X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is widely used in the geosciences as a precise method to determine major and many trace element concentrations in rocks and other materials. With this grant, we will acquire a state of the art wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to replace the 17-year-old instrument in the Department of Geological Sciences at Brigham Young University.
Intellectual Merit: The major and trace element compositions of rocks provide fundamental clues to their origin and evolution and are vital to most modern geological studies. Such data are commonly acquired by students using XRF spectrometry because of its relative ease of use and high precision for many elements. Specific research areas include the nature and causes of super eruptions, the evolution of mafic magmas related to hot spots and rifts, the relationship of magmatism to base and precious metal deposits, the geochemistry and chronology of tuff deposits in sedimentary basins, and the growth of continents as revealed by multi-disciplinary studies of the tectonic evolution of southern Asia, New England, and western North America.
Broader Impacts: The benefits to society stemming from use of this instrument range from purely scientific understandings of magma evolution to the applied fields of volcanic hazards and the search of metallic ore deposits. A new XRF spectrometer will also provide extensive education opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students; they will be trained as part of the next generation of analysts. By doing their own analyses and not just ?sending samples off? to an external lab, students will be able to understand the limitations of the data because they have personally dealt with analytical problems, sample preparation issues, and with the sources of error in their data. This XRF lab will also have major impacts on education and research beyond BYU, as a result of our collaboration with other colleges and with the Utah Geological Surve, and USGS. Two of these institutions recently changed from junior colleges to BS granting universities with geology degrees. Few analytical instruments are available in these emerging programs, so access to this facility will provide new experiences for students at these colleges.
With funding from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Geological Sciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, has purchased a new Rigaku Primus X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. We chose this instrument after extensive review of the instruments available. The XRF was delivered in March of 2011 and installed and calibrated for the first time in June of 2011. At University expense, we have also purchased new equipment to ease the preparation of rocks for analysis. The X-ray fluorescence spectrometer is principally used to analyze the concentrations of major and trace elements in rocks. This information provides fundamental clues to the origin and evolution of many different types of rocks. Specific research areas include the causes of super eruptions, the evolution of hot spot and rift-related mafic magmas, the origin of ore deposits, and the growth of continents. We expect the instrument to be in use for approximately 10 years. Over that time it will be used to supply data for faculty, undergraduate, and graduate researchers here at BYU and at other nearby instituitions. The benefits that will stem from using this instrument range from purely scientific understanding of magma evolution and tectonic settings to the highly applied fields of volcanic hazards and the search for metallic ore deposits. The new XRF spectrometer is already being used to provide training and educational opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. Student researchers as well as those in a graduate courses are being trained as part of the next generation of analysts and scientists. By using analytical equipment in-house and not just "sending samples off" to an external lab, students will be able to better understand the strengths and limitations of the data they use because they have had to deal personally with analytical problems, sample preparation issues, and with the sources of error and inaccuracy in their data.
