Method Development

OVERVIEW

Cosmogenic nuclide science is always evolving and expanding! Much of my work has focused on refining the method and its applications, both in terms of sample preparation in the laboratory and methodological assumptions. Through the NSF/UVM Community Cosmogenic Facility, I also strive to involve a diverse group of students and researchers of all levels in cosmogenic nuclide science.

Using anion column chromatography to remove iron from beryllium/aluminum samples in the Cosmo Lab. Quartz almost always contains varying, small amounts of iron that needs to be removed from the samples before AMS analysis.

AMS 9Be3+ beam currents (n = 797) from samples processed in the University of Vermont Cosmogenic Nuclide Laboratory, 2008-2012 (Corbett et al., 2016). Top pannel shows beam currents (μA) measured on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory AMS; bottom pannel shows sample beam currents normalized to standard beam currents. Most samples met or exceeded performance of the standards.

26Al/10Be production ratio on the cover of GRL (Corbett et al., 2017)

PUBLICATIONS

Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Caffee, M.W., Hidy, A.J., and Woodruff, T.E. 2024. Quantifying replication through repeated analysis of UVM-A, a liquid reference material for cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al studies. Quaternary Geochronology 81: 101498.


Winkler, S., Mbele, V., Khosa, R., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Hidy, A., Brown, T., Makhubela, T.V., Kramers, J., and Tooth, S. 2023. 10Be at iThemba LABS using a silicon nitride membrane stack as absorber for isobar suppression. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 540: 102-109.


Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Semken, S., and Whittaker, J.A. 2022. Can community laboratory facilities increase access and inclusivity in geoscience? Earth and Space Science 9, e2021EA002028.


Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Brown, T.A., Caffee, M.W., Fink, D., Freeman, S.P.H.T., Hidy, A.J., Rood, D.H., Wilcken, K.M., and Woodruff, T.A. 2022. Clean quartz matters: an exploration of the importance of sample purity using the CRONUS-N reference material. Quaternary Geochronology 73: 101403.


Bierman, P.R., Bender, A.M., Christ, A.J., Corbett, L.B., Halsted, C.T., Portenga, E.W., and Schmidt, A.H. 2021. Dating by Cosmogenic Nuclides. In: Alderton, D., and Elias, S.A., eds., Encyclopedia of Geology 2nd Edition, p. 101-115.


Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Woodruff, T.E., and Caffee, M.W. 2019. A homogeneous liquid reference material for monitoring the quality and reproducibility of in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al analyses. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 456: 180-185.


Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Rood, D.H., Caffee, M.W., Lifton, N.A., and Woodruff, T.E. 2017. Cosmogenic 26Al/10Be production ratio in Greenland. Geophysical Research Letters 44(3): 1350-1359. (On the cover of the February 2017 GRL, above)


Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., and Rood, D.H. 2016. An approach for optimizing in situ cosmogenic 10Be sample preparation. Quaternary Geochronology 33: 24-34.



CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Bennett, I.B., Soto-Villanueva, K., Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Whittaker, J.A., Acosto-Colon, A.A., and Hughes, K.S. 2022. Inventing AUGR: reflections on designing and implementing an Authentic Undergraduate Geoscience Research experience. Geological Society of American Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 54(5): 381693.


Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Semken, S., and Whittaker, J.A. 2021. Community laboratory facilities can increase access, inclusivity, and diversity in geoscience: findings from our first three years. Geological Society of America National Meeting, Portland, OR. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 53(6): 365397.


Winkler, S.R., Mbele, V.L., Khosa, R.R., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., Hidy, A.H., Brown, T., Makhubela, T.V., Kramers, J.D., and Tooth, S. 2021. The foilstack method for 10Be analysis at iThemba LABS- first results and intercomparison for field samples. 15th International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Sydney Australia.


Bierman, P.R., and Corbett, L.B. 2020. Hands-on geochemistry as a means to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in geoscience. European Geosciences Union General Assembly Virtual Meeting. Geophysical Research Abstracts, EGU2020-12449. 


Corbett, L.B., and Bierman, P.R. 2019. The NSF/UVM Community Cosmogenic Facility: a new approach to research and research training in isotope geology. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Abstract ID EP31D-2323.


Corbett, L.B., and Bierman, P.R. 2019. Increasing diversity, inclusivity, and access in isotope geoscience: lessons and ongoing challenges from the NSF/UVM Community Cosmogenic Facility. Geological Society of America National Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 51(5).


Corbett, L.B., and Bierman, P.R. 2019. Fostering collaborative Arctic history and process research through the NSF/UVM Community Cosmogenic Facility. Svalbard Holocene Assembly on Glaciers and Climate, Longyearbyen, Norway.


Corbett, L.B., and Bierman, P.R. 2019. The NSF/UVM Community Cosmogenic Facility: A new resource located in New England for students and faculty nationwide. Northeastern Geological Society of American Meeting, Portland, ME. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 51(2).


Corbett, L.B., and Bierman, P.R. 2018. The NSF/UVM Community Cosmogenic Facility: a new approach to research and research training in isotope geology. Geological Society of America National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 50(6).


Bierman, P.R., Corbett, L.B., Christ, A., and Halsted, C. 2018. You can learn and do cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al processing at the University of Vermont’s Community Cosmogenic Facility. Joint Meeting of the Canadian and American Quaternary Associations, Ottawa, Canada.


Bierman, P.R., Brown, T.A., Caffee, M.W., Corbett, L.B., Fink, D., Freeman, S.P.H.T., Hidy, A.J., Rood, D.H., Wilcken, K.M., Woodruff, T.E., and Zimmerman, S.R. 2017. Repeated preparation of CRONUS-N quartz standard for 10-Be and 26-Al at the University of Vermont and analysis at four different AMS laboratories. AMS 14 Meeting, Ottawa Canada, Abstract ID RCI-350.


Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P.R., and Rood, D.H. 2013. Optimizing sample preparation for high-precision, low-detection limit analysis of in situ 10Be: strategies and new data. Geological Society of American National Meeting, Denver CO. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 45(7): 118.