The ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) Research Laboratory and Agilent Facility Center in the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences specializes in characterizing the chemical and isotopic compositions of materials, including the ability to provide in-situ micron scale analyses of solid samples with the state-of-art CETAC LSX-213 Laser Ablation System and the Photon-Machines Inc. Analyte.193 eximer laser ablation system. This Lab is capable to analyze all types of geological materials including rocks, minerals, natural fluids and organic materials including crude oil with high precision. This lab center is equipped with a Varian Model 810 Quadrupole ICP-MS, an Agilent 8800 Triple Quad ICP-MS, an Agilent 725 ICP-OES, and an Analytik Jena PlasmaQuant MS Elite ICP-MS ). In combination with the short-pulse Photon-Machines Inc. Analyte.193 eximer laser ablation system, the lab is capable to conduct precise dating on single zircon. We routinely analyze trace element with concentrations less than 0.1% g/g down to sub-ppb (ng/g) levels for Li, Be, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Co,, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, Pb, Th, U to better than ±5% of precision with ICP-MS and better than ±1% of precision for major element with concentrations higher than 0.1% g/g for Mg, Fe, Mn, Si, Al, Ca, Na, K and P with ICP-OES.

The laboratory is housed in the third floor, Room 317, Room 332 and Room 334 of the Science and Research building I. The lab is co-directed by Dr.John F. Casey and Dr.Yongjun Gao.