Instruments and Measurement

Measurement Instruments and Species The laboratory measures stable isotopes and chemical species in ice cores, snow, aerosols, atmospheric deposition, and related environmental samples. This page summarizes the main analytical platforms and measurement capabilities; sample amount, pretreatment, and scheduling can be confirmed with the laboratory before analysis. Main measurement instruments - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS): sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analysis. - Elemental analyzer / thermal conversion / gas introduction and isotope-interface systems: isotope measurements for small environmental samples. - Ion Chromatography (IC): major anion and cation measurements, and preparation of isotope samples. - Clean pretreatment platform for ice-core, snow, aerosol, and deposition samples: low-blank preparation, separation, and purification. Species and isotope systems - Sulfate: δ34S, Δ33S, δ18O, and related sulfur/oxygen isotope parameters. - Nitrate: δ15N, δ18O, Δ17O, and related nitrogen/oxygen isotope parameters. - Water and snow/ice samples: δ18O and δD. - Major ions in aerosols and deposition: SO4^2-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl-, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and related species. - Method development for sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope measurements in small environmental samples.