Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Intellectual Merit
Models for the evolution of collisional orogens and deformation mechanisms of the
lithosphere at the terrane to plate scale must account for the chemical composition and
micron-scale chemical variations of the mineralogic constituents of rocks undergoing
deformation. Such variations include (but are not limited to) the spatio-chemical
variation of garnet and pyroxene that develops in response to prograde and retrograde
mineralogic reactions and deformation; the type and extent of growth zoning in zircon
and monazite, the most important geochronometers in dating lithosphere evolution; and
the textures and minerals that characterize frictional melts produced during coseismic
slip on faults. In most cases these observations require the micron-scale spatial
resolution provided by the electron probe microanalyzer. The spatial resolution of the
microprobe also permits identification and chemical analysis of the components of coal
and black shales, and identification of the mineralogic constituents of prehistoric cultural
artifacts. Funding is requested to upgrade the ARL SEMQ electron microprobe at the
University of Kentucky. The upgrade is necessary to maintain productive research
requiring the characterization of earth materials and in training and instruction of the next
generation of mineralogists, petrologists, and geochemists. The upgrade is being
supported by matching funds from the UK Vice-President for Research.
Broader Impacts
Originally manufactured 20 to 30 years ago, SEMQs in academic and industrial research
labs worldwide have remained productive through upgrades of hardware and
automation. The UK ARL has been a productive instrument running continuously since
the initial upgrade in 1992. Theinstrument is the only electron microprobe in the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, serving NSF-funded and internally funded intramural users
(UK Earth and Environmental Science, Anthropology and Physics departments,
Kentucky Geological Survey; UK Center for Applied Energy Research). It is also the
closest or most accessible microprobe for NSF-funded researchers at neighboring out-
of-state institutions. In addition to graduate student research, the UK microprobe is
employed in undergraduate Mineralogy in lab exercises on chemical analysis and in
student term projects involving analysis of mineral unknowns; and on class research
projects in Petrology. All undergraduate majors take these courses (10-15
students/term). Several of the undergraduates go on to successful graduate careers in
petrology and geochemistry. The pool of internal and external users permits
collaboration among faculty and students in a variety of disciplines from a number of
institutions. The results of analysis on the UK microprobe are disseminated via peer
reviewed research articles, via lectures presented at regional, national, and international
professional meetings, and via invited lectures at universities in the eastern U.S.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 12/1/08 → 5/30/10 |
Funding
- National Science Foundation: $202,379.00
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