Earth and Planetary Science

The University of Arizona AMS Laboratory offers a wide range of dating services. This includes Radiocarbon dating, Beryllium dating, Iodine analysis and Biobased testing.

The Arizona Noble Gas Laboratory studies noble gases in a diversity of geological samples as rock, mineral, and water samples, for geochronologic and geochemical studies in Earth, planetary, and environmental science. The lab is equipped with two new multi-collector gas-source sector mass spectrometer and two sample extraction and purification lines including devices for gases extracting using induction furnace and laser heating, crushing of fluid-inclusions, and exsolution from fluids. State of the art high-resolution, high-sensitivity, and multi-collection capabilities of the mass spectrometers will enable simultaneous measurement of all isotopes of most of the noble gases. Important research focus will include 1) geo- and thermochronology using the 40Ar/ 39Ar system for applications in tectonic, detrital, volcanic, and fault-systems; 2) low-temperature 3He/ 4He thermochronology and understanding helium mobility in minerals; 3) cosmogenic and nucleogenic 21Ne dating for geomorphic applications and for dating secondary minerals like iron oxides; and 4) isotopic compositions and concentrations of noble gases for tracing the fluxes and evolution of subsurface fluid-rock systems.

The Arizona LaserChron Center is an NSF Community Facility that is designed to address problems in Earth Science through the generation of U-Th-Pb geochronologic data and complementary geochemical information by Laser Ablation ICP Mass Spectrometry. The main instruments utilized at the Arizona LaserChron Center include a Nu Plasma multicollector ICPMS, a Thermo Element2 single-collector ICPMS, a Teledyne Iridia laser and two Analyte G2 lasers, and a Hitachi 3400N SEM, all of which are dedicated to ALC research. These instruments were acquired with support from the University of Arizona, the National Science Foundation, and ExxonMobil Upstream Research.

The Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants is located at the University of Arizona to assist faculty, student and staff researchers working in the field of water sustainability to detect, quantify and speciate organic and inorganic micro-pollutants – including dissolved and nano-particulate components - in complex environmental matrices.

The Environmental Isotope Laboratory provides radiocarbon dating, measurement of natural levels of tritium in water, stable isotope analyses of water, carbonates, brines, sulfide and sulfate minerals.

The Arizona Radiogenic Helium Dating Laboratory works with a wide range of geomorphologists and tectonicists to address problems related to uplift, erosion, faulting, and other orogenic issues.

The Kuiper Materials Imaging & Characterization Facility provides access to cutting-edge instrumentation for electron microscopy – the backbone of nanotechnology – and Raman spectroscopy. Experienced personnel can assist and facilitate research.