Author: paleololigo

T is for Temperature In stable isotopes, there are lots of implications for the word ‘temperature.’ For one, we can use isotopes of oxygen, and oxygen plus carbon, to estimate the temperature at which an analyzed compound formed. Temperature could also refer to the temperature at which we react a sample during its analysis, whether … Continue reading T is for Temperature #AtoZChallenge

S is for Sulfur Sulfur is an element that can be particularly challenging to measure. Most labs have a dedicated instrument for its analysis because sulfur is known to be ‘sticky.’ That is, it tends to stay in the mass spectrometer and affect analysis of other elements later, so it’s not something that you just … Continue reading S is for Sulfur #AtoZChallenge

R is for Reference Materials Reference Materials, usually referred to as standards, are materials (powders, liquids, or gasses) of known isotopic value. All stable isotope labs globally use the same reference materials, so that we can all compare our data. In stable isotope geochemistry, especially for light isotopes like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and … Continue reading R is for Reference Materials #AtoZChallenge

Q is for Quaternary The Quaternary is a period of geologic time which includes the last approximately 2.6 million years of Earth’s history, including the present. The advantage of working with materials from the Quaternary Period is that materials are so new that organic molecules are often preserved. With techniques of organic chemistry, it is … Continue reading Q is for Quaternary #AtoZChallenge

P is for Phosphate Phosphate has the chemical formula PO4. It is commonly known an important nutrient. In the world of stable isotopes, phosphate is important because it is an important component of bioapatite, and the oxygen contained within phosphate is difficult to alter through the process of fossilization. The reason why oxygen is phosphate … Continue reading P is for Phosphate #AtoZChallenge

O is for Oxygen Oxygen is an element necessary for metabolic processes of most life on Earth. It is also an important component of water, a necessary component of all life on this planet. Oxygen has three stable isotopes, Oxygen-16 (most common), Oxygen-17 (very rare), and Oxygen-18 (rare). Typical mass spectrometers measure the ratios between … Continue reading O is for Oxygen #AtoZChallenge

N is for Nitrogen Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is also an important component of the amino acids that make up proteins in the bodies of living organisms. Isotopes of nitrogen fractionate according to trophic level, that is, where the organism lies on the food chain (more properly, the … Continue reading N is for Nitrogen #AtoZChallenge

M is for Magnet A common feature of mass spectrometers is a magnet. A strong magnetic field is necessary to separate the molecules of slightly different mass for measurement. Not all mass spectrometers work in the exact same way, but all use powerful magnets to select atoms and molecules of specific masses so that it’s … Continue reading M is for Magnet #AtoZChallenge

L is for LIMS LIMS is an acronym that means “Laboratory Inventory Management System.” Because of the amount of data that laboratories such as ours must keep track of, using LIMS is necessary. At SIREAL, we use LIMS for light stable isotopes that was developed at the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory, part of the United … Continue reading L is for LIMS #AtoZChallenge

K is for Cretaceous Cretaceous starts with a ‘C,’ so why is it K for Cretaceous? All the divisions of the Earth’s geological time scale have one- or two-letter designations, kind of like all the elements of the periodic table have a symbol (like C for carbon or Au for gold). The abbreviation for Cretaceous … Continue reading K is for Cretaceous #AtoZChallenge