Equipment Acquisition of a Laser Ablation System and Triple-quadrupole Inductively coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (LA ICP-MS)

激光烧蚀系统和三重四极杆电感耦合等离子体质谱仪 (LA ICP-MS) 的设备购置

• 批准号: 2223409
• 负责人: Johannes Haemmerli
• 金额: $ 48.15万
• 依托单位: Washington State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-01-15 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2223409&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Equipment; Acquisition; Laser; Ablation; System

Understanding the evolution of the Earth relies heavily on our ability to read, understand and interpret chemical and physical evidence archived in terrestrial material, such as the rock record and organic materials. One cornerstone for almost all research projects focusing on better understanding major geologic events are chemical analyses of rock samples and minerals, as their geochemical inventory can be used to reconstruct processes at different scales, such as ore-genesis, continental-scale events like the eruption of Columbia River Flood Basalts that shaped the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, or how some of the Earth’s earliest crust has formed. This funding will be used to acquire a state-of-the-art laser-ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry system, replacing our current instruments at the Peter Hooper GeoAnalytical Laboratory at Washington State University (WSU) founded more than four decades ago. The Lab specializes in providing research-quality geochemical data to the national (and international) earth-science community, many projects of which are funded by the NSF. This data is used to advance our understanding of Earth’s history. To continue to fulfill our mission in the future, we need to replace our current instruments that have been in year-round operation for more than a decade, and which are no longer supported by the manufacturer. The latest generation of mass spectrometer allows for the quantification of much lower concentrations of trace elements in whole rock samples and permits the development of new approaches for reading and interpreting geochemical signatures in earth materials. The laser ablation system coupled to the mass spectrometer allows for in-situ analysis at a micrometer-scale in minerals and an almost unlimited range of materials, allowing for use of the Lab by researchers from a wide range of disciplines, such as the earth sciences, material sciences, and biological sciences. The new instrument will be central for faculty and student research at WSU, and for the Lab’s other users. With this state-of-the-art equipment we will be able to develop new analytical approaches and methods, furthering our ability to tackle long-standing questions about Earth’s history on multiple scales. Students will be trained on cutting edge analytical instruments and, therefore, this award will also directly positively impact the highly trained workforce in the field of analytical geochemistry and beyond. The Peter Hooper GeoAnalytical Laboratory at Washington State University (WSU) has analyzed 12,200 bulk samples via solution Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) over the last 5 years (2016-2021), plus more than 2000 hours of Laser Ablation (LA)ICPMS analyses in the last 3 years alone. This proposal requests funds to acquire a new state-of-the-art ICPMS and LA system for continuing and expanding the high quality and reliable services of trace element analyses for the geoscience community for the next decade and beyond. (LA)ICPMS analyses, especially in combination with XRF measurements, are employed in a broad range of Earth science research including applications in geological and environmental studies. Quantifying the composition of Earth materials, which include igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, soils, and archeological artifacts, to name only a few, provides critical information about the samples’ origins and what processes were involved in their formation. Our analytical service employing (LA)ICPMS supplies high-quality research data to a wide range of geoscientists in North America - over 100 different institutions over the last 3 years have benefited from our services. The GeoAnalytical Lab is considered a critical component of academic geoscience research in North America through the research-quality analytical services it provides, most notably but not exclusively for the geochemical research communities. Data produced by the Lab feeds basic research which informs decisions made by scientists and agencies addressing natural hazards, resource exploration, environmental challenges, and human impacts on climate. The GeoAnalytical Lab also plays an important role in training highly skilled geochemists and technicians for the national workforce in the private and public sectors. These skills can only be acquired in an active research environment. The WSU GeoAnalytical Lab contributes to this educational mission in four ways: (1) through formal course instruction and hands-on training of WSU graduate students from a variety of disciplines, (2) through undergraduate research projects that use the instrumentation, (3) through training of visiting students, and (4) through employment of part-time student labor, which introduces students to the skills and responsibility required to successfully perform laboratory procedures.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.

了解地球的演化在很大程度上依赖于我们阅读、理解和解释陆地材料（例如岩石记录和有机材料）中存档的化学和物理证据的能力，这是几乎所有致力于更好地了解重大地质事件的研究项目的基石。对岩石样本和矿物进行化学分析，因为它们的地球化学清单可用于重建不同尺度的过程，例如成矿作用、大陆尺度事件，例如塑造太平洋景观的哥伦比亚河洪水玄武岩的喷发西北地区，或者地球最早的地壳是如何形成的 这笔资金将用于购买最先进的激光烧蚀感应耦合等离子体质谱系统，以取代华盛顿彼得胡珀地球分析实验室现有的仪器。州立大学 (WSU) 成立于四十多年前，专门为国家（和国际）地球科学界提供研究质量的地球化学数据，其中许多项目均由 NSF 资助。为了加深我们对地球历史的了解，为了在未来继续履行我们的使命，我们需要更换已经全年运行十多年且不再受到制造商支持的现有仪器。质谱仪的产生允许对整个岩石样品中浓度低得多的痕量元素进行定量，并允许开发读取和解释地球材料中的地球化学特征的新方法。与质谱仪耦合的激光烧蚀系统允许进行原位分析。分析在微米级的矿物和几乎无限范围的材料，允许来自广泛学科的研究人员使用实验室，如地球科学、材料科学和生物科学。新仪器将成为教师和生物科学的核心。借助这种最先进的设备，我们将能够开发新的分析方法和方法，进一步提高我们在多个尺度上解决有关地球历史的长期问题的能力。学生将接受以下方面的培训华盛顿州立大学 (WSU) 的 Peter Hooper 地球分析实验室已通过感应耦合等离子体解决方案分析了 12,200 个大宗样品。过去 5 年（2016-2021 年）的质谱 (ICPMS)，加上过去 2000 多个小时的激光烧蚀 (LA)ICPMS 分析仅 3 年。该提案要求提供资金购买新的最先进的 ICPMS 和 LA 系统，以便在未来十年及更长时间内继续和扩展为地球科学界提供高质量和可靠的痕量元素分析服务。分析，特别是与 XRF 测量相结合，广泛应用于地球科学研究，包括量化地球材料的成分，包括火成岩、变质岩和沉积岩、土壤和考古学。仅举几例，文物提供了有关样本来源及其形成过程的重要信息，我们采用 (LA)ICPMS 的分析服务为北美的广大地球科学家提供了高质量的研究数据。过去 3 年中，100 个不同的机构从我们的服务中受益，通过其提供的研究质量分析服务，地球分析实验室被认为是北美学术地球科学研究的重要组成部分，其中最著名的但并非仅限于地球化学研究界。该实验室产生的数据为基础研究提供信息，为科学家和机构做出的决策提供信息，以高度解决自然灾害、资源勘探、环境挑战和人类对气候的影响。地球分析实验室还在为国家培训熟练的地球化学家和技术人员方面发挥着重要作用。这些技能只能在活跃的研究环境中获得，WSU 地理分析实验室通过四种方式为这一教育使命做出贡献：(1) 通过正式的课程教学和对 WSU 研究生的实践培训。一个各种学科，（2）通过使用仪器的本科研究项目，（3）通过访问学生的培训，以及（4）通过雇用兼职学生劳动，向学生介绍成功执行任务所需的技能和责任该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。