OSU Argon

Geochronology Lab

In our OSU Argon Geochronology Lab we employ the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology method to determine how hotspots evolve and interact with the lithosphere, in quantifying rates at which large igneous provinces are constructed, in deciphering the early history of the Earth and Moon, in tracking transport pathways of terrigenous sediments from rivers to deep-sea sediments, and more.

Our lab is equipped with two noble gas mass spectrometers for carrying out ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations. We carry out analyses on two Thermo Scientific ARGUS VI Multi-Collector Instruments outfitted with five fixed Faraday detectors using 10¹² Ω resistors for mass 40 and 10¹³ Ω resistors for masses 39, 38 and 37, and one ion-counting CuBe electron multiplier for mass 36.

Since 1977 investigators, students and post-docs in our laboratory have produced ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age data that appeared in more than 380 Peer-reviewed Publications and in 31 Senior, MSc and PhD Theses. This long list of papers could not have been possible without the more than 100 visitors over the last decades and our numerous national and international collaborators.

Our laboratory is equipped to process and analyze large sample sets required for regional geological mapping and stratigraphic correlation projects. We have developed efficient workflows that maintain analytical quality while accommodating high sample throughput.