Maureen D. Feineman, Ph.D. - US grants

0744425
Feineman


This proposal seeks funding to acquire a quadrupole ICP-MS system for rapid analysis of laser ablated material. The facility currently has a 213 nm laser ablation system coupled with high resolution magnetic sector ICP-MS. A Thermo X-Series II quadrupole ICP-MS is requested which will increase the mass scanning rate (ultimately the sensitivity) by an order of magnitude. Matching funds are provided by the PI's startup monies and from other PSU facilities. PSU will guarantee salary for a permanent analytical chemist to oversee the facility. The new ICP-MS will be used in differentiating East African Rift System lavas, in constraining central Ethiopian thermal structure and lithosphere thickness by xenogcrist and xenolith analysis, in analyzing crystal and silicate liquid trace element diffusion, in determining magma mixing and storage within the East African Rift System, and in for general experiments to better understand element partitioning between minerals and fluids, minerals and melts, and melts and fluids. Several student projects will also be supported. The instrument will occupy existing space in the Material Characterization Laboratory (MCL), Hands-on training and certification will be provided by a staff scientist. The dedicated staff will oversee the day-to-day operation and maintenance. PSU provides general support for the facility with instrument user fees supporting maintenance, supplies and repair funds. The requested instrument will be a career vehicle for a new female hire. The instrument will be incorporated into undergraduate ?Forensic Geoscience,? and ?Techniques in Environmental Geochemistry? classes. The instrument will be made available to PSU?s Women in Science and Engineering Research and Minority Undergraduate Research Experiences programs.


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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).

The multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) funded by this award allows Penn State University (PSU) geoscientists and biochemists, who have contributed to the use of intermediate mass isotope systems (such as Ca, Cu, Fe, Li, and Mo) over the past ten years, to extend their contributions in these research areas, lead new initiatives in method development, and train students in advanced research methods. The instrumentation will be housed in a state-of-the-art clean laboratory facility, managed within the multi-user, cross-campus Materials Characterization Laboratory, and run on a daily basis by a MC-ICP-MS specialist who will train new users and help incorporate the instrument into established courses focused on data collection and analysis.

The MC-ICP-MS will support research aimed at elucidating fundamental isotopic systematics that will aid geoscientists in the examination of the past using geochemical proxies. Such research clarifies how the Earth system operates, illuminates critical feedbacks (such as those in the weathering-climate system), and suggests strategies for reading the rock record. The PSU MC-ICP-MS will promote innovative scientific projects led by both senior and junior researchers in ways that external instrumentation cannot. The instrument will (1) increase the speed with which funded research projects are completed, (2) allow for future method development in new isotopic systems, (3) enhance student training, and (4) promote collaborative research between disciplines. The MC-ICP-MS will benefit >15 researchers at PSU and nearby institutions since no similar instrumentation exists within ~200 miles. Outreach activities, publications, and conference talks will guarantee regional and global impact of the instrument.

Volcan Momotombo, Nicaragua is a basaltic to basaltic-andesite stratovolcano located along the active Central American Volcanic Arc. It last erupted in 1905. Seismic swarms have been occurring beneath Momotombo for the past year. A major seismic swarm, which included an M4.7 earthquake, began on November 24, 2015, and culminated in gas and ash eruptions beginning at 7:49 am (local time) on December 1, 2015. By the evening of December 1, Momotombo was in strombolian eruption with columns to ~1 km and lava flows flowing down the northern flank of the volcano. At this stage the Momotombo eruption appears to be characterized by both small-volume lava and small-volume tephra emissions.

This RAPID funding will support a multi-disciplinary team that will travel to Nicaragua to collaborate with our INETER colleagues to: 1) install GPS instruments around the volcano and analyze existing GPS data; 2) install four broadband seismic instruments to study magma storage and migration beneath Momotombo; 3) make observations of the ongoing eruption to study the style of eruptive activity and collect tephra samples to investigate plume dynamics; 4) collect samples of tephra and lava flows for geochemical analyses; and 5) investigate precursory volcano and crustal deformation at Momomtombo using InSAR. This project leverages support from the NSF-funded COCONet project, the CEOS initiative, and existing infrastructure from previous NSF-funded projects led by members of this team.