STABLE ISOTOPE LABORATORY

The Stable Isotope Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility that houses five isotope ratio mass spectrometers for the isotopic analyses of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen species in solid and liquid samples. Samples can either be analyzed from natural abundance or, on some instances, enriched sources. Front-ends for the IRMS's include: two automated carbonate devices, and a full suite of continuous flow peripheral devices. This facility is open to the UCSC community and is a vital research resource for many faculty, researchers and students in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department.

Dual-Inlet Instruments: Since 1993 the Stable Isotope Laboratory has had two highly productive dual-inlet Fisons IRMS that are coupled to common acid bath automated carbonate devices. These instruments (“The Optima” and “The Prism”) have collectively generated more than 95,000 sample analyses in their lifetimes. In the fall of 2009 a new ThermoFisher MAT 253 with Keil IV individual acid drip system was installed to replace the retired Optima. At the same time The Prism received a major vacuum system upgrade to extend its life.

Continuous Flow Instruments: In 2006 the Stable Isotope Laboratory expanded by adding three continuous flow IRMS systems. This new facility has greatly expanded the breath of samples the lab is able to measure including: leaves, plants, bone collagen, muscle tissue, hair/whiskers, blood, sediments, soils, individual compounds specific analyses, etc. Peripheral devices include: three elemental analyzers (EA), a thermal conversion elemental analyzer (TCEA), a head-space sampling device (Gas Bench), and gas and liquid chromatographic interfaces.

UCSC’s Stable Isotope Laboratory is supported by the National Science Foundation, the UCSC Office of Research, the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences, the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, and the Ocean Sciences Department.

More information can be found at the Stable Isotope Laboratory Website.