This grant supports an upgrade of sedimentological analysis equipment at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado. Specific equipment items that will be acquired include a laser diffraction particle sizer and a centrifuge. The equipment will support a range of research including studies in paleoclimatology, ecohydrology, eolian transport of mineral aerosols and accumulation on snowpack and effects on surface albedo, and research initiatives supported through the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (CZO). INSTAAR facilities will continue to support student research training across the departments of Geography, Geological Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Colorado.
***
Intellectual merit: Sediment properties control Earth surface processes, such as hydrologic function, chemical weathering, and snow albedo. Sediments also record environmental history. The grain size of sediment is a basic physical property used to understand weathering, source, and hydrology of environmental systems. Rapid determination of grain sizes spanning clay to sand size (micrometer to millimeter) is best accomplished with a laser diffraction particle sizer. This project replaced a >15 year old laser particle sizer in the Sedimentology Laboratory of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). A Malvern Mastersizer 3000 with a Hydro LV dispersion unit and one wet measurement cell was purchased. The purchase included a PC computer with 1TB hard drive, 8GB RAM, and an Intel i5 3.0 GHz CPU, dedicated to operating the Malvern Mastersizer. Funds were used also used to replace a laboratory centrifuge used in sample preparation. A Thermo Scientific Sorvall ST 16 centrifuge was purchased. Broader impacts: The INSTAAR Sedimentology Laboratory supports research by students and faculty from at least four academic departments at the University of Colorado, including Geography, Geological Sciences, Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Undergraduate and graduate students learn sediment analysis techniques, and conduct analyses in the lab. The Sed Lab is a popular stop in the annual INSTAAR middle school open house, which introduces ~300 middle school students each year to research in Environmental science. Summary: This project supported the replacement of a failing particle size analyzer and supporting equipment for the INSTAAR Sedimentology Laboratory. The following items were acquired: Malvern Mastersizer 3000 with a Hydro LV dispersion unit and one wet measurement cell, a dedicated PC computer, and a Thermo Scientific Sorvall ST 16 centrifuge. The instrumentation is being used by students and researchers in the Sed Lab.
