Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The stable isotopes of water (Oxygen-18 and Deuterium) are widely used in hydrology to investigate processes such as the infiltration of precipitation, groundwater discharge, and to aid in the establishment of water budgets and catchment areas. These isotopes are also used as conservative tracers in experiments conducted to explore transport processes and the migration of water in both surface and subsurface environments. At present, the analysis for the isotopes is commonly conducted in large and expensive laboratories at a substantial cost. Recent development in analysis technology has introduced a much less expensive isotope analyzer to the market, an instrument that is rapid and portable enough to be used in the field. With this technology the cost is diminished to less than a few dollars per analysis, allowing for significantly more extensive sampling. The portability of the Analyzer also allows for the collection of real-time data in the field, a great advantage in optimizing the distribution of data over appropriate time frames for analysis. The Applicants wish to obtain a Los Gatos Research Stable Isotope Analyzer for the support of several studies conducted in lake, groundwater and wetlands settings. The Analyzer will be used for the measurement of Oxygen-18 and Deuterium to explore the infiltration of precipitation into fractured bedrock aquifers, the relation between rainfall, snowmelt and ice in the water budget for Arctic freshwater lakes, and the potential infiltration of contaminated lakewater into a shoreline environment used for drinking water supply. The Analyzer will also be used in tracer experiments conducted in natural attenuation pathways adjacent to landfills, and in surface-to-groundwater experiments which will explore the impact of soil and till thickness on infiltration processes. As the instrument requires only minor training, a specialized and dedicated technician is not required, and the graduate students conducting the research will run the instrument on their own. Approximately 8-10 graduate students will use the Analyzer in the first few years wtih many more expected beyond that. Based on the present cost of analysis in research labs, the cost of the Analyzer will be recouped in operating funds saved by the end of the first year.