Stable Isotope Laboratory

The University of Maine Stable Isotope Laboratory (SIL) has equipment for automated isotopic analysis of water, carbonates, inorganic sulfates, and organic material. These facilities include: Two Picarro L-2130-i laser cavity ring-down spectrometers for analysis of d18O (0.1‰ precision) and dD (0.1‰ precision) of water;

Micromass Isoprime dual-inlet MS, with Eurovector elemental analyzer (Cr reduction method) and automated sample introduction for deuterium (dD) analysis of water (0.5‰ precision);

VG/Fisons SIRA dual-inlet MS, with Multiprep peripheral for d18O analysis of water (<0.04‰ precision), and d18O and d13C analysis of carbonates

VG/Fisons PRISM dual-inlet MS, with common acid bath and Carlo Erba EA peripherals, for analysis of d18O and d13C analysis of carbonates, d34S analysis of sulfates, and d14N and d13C analysis of organic material.

The SIL also has facilities for water (Millipore Milli-Q ultrapure water system) and carbonate sample preparation (dental milling equipment, microscope facility for foram analysis). The SIL maintains a network of Macintosh and PC workstations for data collection, storage, and analysis. The SIL Lab Manager, Mr. Douglas Introne, has 30+ years of experience in stable isotope analysis at several research institutions (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Miami, and Oregon State University).