The Geochronology Laboratory at UAF conducts research in determining the ages of rocks and minerals using the 40Ar/39Ar step-heating dating method. Major areas of research emphasis include determining the tectonic history of Alaska and adjacent Russia, determining the relationship between plutonism and ore mineralization and determining the eruptive history of Alaska's volcanoes.
The laboratory has two mass spectrometer systems, a Nuclide system installed in 1970 with an on-line extraction furnace and a VG3600 laser system installed in 1994. We completed over 2000 mass spectrometry analyses on 143 samples in 1993 and 2500 mass spectrometry analyses on 158 samples in 1994 on the Nuclide mass spectrometer system. In 1994 we completed over 1200 mass spectrometry analyses on the newly installed laser system. Many of these analyses were done on research grants and internally supported projects discussed below while others were on externally supported contracts and in support of student theses.
Corporations which supplied support for the geochronology laboratory in exchange for age analyses in 1993 and 1994 include: Placer Dome Inc., ASA Inc., Ryan Lode Mines Inc., Fairbanks Gold Mining Inc., Arco, and Chevron Minerals Division. Universities which provided contract support or collaboration include Michigan State University, Beloit College, Stanford University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and Lulea University in Sweden. Supporting government agencies include the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Student thesis work involved investigations of the plutons of the northeastern Brooks Range, the mineralization in the Fairbanks district, the history of the Southwest Nevada Volcanic Field, the igneous and metamorphic rocks in Russia, mineralization in southern Africa and Australia, and the thermal history of the McKinley pluton.
Supported by internal funds through various agencies. Scientific personnel: Paul Layer and Jeff Drake
The paleomagnetic laboratory is housed in the brand new Natural Sciences Building (opened 1995) and includes a dedicated laboratory with a Lodestar Magnetics shielded room. The shielded room houses a 2-G cryogenic magnetometer, Schondstedt thermal and alternating field demagnetizers, extra mu-metal magnetic shields for storage of magnetically unstable samples and has space for longer term storage fo samples waiting to be processed. In the main laboratory, and in subsidiary laboratoies elsewhere, we have a Varian electromagnet, several susceptibility meters including a Bartington with furnace attachment, field coring devices and two sediment corers. The sediment corers are Mackereth type, one being a 1.4m mini-corer and the other a 4m system which is being converted to hydraulic operation to allow it to sample in deeper water. Zodiac inflatable boats and various river boats have been set up to allow coring operations.
The laboratory is well equipped with computers ranging from a Sun Sparc-4 through Pentiums to 486s, all of which are networked to the geology computer laboratory of the Geophysical Institute seismology laboratory.
Student Research Opportunities at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
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This site is maintained by C. L. Hanks Catherine.Hanks@gi.alaska.edu
Last updated on April 3, 1997