This $102,488 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) will support a collaborative research effort to characterize the stable isotopic composition of zirconium in the Pacific Ocean. The three-year project, led by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), aims to: (1) determine the zirconium isotopic composition of dissolved, particulate, and authigenic sediment samples; (2) investigate whether these isotopic compositions correlate with water mass age; (3) test if sediments faithfully record the water composition they originated from; and (4) examine if adsorption onto sinking particles drives the observed zirconium isotopic fractionation. The research will provide new insights into the marine geochemical cycle of zirconium and explore its potential as a tracer of past ocean conditions. The project will support one PhD student and provide research experience for one undergraduate, while also incorporating the findings into educational materials and outreach activities.
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