Funds are requested to purchase an inductively-coupled plasma emission spectroanalyzer for the Department of Geology at Florida International University (FIU). The instrument is to be used for quantitative, multielement analysis of rocks, minerals, sediments, paleontological materials, and seawater and groundwater samples as needed in the research and educational projects of the FIU faculty and those of nearby institutions (the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and federal, state and county hydrological agencies). The proposal was submitted to the NSF program for Research in Undergraduate Institutions. The geochemical research projects requiring the analytical capabilities of the spectroanalyzer include studies of Caribbean sediments, research in water resources and the quality of drinking water, studies of volcanic and metastudies of Mesozoic black shales.
