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Labs & Facilities

For a brief summary, click on the link. More details are available for some labs and facilities through their separate homepages. For phone numbers, consult the INSTAAR Directory.

Amino Acid Geochronology Laboratory (Amino Lab homepage)
The laboratory specializes in the extraction and quantification of amino acids that are derived from indigenous proteinaceous residues preserved in biominerals for a range of environmental applications. Both quantitative amino acid composition and extent of racemization of several different amino acids are targeted. The facility includes two HP-1100 automated high-pressure liquid chromatographs (HPLCs) and ancillary support equipment. Usually one HPLC runs in reverse-phase mode and the other in ion-exchange mode. The laboratory currently focuses on the kinetics of amino acid racemization in the eggshells of large flightless birds from Australia, Madagascar, and Africa, and bivalve mollusks from high-latitude regions. The laboratory director is Gifford Miller, with day-to-day operations overseen by Stephen DeVogel. Graduate and undergraduate students use the laboratory in their research projects and to gain research experience.

AMS Radiocarbon Preparation and Research Laboratory (Radiocarbon homepage)
In-house research focuses on method development in AMS 14C preparation and dating, calibration of the radiocarbon time scale, reconstruction of atmospheric and oceanic 14C activity in the past, and ultra-precise measurement of 14CO2 in the contemporary atmosphere. This laboratory is under the direction of Scott Lehman.

Atmospheric Research Laboratory - ARL (ARL homepage)
This laboratory houses instrumentation for research on atmospheric chemistry, transport, and surface-atmosphere trace gas fluxes. This lab is heavily involved in field research at continental, midlatitude sites as well as in the polar regions. The studies in snow-covered environments focus on the role of snow on surface fluxes of important atmospheric trace gases. A monitoring station on Pico Mountain in the Azores is equipped with a hydrocarbon monitor for investigations on the long-range transport of air pollution across the Atlantic Ocean. Another emphasis is the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC), in particular emissions of biogenic VOC from vegetation. Measurements are made by solid adsorbent sampling techniques, thermal desorption instruments, and several gas chromatographs with different detection systems, including flame ionization and mass spectrometry. The global distribution of non-methane hydrocarbons is investigated by analysis of air samples that are collected within the framework of the NOAA Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Network. Another project involves deployment of eddy correlation flux instrumentation on the NOAA Ron Brown research vessel for investigations on the uptake of ozone to the oceans. The Atmospheric Research Lab also pursues research on boundary-layer dynamics and the vertical distribution of chemical species by vertical profile measurements using a tethered balloon platform with various balloon-borne meteorological and chemical sensors. The laboratory director is Detlev Helmig.

Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Wet Lab (BC CZO Homepage)
The Boulder Creek CZO wet lab is equipped for processing natural water samples and analyzing them for choice chemistry. The lab contains equipment for filtering natural water samples, titrating for alkalinity (Radiometer Analytical TIM865 with SAC80 sample changer), and analysis of anions with a Dionex Ion Chromatography System (ICS). The lab is used primarily for processing and analyzing water samples obtained from the Boulder Creek CZO. The lab is overseen by Prof. Suzanne Anderson and managed by Professional Research Assistants Daniel Eldridge and Zan Frederick.

Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Dry Lab (BC CZO Homepage)
The Boulder Creek CZO dry lab is used to process soil and rock samples (drying, splitting, cataloging), and as a field instrument preparation facility. Rugged systems for collecting soil, water, and atmospheric data are designed and tested here prior to deployment at Colorado Front Range locations. Systems are designed utilizing dataloggers and instruments from Campbell Scientific Inc., Solinst, Onset Computer Corporation, Judd Communication, and others. Light manufacturing techniques are used to build and modify instrument enclosures, mounting solutions, and cable runs. The lab is overseen by Prof. Suzanne Anderson and managed by Professional Research Assistant Zan Frederick.

Biogeochemistry Laboratories
INSTAAR houses four laboratories that collectively are equipped to handle many of the major analytical techniques in modern biogeochemistry. Chemical analyses of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus and multiple other elements in plants, soils, and water are routinely performed, as are a variety of microbial assays, a suite of chemical and optical measurements of dissolved organic carbon, and GC- or IRGA-based measurements of several biogeochemically relevant gases. Beyond basic extraction and sample processing facilities, major instrumentation includes (but is not limited to): an autoanalyzer for N and P, atomic adsorption analyzer for cations and metals, Carlo-Erba CHN analyzer, benchtop spectrophotometers and fluorometers, TOC/TN analyzers, and a TCD/FID gas chromatograph. The laboratories are split into individual direction by several INSTAAR faculty (McKnight, Townsend, Williams, and Seastedt) but function as a collaborative unit in many ways, including in graduate research and education. They are consistently used by graduate students from INSTAAR and multiple other units across campus.

INSTAAR Biogeochemistry Laboratory - IBL(IBL homepage)
This laboratory focuses on nutrient analyses of soils and plant tissue, with an emphasis on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. N and P in solution, including water samples, are also measured routinely, as are a variety of microbial functional attributes, including biomass, enzyme activities, and CO2 emissions from soils. Major instrumentation includes an Alpkem autoanalyzer, Carlo-Erba CHN analyzer, benchtop spectrophotometer, and Li-Cor IR gas analyzers. The laboratory is directed by Alan Townsend. The laboratory is consistently used by graduate students from INSTAAR, as well as from CIRES, EBIO, and Geological Sciences.

Biogeochemistry Laboratory I
This laboratory is designed to handle samples to prep soil, plant, and microbial samples for subsequent analysis in other labs; do high gradient extractions of soil invertebrates; and do CHN analysis. The lab is directed by Tim Seastedt.

Biogeochemistry Laboratory II
Our research interests are terrestrial-aquatic linkages in seasonally snow-covered catchments in mid-latitude mountain areas of the world. Active research areas include the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevadas, and Tian Shan mountains of China, Kazakhstan, and Kirgzhia. We operate four laboratories at CU-Boulder: INSTAAR computer laboratory, Kiowa Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, and the Subalpine Soddie Laboratory. The lab is directed by Mark Williams.

Biogeochemistry Laboratory III
This lab performs microbalance measurements and preparation of CHN samples. It is also used for Field and lab equipment maintenance. Proctor: Tim Seastedt.

Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS homepage)
CSDMS develops, supports, and disseminates integrated, open source software modules that predict the erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment and solutes in landscapes and their sedimentary basins. CSDMS operates under a cooperative agreement from the National Science Foundation (NSF) with the support of other U.S. Federal agencies (ONR, NASA, USGS, ACE, ARO, NOAA) and a variety of industrial partners to coordinate this national effort with a diverse community of experts who promote the modeling of earth surface processes. Prof. James Syvitski is the executive director of CSDMS.

Core Processing Laboratory
This room is equipped for splitting, photographing, color logging, describing, sampling, and measuring magnetic properties of sediment cores. Sinks are available for wet sieving samples for preparation of microscopic analysis or other needs. The facility is intended for use in analysis of terrestrial, lake, and marine cores. There are two analytical balances available for weighing samples, a small oven, carts for transporting cores and samples, and plenty of counter space. The lab is equipped with a McCrone mill for grinding samples for X-ray diffraction analysis and has two PCs dedicated for processing XRD runs. John Andrews, Gifford Miller, Anne Jennings, Tom Marchitto, and their postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students are the principal users of this facility.

Diatom Laboratory
Facilities for research on paleolimnology, ecology and taxonomy using diatoms include a wet lab for sample preparation microscopy lab. The sample preparation laboratories have standard equipment for chemical pretreatment of sediment samples for micropaleontological analyses of pollen and diatoms. The microscopy laboratory has two Olympus VANOX, research-grade light microscopes with high resolution objectives and differential interference contract (DIC) illumination. A high resolution digital camera with image analysis software connects to the microscopes. The lab also houses the INSTAAR Diatom Collection, an archive of microslides, samples, and database of location of collections from several thousand samples of past INSTAAR work.  Sarah Spaulding manages the lab.

Dissolved Organic Matter Laboratory
This laboratory specializes in measuring the amount and character of dissolved organic matter from diverse ecosystems. Major equipment includes Shimadzu TOC analyzer, Antec 9000 DON analyzer, Agilent 8453 spectrophotometer, FluroMax2 fluorometer, fractionation columns, and Ulter-filtration. Mark Williams and Diane McKnight are in charge of the laboratory

Ecosystems Laboratory
This laboratory is a sample preparation and microscopy facility for the identification and counting of algae, invertebrates, and plant material in samples from soils, lakes, and streams collected for the Niwot Ridge and McMurdo Sound LTER projects and from studies of acid mine drainage streams in Colorado. The laboratory is supervised by Diane McKnight and is used by students and researchers involved in the LTER projects.

Herbarium
This facility is housed at the Mountain Research Station. It contains a field collection of plants of the Front Range, specializing in plants of Niwot Ridge and environs.

ICP-MS Trace Element Laboratory (ICP-MS Trace Element Laborator homepagey)
The facilities of this laboratory consist of a Class 1000 clean room and an instrument room housing a Thermo Finnigan Element2 sector field inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The main work of this lab is focused on measuring trace and minor element concentrations in calcium carbonate, particularly the shells of foraminifera, to reconstruct past climate. Other sample types, including natural waters, can also be analyzed for outside users.The ICP-MS lab is overseen by Prof. Tom Marchitto and managed by Professional Research Assistant Patrick Cappa.

Information Center - IC (Information Center homepage)
This specialized library supports INSTAAR research with a collection of journals, books, and digital resources. Services include finding online resources, navigating interlibrary loan, understanding library databases, and other reference and research topics. Librarian Shelly Sommer and Library Assistant Jenifer Hall-Bowman staff the Information Center.

Kiowa Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (Kiowa homepage)
The Kiowa Environmental Chemistry Laboratory is the environmental chemistry laboratory for the Niwot Ridge / Green Lakes Valley Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Equipped with an ion chromatograph, a spectrophotometric flow injection analyzer, a specrophotometric segmented flow analyzer, a microplate reader, a Picarro Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy for analyzing stable water isotopes, several muffle furnaces, and an atomic absorbtion spectrometer. The laboratory analyzes air, snow, water, and soil samples collected by faculty and graduate students from alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems for major solutes and nutrients. The lab is managed by Christine Siebold and directed by Mark Williams and Diane McKnight

Limnology Laboratory
This is an analytical laboratory for studying water and sediment samples. The laboratory is equipped for sample preparation, analysis of metals and major cations using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and the preparative isolation of organic fractions using column chromatography. The laboratory is directed by Diane McKnight and is used by postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students enrolled in McKnight’s classes.

Microbial Evolution and Ecology Laboratory (homepage)
This state-of-the-art facility uses molecular techniques to investigate environmental microbial community dynamics. Major instrumentation includes thermocyclers, quantitative PCR machines, sterile hoods, autoclaves, and incubators. The lab is supervised by Diana Nemergut.

Micropaleontology Laboratory
This is a foraminiferal analysis laboratory equipped with sieves and other equipment needed for preparation of foraminiferal samples, and binocular microscopes, faunal reference slides, and books for foraminiferal assemblage analysis and picking of stable isotope and radiocarbon samples. The laboratory is supervised by Anne Jennings.

Microscope Laboratory
This lab contains equipment used for growing, processing and examining aquatic microorganisms. Equipment used for processing planktonic samples includes settling chambers and two Nikon inverted microscopes (Diaphot and TS-100 models). Algal culturing equipment includes a Lunaire growth chamber and a laminar flow hood with HEPA filter. Diane McKnight manages the lab.

Mountain Hydrology Group (Homepage)
Research is primarily focused on the processes controlling hydrologic fluxes in cold regions and within the greater Earth system. Most research projects utilize ground-based observations, remote sensing, and computational modeling to obtain comprehensive understanding of hydrological processes; in particular the distribution of snow and ice. Noah Molotch is the leader of this group.

Mountain Research Station - MRS (MRS homepage) (MRS INSTAAR page)
The Mountain Research Station is an interdisciplinary research facility of the University of Colorado, devoted to the advancement of study of montane environmental science. It is managed by the University’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), and supports research in biology, geography, and geology. It receives academic contributions from the Boulder campus departments of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology; Geography; and Geological Sciences. Bill Bowman is director of the MRS.

Oceanography Laboratory
The purpose of this laboratory is to develop and deploy marine instruments related to understanding sediment dynamics. Major equipment includes an underwater camera system for studying flocculation dynamics, a CTD, an attenuance meter, and a LISST (in situ laser particle size analyzer). The laboratory also houses an extensive geophysical data library of analog and digital seismic and sidescan data from glacimarine environments. James Syvitski and Eric Hutton are in charge of the laboratory.

Plant Physiological Ecology Laboratory
This is a soils preparation laboratory directed by Bill Bowman. It houses shakers, filter apparatuses, and two CO2 analyzers used for soil and plant gas exchange analysis.

Sample Preparation Laboratory, Mountain Research Station
Field collected soils and plants are dried, extracted, weighed, and filtered in this lab found in the John W. Marr Building at the MRS. Equipment includes drying ovens, shakers, filter manifolds, and gas exchange systems for plant and soil CO2 exchange.

Quaternary GIS Laboratory (QGIS homepage)
This facility applies state-of-the-art tools and concepts with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing to a variety of environmental problems at high latitudes. Quantitative spatial analysis focuses on shoreline erosion in Alaska, as well as past and present glacier dynamics and ice-field archaeology. Activities also support geospatial data sharing, community planning for Arctic GIS, online mapping technologies, and a variety of outreach. Other projects involve graduate students with studies of paleoclimate, paleolimnology, and geomorphology from Australia to Iceland. Under the direction of William Manley, and with GIS/RS Specialist Leanne Lestak, the lab includes four workstations, a large-format scanner, peripherals, and a range of software (ArcGIS, Imagine, ENVI, and others).

Sediment Geochemistry Laboratory
This laboratory was established in 1996 to support high resolution studies of ocean paleo-temperature and terrestrial biomarkers in marine sediments. Facilities include two gas chromatagraphs (an HP 6890 gas chromatograph fitted with a 100-position autosample, Programmable Temperature Vaporization inlet, flame ionization detector, and HP Windows NT 4.0 workstation with HP Chemstation chromatography software; and an HP 5890 Series II GC), two Dionex ASE-200 pressurized fluid extractors, a 24-position Zymark Turbovap II solvent evaporator, and a “WHOI-design” automated micro-carbonate analyzer. This laboratory is directed by Scott Lehman.

Sedimentology Laboratory
This laboratory provides high-quality data for research projects for INSTAAR Directorate members, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and outside clients. The laboratory performs both chemical and physical analyses on sediments and other material and encourages students to run their own analyses. The lab is equipped to measure grain size using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer (Malvern long bed mastersizer), total carbon and inorganic carbon content (Coulometer), magnetic properties (MS, SIRM, and IRM), bulk density and mineralogy (Siemens D5000 X-Ray Diffractometer). Sieves are available for both dry and wet sieve analysis. The lab is equipped with ovens, two freeze dryers, a distilled water system, and analytical balances. The laboratory is coordinated by Wendy Roth, under the supervision of Suzanne Anderson.

Snow and Ice Laboratory
This laboratory is built around a 400-square-foot cold room, with facilities presently configured for experimental work in heat and mass transfer in snow as well as general electronics and mechanical design and fabrication. The laboratory is directed by Tad Pfeffer.

Stable Isotope Laboratory & Isotope Prep Laboratory (SIL homepage)
This state-of-the-art analytical facility uses stable isotopes to understand the processes controlling environmental change on time scales relevant to human interactions with the environment. The research focuses on the modern carbon and water cycles and paleoclimate records from ice cores, atmospheric sampling, lake sediments, carbonates, and organic matter and waters. The laboratory houses 10 mass spectrometers and 12 gas preparation systems for analysis of stable isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. The lab shares a strong collaboration with the NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory, and analyzes isotopes in thousands of weekly samples of greenhouse gases from a global network. The lab is currently analyzing samples from major ice core profiles in Greenland and Antarctica. The stable isotope laboratory is supervised by Jim White, managed by Bruce Vaughn, and utilizes a staff of five technicians, numerous graduate students, and postdocs to analyze over 48,000 samples per year.

 

http://instaar.colorado.edu/research/labs.html
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