CFS (Track III): Community Facility Support for U-Th-Pb Geochronology and Complementary Geochemistry at the Arizona LaserChron Center

This award provides support for the Arizona LaserChron Center (ALC), which is an NSF Community Facility that utilizes LA-ICPMS to determine U-Th-Pb ages, Hf isotope ratios, and trace element abundances from minerals that occur in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Primary goals of the ALC are to (1) generate information of optimal precision, accuracy, and spatial resolution, (2) provide opportunities for researchers from around the world (and especially NSF-supported scientists) to use our instruments and expertise to address geologic problems, (3) drive the development of new analytical methods and applications, (4) build new cyberinfrastructure, and (5) use every aspect of facility operation as an opportunity to enhance expertise among geochronologists and users of geochronology. The ALC supports NSF-funded research in Earth Science, Planetary Science, Archaeology, Materials Science, Natural Hazards, and Geological Engineering. Information is provided to constrain the timing and rates of processes such as crustal genesis, mountain building, generation and distribution of sediments, formation of critical elements and hydrocarbon resources, evolutionary change, paleoclimate, natural disasters, and linkages between climate, tectonics, and human activities. ALC data are reported in ~100 peer-reviewed publications per year, with an additional ~50 publications per year which utilize our software to handle data from other laboratories. The ALC collaborates with ~380 researchers per year, including faculty members, research scientists, post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Most facility users come to the lab to generate the data needed for their projects and learn about data processing and interpretation. Research by early-career scientists are prioritized. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.