS by providing relatable mentors in lab settings.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.