Crustal Imaging and Characterization Team
Task Contact: Robert Rye
The basic costs required to make the stable isotope laboratory operational (exclusive of the costs of analyses which are charged to individual projects) are covered in this task. This includes costs of the pumps, electronics, computers and other supporting mechanical and electronic devices which are subject to breakdown and/or which need to be upgraded. In addition plans are made to finance the aquistion of new peripherals and mass spectrometers as needed to maintain the state of the art status of the laboratory so it can continue to function as a major USGS resource.
The laboratory will continue to be a state of the art facility dedicated to cutting edge science in support of USGS mission projects. In addition to annual maintainance on pumps and replacement of electronics new or upgraded computers and software will be installed on the mass spectrometers and the data base handling system will be improved. Development of the laser ablation system with a Mendenhall Fellow will continue. The laboratory will continue to faciliate interdisciplinary science thorughout GD as well as with WRD and BRD by meeting requests for stable isotope geochemistry by USGS scientists in a timely fashion.
We have been able to successfully upgrade and repair the laboratory as necessary and enter into joint funding venture with BRD regarding the purchase of a new mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer was installed in the summer of 2003 and is now operational. A gas bench was later purchased and installed on the new mass spectrometer. Using the new mass spectrometer techniques have been developed for sulfur isotope analyses of sulfur in organic matter and for nitrogen and oxygen isotope analyses of nitrates. A laser system for opening individual fluid inclusions in support of research involving a Mendenhall Fellow was purchased and installed with year end funds in 2004. Computers have been upgraded and data base handling system for the entire laboratory improved. The life of one mass spectrometer has been extended by successful installation of its operating system on a new computer. Numerous requests for stable isotope analytical support from scientists in Minerals, Energy, Mapping, Yucca Mountain, WRD, and BRD have been met in a timely fashion. The laboratory currently supports two Mendehall Fellows as well as a Minerals Program grant recepient.
Hazards Program: The Stable Isotope Laboratory has provided all of the stable isotope data and geochemistry interpretation for the Resources and Hazards of the Hydrothermal Systems in Cascade Volcanoes project. The analytical work is finished on systems at Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier and is ongoing at Mt. Lassen.
Minerals Resources Program: The Stable Isotope Laboratory has provided all the stable isotope data and as appropriate stable isotope geochemical consultations and interpretation for minerals and environmental investigations as well as studies of fundamental processes in the life cycle of mineral deposits carried on by stable isotope project and laboratory personnel. In addition a substantial and increasing number of studies with scientists in BRD and its traditional partners have been conducted. Finally substantial progress has been made in laboratory and technique development toward integrated stable isotope, active gas, noble gas isotopes and trace element chemistry analyses of single fluid inclusions.
Energy Resources Program: Five studies have been supported by the Stable Isotope Laboratory: 1) source rock characterization for oils of the Permian Basin of West Texas, 2) a study of saline soils in the Front Range area in northern Colorado, 3) a study of sulfur geochemistry associated with hydrocarbon contamination in Skiatook Lake, Oklahoma, 4) a study of saline soils associated with coal mine spoils in north-central Colorado, and 5) a study of the viability of fly ash emplacement at a site in north-central Colorado.
Earth Surface Processes: Recent technique developments in the Stable Isotope Laboratory to analyze sulfur isotope composition of very small amounts of sulfur in various matrices such as organic matter, shells, soil and dust has lead to initial work to test the technique to identify the origin of sulfur in dust in two projects located in the southwest.
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Mineral Resources |
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://crustal.usgs.gov
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