Using stable isotopes to understand Earth systems

• We study the carbon cycle by measuring stable isotopes of greenhouse gases from a global air sampling network.
• We study climates of the past by measuring stable isotopes of water in ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica.
• We fly drones over the Greenland Ice Sheet to measure isotopes of water vapor, and to better understand water fluxes from the cryosphere.
• We measure methane on a local scale to study the sustainability of oil and gas extraction in the Rocky Mountain West.
• We continually improve our methods with new, automated techniques for measuring environmental stable isotopes.
• We provide analytical services to scientists and institutions around the world.

We excel at measurements of

• δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O in ambient or pure carbon dioxide
• δ¹³C of atmospheric methane and local sources of elevated methane
• Water from ice cores as well as environmental waters

Our instrumentation includes

• Dual-inlet and continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometers
• Laser-based cavity ring-down spectrometers.

Stable Isotope Lab by the numbers

•  30+ Years of operations
•  8,000+ Square feet of lab space
•  800 Square feet of freezer space (-20°C)
•  5 Full-time employees + students and Post Docs
•  25,000+ Analyses per year
•  3,000 Gallons of liquid nitrogen on demand
•  180+ Publications associated with the lab
•  36+ Publications in Nature or Science

Partners

You can reach us at the lab at (303) 492-5495

Or just come visit! We are in the southeast corner of SEEC (Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Complex) at 4001 Discovery Dr.