MRI: Acquisition of a Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer for Geochemical and Geochronological Applications

Miami University, Oxford OH

Investigators

Abstract

0116033 Widom This award by the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program provides 51% of the cost for the acquisition of a multi-collector thermal ionization mass spectrometer at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The instrument will be equipped with ion counting and negative ion capabilities, and will have a second-stage energy filter for measurements requiring high abundance sensitivity. The instrument will be used for measurement of a variety of isotope systems, including Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, U-Th-Pb, Re-Os, Pt-Os, and U decay-series nuclides, with a wide range of geochemical and geochronological applications. Specific research areas that will be pursued with the instrument include: mantle enrichment processes at convergent boundaries; identification and dating of meteorite impact structures; sources of ocean island basalts; petrogenetic processes and timescales in active magmatic systems; isotopic dating of clay diagenesis; isotopic studies of microbial processes and elemental cycling; petrogenesis of bimodal and heterogeneous magmatic systems; spatial and temporal evolution of basalt sources and processes in continental extensional settings; applications of tephrostratigraphy and tephrochemistry; single-crystal dating methods; and U-Pb dating of paleosol carbonates. ***