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Project

Lithium (7Li/6Li) and boron (11B/10B): additions to our existing biogeochemical arsenal of tracers in earth & planetary sciences (FWOAL659)

This project adds the isotopic ratios of lithium (7Li/6Li) and boron (11B/10B) to the biogeochemical toolbox, currently available to the VUB-Ghent researchers. Because of their very low-masses, fractionation effects are large between the two respective isotopes of these elements. Analytically speaking, lithium and boron isotopes are challenging and not commonly measured. The first goal is to set up precise and efficient analytical methodologies,capable to measure in low concentrations of Li and B, their isotope ratios in fossil, sediment, water etc. while at the same time allowing the processing of volumes of samples. In a second phase, these new tracers will be applied to support and expand ongoing projects in two main research avenues: paleoclimate / paleoenvironment reconstructions of ancient sedimentary sequences and characterization of meteorites and micrometeorites collected in Antarctica, near the Belgian research station Princess Elisabeth
Date:1 Jan 2013 →  31 Dec 2016
Keywords:Geology
Disciplines:Biogeochemistry, Environmental science and management, Theory and methodology of archaeology, Oceanography, Evolutionary biology, Geology, Physical geography and environmental geoscience