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

干旱区水文高精度水同位素分析仪的配备

• 批准号: 1836868
• 负责人: Juske Horita
• 金额: $ 14.66万
• 依托单位: Texas Tech University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-03-15 至 2021-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1836868&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; Precision; Water; Isotope; Analyzer

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.

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和干燥。包括西德克萨斯州在内的美国西南部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，这是社会最重要的自然资源。在干旱和半干旱环境中，表面和下方水的运输在水周期中起着关键作用。国家科学基金会的这笔赠款支持在德克萨斯理工大学购买高精度红外激光光谱仪，用于水的同位素分析。该工具将提供新的研究机会，从而在这些地区提供更好的节水。它还将为本科，研究生和服务不足的少数族裔学生提供科学和社会重要的研究项目的机会，作为他们的研究的一部分。国家科学基金会的这笔赠款支持德克萨斯理工大学的高精度红外（IR）激光光谱仪的收购用于水的同位素分析。该仪器还能够测量传统的＆＃948; 2H和＆＃948; 18o值，即17o口气，它是一种新颖的，非常有用的水示踪剂，用于扩散控制的水文过程，例如从表面和土壤水域中蒸发水。因此，＆＃948; 2h - ＆＃948; 18o -17o-筛选值的总使用可以帮助我们促进我们对干旱和半干旱区域中水的行为和运输的理解。迄今为止，仅通过高技能的同位素比率质谱法进行了精选的少数实验室才对水进行了高精度测量。但是，除了＆＃948; 2H和18o值外，商业，高精度水同位素分析仪的最新发展启用了常规，高精度测量值（每兆每兆15个）。收购该工具将使西得克萨斯州和邻近美国西南地区的当前和未来的同位素水文学项目受益，涉及得克萨斯州理工大学的许多研究人员以及联邦和地区机构。它还将为本科，研究生和服务不足的少数民族学生提供科学和社会重要的研究项目的机会，作为其课程的一部分。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响来通过评估来进行评估。