Early Career: Acquisition of a Mass Spectrometer for Research and Education in Tectonics and Paleoclimate

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the acquisition of a gas-source, isotope-ratio mass spectrometer to measure clumped isotopologues of CO2 (Δ47) at the University of Washington. The ability to make these measurements with high precision enables a wide range of applications?from constraining atmospheric CO2 budgets to documenting the thermal histories of meteorites?and the most developed application to date is a paleothermometer based on 13C-18O clumping in carbonates. Carbonate clumped isotope thermometry offers the promise of reconstructing terrestrial paleoclimate, paleoelevation, and the thermal history of the upper crust. Specific studies will include use of the mass spectrometer to (1) study carbonate formation processes in soils and develop paleoenvironmental proxies in paleosols, (2) constrain the climatic and topographic evolution of the Andes, Tibetan plateau, and western North America, and (3) investigate isotopic resetting in buried carbonates and fluid migration, mineral growth, and interactions of brittle deformation and diagenesis in sedimentary basins. The mass spectrometer will substantially enhance research infrastructure enabling a large number of investigators and students to advance core research supported by NSF-EAR. Research made possible by this facility will be integrated with education, outreach, and broadening participation efforts through university-level curriculum development and experiential learning opportunities for minority high school students and teachers. These activities will strengthen K-12 science education and partnerships between the university and high schools, helping to raise awareness of geoanalytical capabilities in the U.S. The PI is an early career investigator.