About SIGF

Stable Isotope Geosciences Facility

Professor and students in lab

Overview

Located in the Eller O&M Building at Texas A&M University, the Stable Isotope Geosciences Facility (SIGF) consists of two instrument laboratories, three sample preparation laboratories, and a Facility Manager’s office. With the 2017 installation of three new isotope ratio mass spectrometers (IRMSs), SIGF now houses one of the most comprehensive light stable isotope laboratories in the US, with five dynamic-source IRMSs and seven peripheral devices with the capabilities of performing high precision H, C, N, O, S and clumped analyses on carbonates, sediments, waters, and organic matter. The current configuration includes

  • ThermoElectron MAT253 IRMS with a Kiel IV automated carbonate device for C and O isotope analyses of carbonate minerals
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific 253 Plus IRMS and Kiel IV automated carbonate device for clumped isotope analyses of carbonate minerals
  • ThermoFinnigan DeltaPlusXP IRMS with an elemental analyzer (EA) for C and N isotope analyses of bulk organic matter
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Delta V Advantage IRMS with GC-Isolink for compound specific analyses of H, C, and N isotopes of organic compounds
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Delta V Advantage Flash Elemental Analyzer (EA) IRMS for C, N, and S isotope analyses of bulk organic matter

Additional peripherals coupled to the Delta instruments include a high temperature EA (TC/EA) for H and O isotope analyses of water and O isotope analyses of cellulose, and a GasBench II for C and O isotope analyses of water and carbonates. SIGF also operates a Picarro L2130i Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer capable of high precision H and O isotope analyses of water. This instrumentation was purchased with National Science Foundation and TAMU funds.

Dr. Ethan Grossman serves as Director of SIGF and Dr. Christopher Maupin serves as Co-Director and SIGF Manager. Dr. Maupin has extensive experience in the operation, maintenance, and repair of IRMS systems. Serving on the Executive Committee are Drs. Niall Slowey, Heather Thakar, and Yige Zhang.  SIGF is supported by the College of Arts & Sciences and Office of Vice President for Research at TAMU, PI grants, and revenue generated by analyses.

Links of Interest

Stable Isotope Precipitation Links

Fundamentals of Isotope Geochemistry

The Forensic Isotope Radio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS) Network

Web Stable Isotope Calculator

Ancient Life & Environments

Environmental and Engineering Geology and Geophysics

IsoGeoChem Wiki

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Supporting the Facility

Stable Isotope Geosciences Facility (SIGF) would like to thank our Sponsors for making it possible to be a top facility for stable isotopic research and teaching. Without our sponsors, this facility would not be possible. Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Current supporters include the College of Arts & Sciences, Office of the Vice President for Research, and Berg-Hughes Center for Petroleum and Sedimentary Systems at Texas A&M University, and the National Science Foundation.