The Arizona LaserChron Center is an NSF Community Facility that is designed to address problems in Earth Science through the generation of U-Th-Pb geochronologic data and complementary geochemical information by Laser Ablation ICP Mass Spectrometry. Our primary goals are as follows:

The main instruments utilized at the Arizona LaserChron Center include a Thermo Neoma multicollector ICPMS (with CRC and MS/MS systems), a Thermo Element2 single-collector ICPMS, a Thermo iCAP RQ quadrupole ICPMS, a Teledyne Iridia laser and two Analyte G2 lasers, a Hitachi 3400N SEM, and a Renishaw Raman Spectroscopic system. We are currently preparing for installation of a new Thermo Neptune multicollector ICPMS.   

Support for the Arizona LaserChron Center is provided by the NSF Instrumentation and Facilities Program (http://www.nsf.gov/geo/ear/if/facil.jsp). We operate as a Community Facility, available to all NSF-supported researchers and students as well as Earth scientists from around the world. During 2023 we supported the research of 422 collaborators, including 214 faculty, 124 graduate students, and 84 undergraduate students. 98 of these collaborators belong to under-represented minority groups. Results of this research were reported in 124 peer-reviewed publications during 2023. 

Check out our Welcome Video to learn more about the ALC.  Please contact George Gehrels (ggehrels@arizona.edu) or Mauricio Ibanez-Mejia (ibanezm@arizona.edu) (co-directors of the ALC) for general questions about the lab. Mark Pecha (Manager of the ALC; mpecha@arizona.edu) can provide specific information about analytical methods, schedules, costs, letters of collaboration, etc. 

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"The University of Arizona is on the land and territories of the O'odham and Yaqui Native Nations"