Acquisition of Continuous-Flow Stable Isotope Analytical Equipment at Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Investigators

Abstract

0132018 Feng This grant provides partial support for the purchase of additional online peripheral devices as well as necessary ancillary equipment for the stable isotope laboratory at Dartmouth College. The stable isotope lab currently houses two stable isotope mass spectrometers, a Finnigan Delta E and a ThermoFinnigan Delta Plus XL, and three online ThermoFinnigan peripheral devices, an Elemental Analyzer and a Gas Chromatograph/ Combustion system (GCC) and a TC/EA. The lab also maintains a wide array of offline equipment for the extraction of oxygen and hydrogen from minerals, rocks and waters, and oxygen, hydrogen and carbon from organic matter, soils and soil gas. Isotope extraction procedures currently done offline, including water analyses and carbonate analyses, will be done more efficiently and with no compromise to data quality by online and automated peripheral devices. Specifically equipment to be purchased includes a ThermoFinnigan H/Device for automated online hydrogen isotope analysis of water samples, a ThermoFinnigan GasBench II system for automated online hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of water samples, carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of carbonate minerals, carbon isotopic analysis of dissolved inorganic carbon and online analysis of soil CO2, and an analytical balance. The upgraded lab will support research by faculty and students in three departments (Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies and Biological Sciences) and numerous collaborative efforts with researchers from other institutions in New Hampshire. ***