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Discovery Geosciences

Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Isotope

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  • Highlights
Highlights

Developing and applying knowledge of stable isotope fractionation processes to provide insights into the controls on mineral precipitation and material transport in fluid phases.

Program Overview

The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Isotope Program at Berkeley Lab’s Energy Geosciences Division operations as the Center for Isotope Geochemistry (CIG), led by Don DePaolo.

Within the CIG, the isotope geochemistry group develops and applies knowledge of stable isotope fractionation processes to provide insights into the controls on mineral precipitation and material transport in fluid phases. Laboratory isotope experiments combined with field experiments and molecular modeling enable deeper understanding of the geological evolution of fluid-rock systems at the large spatial and ultraslow temporal timescales.

Molecular scale models of growth mechanisms in calcium carbonate developed by this group are in good agreement with experimental observations of the effects of ionic strength on Ca isotope incorporation and the Sr/Ca ratio in calcite.

Molecular scale models of growth mechanisms in calcium carbonate developed by this group are in good agreement with experimental observations of the effects of ionic strength on Ca isotope incorporation and the Sr/Ca ratio in calcite.

An important topic of the groups is the behavior of isotopes and trace elements during mineral growth from aqueous solutions. This work seeks to

  1. build new models for isotopic fractionation factors as a function of growth conditions, so as to make isotopic and trace element measurements more robust for applications to natural systems, and
  2. using the isotopic fractionations to constrain the roles of mass transport, growth mechanisms, desolvation, and thermodynamics in controlling the complex processes at the mineral-fluid interface during crystal growth.

To achieve these objectives we need to perform carefully controlled laboratory experiments, to characterize the fluids and minerals with techniques such as AFM, TEM, and SIMS, and to make precise isotopic measurements on run products with TIMS and MC-ICPMS. In many cases, we can document isotopic fractionation effects, but we have difficulty uniquely identifying the mechanisms. To help in testing hypotheses regarding mechanisms, we are using Molecular Dynamics simulations and related computational approaches with appropriate collaborations. To evaluate the relevance of laboratory and theoretical approaches, and to access the much larger time and length scales needed to work with real Earth systems, we also include selected studies of natural systems, including both characterization and reactive transport modeling.

Featured Projects

Program Contacts

Donald J. DePaolo
Graduate Professor of Geochemistry and Senior Faculty Scientist

Reed Helgens
Program Operations Analyst

News & Events

Geosciences Measurement Facility Celebrates Its 45th Summer Field Season

August 21, 2018

Within the Department of Energy complex of national laboratories, the Geosciences Measurement Facility (GMF) at Berkeley Lab is distinguished by its ability to build, test, and deploy customized instrumentation and innovative data acquisition and telemetry solutions, which are enabling scientists to address some of the most critical Earth, energy and environmental challenges that we face.…

Berkeley Lab Isotope Geochemists Study Isotopic Fractionation by Plants

August 3, 2018

            Isotope geochemists at Berkeley Lab are the first to establish the degree of Potassium (K) isotopic fractionation by plants. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons. Scientists have just in the past decade begun studying for key nutrient elements (other than C,…

EESA Faculty Scientists Elected as National Academy of Sciences Members

May 4, 2018

Two EESA faculty scientists have been elected as members of the National Academy of Sciences. Kristie Boering is a faculty scientist in the Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division at Berkeley Lab and a UC Berkeley professor of chemistry and earth and planetary science who studies physical, environmental, and atmospheric chemistry; climate change; and earth and planetary…

EESA Scientists Leverage Machine Learning to Connect Measurements of Shale Across Scales

May 2, 2018

  EESA Scientists were able to use the new synchrotron Infrared Nano Spectroscopy (SINS) capability at Advanced Light Source. Above: Diagrams of the setup of (a) the Germanium-hemisphere enhanced attenuated total reflection (Ge micro-ATR) and (b) the resonance enhanced SINS.   Berkeley Lab scientists have identified a way to use machine learning to connect fine-…

Two Papers by EESA Geophysicists Honored by Society of Exploration Geophysicists

April 26, 2018

Two papers published in 2017 by geophysics researchers within the Energy Geosciences Division have been honored by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. Geophysics Department Head Jonathan Ajo-Franklin was notified that the studies received Honorable Mention in the category of Best Paper in Geophysics in April.  The papers published by the society are: An effective-medium model for P-wave…

Berkeley Lab Signs Memorandum of Understanding with French Geological Survey

April 12, 2018

  On April 10, Berkeley Lab and France’s Geological Survey, BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières), signed a Memorandum of Understanding representing their intent to expand a collaborative partnership.  The French geological survey is one of Berkeley Lab’s key European counterparts in working to address the need to protect and sustain Earth’s energy and environmental…

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