Acquisition of a quadrupole ICPMS system for (U-Th)/He thermochronology and trace element analysis at the University of Colorado, Boulder

在博尔德科罗拉多大学购买用于 (U-Th)/He 热年代学和痕量元素分析的四极杆 ICPMS 系统

• 批准号: 1559306
• 负责人: Rebecca Flowers
• 金额: $ 18.36万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-01 至 2018-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1559306&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; quadrupole; ICPMS; system; Th

(U-Th)/He thermochronology is a powerful tool for constraining the thermal history of rocks and regions. The technique can provide detailed insight into a myriad of geologic processes, including the formation of both ancient and modern landscapes, the thermal evolution of fossil-fuel source rocks, and the history of asteroid impacts. Almost any geologic process that results in or from a change in temperature can be studied with (U-Th)/He thermochronology. This proposal will fund the acquisition of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), a key piece of instrumentation needed to make (U-Th)/He measurements, at the University of Colorado Thermochronology Research and Instrumentation Lab (CU-TRaIL). The CU-TRaIL serves an expanding user base in the broader Earth science community, and acquiring a dedicated ICP-MS will help meet the growing demand for (U-Th)/He data. The new machine will be located in the same laboratory space as the sample preparation facility and the He extraction and measurement line, thereby allowing for much more efficient analyses and greatly reducing current inefficiencies in laboratory staff time. In addition, students and other lab scientists will be able to quickly experiment with new and innovative techniques to increase the range of processes that can be addressed with (U-Th)/He thermochronology and to improve the efficiency and quality of the measurements. The speed, and versatility of the new ICP-MS machine will also open up the possibility for new collaborations within the Geological Sciences department, and provide University of Colorado graduate students with invaluable experience and training opportunities. The CU TRaIL is currently equipped with mineral separation and microscopy facilities, a quadrupole He system for degassing and measuring He from minerals, and clean lab space for mineral U-Th spiking and dissolution. This award will provide funding to acquire a new quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) primarily utilized for U-Th solution analysis for (U-Th)/He geochronology. The new ICP-MS will also be made accessible for other types of analyses, especially trace element work on digested accessory mineral, carbonate, and whole rock solutions, in which there is particular interest in the Department of Geological Sciences at CU. CU TRaIL has generated 3800 sample analyses; developed external collaborations that include 24 senior PIs and 20 graduate and undergraduate students; billed $230,000 worth of analyses; generated data used in at least 42 abstracts and 4 submitted manuscripts on which a CU TRaIL member is a coauthor; and hosted a short course that filled rapidly to maximum capacity. This successful launch of the facility promises a healthy future ahead. However, the lab is now experiencing intensifying demand for data from both internal and external users. The current bottleneck to meeting this growing need is access to an ICP-MS to efficiently generate U-Th analyses for dissolved mineral solutions. This access issue also poses an obstacle to training students and visitors in this key part of the method, and limits flexibility in running experimental solutions associated with several avenues of the lab?s method development work. Acquisition of an ICP-MS will address these research, development and training demands, and will lead to 50% increase in efficiency in this part of the analytical process. It will also aid in achieving the lab?s twin goals of conducting innovative, interdisciplinary, and high-caliber research while simultaneously serving the greater Earth science community.

(U-Th)/He 热年代学是限制岩石和区域热历史的有力工具。该技术可以提供对无数地质过程的详细了解，包括古代和现代景观的形成、化石燃料源岩的热演化以及小行星撞击的历史。几乎任何导致温度变化的地质过程都可以用 (U-Th)/He 热年代学来研究。该提案将资助科罗拉多大学热年代学研究和仪器实验室 (CU-TRaIL) 购买电感耦合等离子体质谱仪 (ICP-MS)，这是进行 (U-Th)/He 测量所需的关键仪器）。 CU-TRaIL 为更广泛的地球科学界不断扩大的用户群提供服务，购买专用的 ICP-MS 将有助于满足对 (U-Th)/He 数据不断增长的需求。新机器将与样品制备设施以及氦气提取和测量线位于同一实验室空间，从而实现更高效的分析，并大大减少当前实验室工作人员的低效率时间。此外，学生和其他实验室科学家将能够快速试验新的创新技术，以扩大 (U-Th)/He 热年代学可处理的过程范围，并提高测量的效率和质量。新型 ICP-MS 机器的速度和多功能性也将为地质科学系内的新合作开辟可能性，并为科罗拉多大学研究生提供宝贵的经验和培训机会。 CU TRaIL 目前配备了矿物分离和显微镜设施、用于脱气和测量矿物中 He 的四极 He 系统，以及用于矿物 U-Th 加标和溶解的洁净实验室空间。该奖项将提供资金购买新型四极电感耦合等离子体质谱仪 (ICP-MS)，主要用于 (U-Th)/He 地质年代学的 U-Th 溶液分析。新的 ICP-MS 还可用于其他类型的分析，特别是消化副矿物、碳酸盐和全岩石溶液的微量元素工作，CU 地质科学系对此特别感兴趣。 CU TRaIL 已生成 3800 个样本分析；开展外部合作，其中包括 24 名高级 PI 和 20 名研究生和本科生；分析费用为 230,000 美元；生成的数据用于至少 42 份摘要和 4 份提交的手稿，其中 CU TRaIL 成员是合著者；并举办了一个短期课程，很快就达到了最大容量。该设施的成功启动预示着未来的健康发展。然而，该实验室现在面临着内部和外部用户对数据的日益增长的需求。当前满足这一不断增长的需求的瓶颈是使用 ICP-MS 来有效地生成溶解矿物溶液的 U-Th 分析。这种访问问题也给学生和访客培训该方法的关键部分带来了障碍，并限制了与实验室方法开发工作的多种途径相关的实验解决方案的灵活性。购买 ICP-MS 将满足这些研究、开发和培训需求，并将导致这部分分析过程的效率提高 50%。它还将有助于实现实验室的双重目标，即开展创新、跨学科和高水平的研究，同时为更大的地球科学界服务。