Acquisition of an Isotope Ratio Monitoring Mass Spectrometer for H, O, C, and N in Waters, Hydrous Minerals, Carbonates, and Organic Materials, and an Accelerated Solvent Extractor

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

0214265 Schimmelmann This grant supports the acquisition of a gas source stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer configured for continuous flow operation (CF-irmMS) and with associated sample introduction peripherals that will allow for the analysis of multiple stable isotopic ratios in a wide range of natural materials including, organic matter, carbonates, hydrous minerals and water. Specific sample inlet devices will include an elemental analyzer (EA), a gas chromatograph (GC), and an automated carbonate preparation device. The new CF-irmMS will complement two existing stable isotope ratio mass spectrometers(both late model Finnegan MAT 252s) in the Geological Sciences department at Indiana University. One was recently funded by the EAR/IF program (NSF-9726264) to co-PI Ed Ripley and is dedicated to the analysis of the isotopic composition of sulfide ores and the other is somewhat older (vintage 1991) and is dedicated to analysis of carbonate carbon. The new instrument will greatly expand the current isotopic capabilities of this already well equipped department by adding the ability to make high precision isotopic analyses of hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) ratios in extremely small samples of organic matter and natural waters with high throughput. The requested peripheral devices will also allow for investigation of the stable isotopic signatures of individual compounds of organic materials. The instrument will support the research efforts of numerous IU faculty including Arndt Schimmelmann, Lisa Pratt, Ed Ripley, Peter Sauer and Jeff White and their students for research spanning the fields of paleoclimatology, oceanography, ecology and hydrology. The addition of a CF-irmMS to this lab will undoubtedly serve to further the attraction of this facility to a number of active geoscientists and will likely lead to future productive collaborations with these IU scientists and their students. ***