Acquisition of a Mass Spectrometric System for Measurement of Noble Gases

This award provides 50% funding for the acquisition of a mass spectrometer system for the measurement of noble gases. The equipment will be installed at the Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University. Columbia University is committed to providing the remaining funds needed. The system will be capable of measuring all noble gases from helium-3 to xenon-136 with high resolution and sensitivity. Applications will include projects emphasizing the use of noble gas tracers in the field of hydrogeology, including reconstructions of paleotemperatures for the continents, the dynamics of deep circulation groundwater using helium-4 and argon-40 and the dating of groundwater using the tritium/helium-3 method