The NCSU Isotope Lab is a shared facility in MEAS, and houses our lab’s clumped/stable isotope instrumentation. Our Nu Instruments Perspective IS isotope ratio mass spectrometer (aka “Frodo”) and its associated NuCarb carbonate device (aka “Samwise”) are housed here, and run all of our clumped isotope (Δ47) and traditional isotope (δ18O, δ13C) analyses. The laboratory also has a desiccator for sample and reference material storage; a compressed gas cylinder rack; laser particle size analyzer; and sample storage/preparation area including a microbalance.

Our equipment includes a custom-built vacuum line to digest carbonates in phosphoric acid or prepare reference gases and perform subsequent purification of the CO2 volume. Prepared carbonate samples can be digested using a 50-sample autosampler with acid injection line (held at 70°C, under vacuum). Evolved CO2 or CO2 introduced as a reference gas can be prepared automatically via cold finger and Porapak traps in the attached stainless steel portion of the purification line, where NuCarb software on a dedicated Windows-based PC drives the automated operation.

Our mass spectrometer is a Nu Instruments Perspective IS with NuCarb autosampler, dual inlet, and with a collector configured to measure δ13C, δ18O, and clumped isotopologues of CO2 (masses 44-49 inclusive). The inlet system includes a device for automated reference gas introduction to the bellows so that sample and reference gas pressures are balanced prior to analysis, enabling precise (±0.005–0.01 per mil) analyses of small (~1–5 mg) carbonate samples.

The Paleoclimate Lab is ~500 sq ft and has a glass multipurpose vacuum line for heated gas and sample preparation purposes; an X-ray fluorescence scanner and lab mount; a microbalance and a coarse balance for sample weighing; a drying oven and ultrasonic bath for sample and equipment cleaning; a muffle furnace and refrigerator for preparing reference gases; a fume hood with natural gas, compressed air and vacuum ports; a compressed gas cylinder rack; a sink with sediment trap and reverse osmosis water system; a slab and trim saw; and flexible lab bench space.  The laboratory also has space for bulk sample storage; a PC computer workstation for data analysis; a Nikon petrographic microscope and a sample drilling/picking station with Leica dissecting scope and stereotaxic drill system.

Our Bruker Tracer 5i handheld XRF scanner has a stable mount and helium port for the measurement of weight-percent concentrations of major elements (Na – U) in paleosol samples. The scanner has a dedicated data analysis laptop assembly, and is calibrated for use on sediment and soil materials. 

Prepared carbonate samples can also be digested using McCrea-type reaction vessels held at temperature in a water bath on an off-line multipurpose vacuum line (designed for primary use with reference and equilibrated gases) as needed. Gases can be prepared and isolated into sealed vials on the multipurpose line, and then introduced to the standard automatic preparation line via a single cracker-port installed between the NuCarb autosampler and the associated cold finger/traps assembly.