Geochemistry Lab

Led by Prof Joel Baker, this is a new state-of-the-art geochemistry laboratory - a $3 million investment in geology at VUW. The laboratory will comprise a wet chemistry laboratory, and an ultra-clean chemical separation laboratory equipped with four PicoTrace laminar flow workstations, in which samples will prepared for chemical and isotopic analysis (see some photos of the “laboratory”). An Agilent 7500CS inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and a New Wave deep UV laser (193 nm solid state) for analysis of trace elements in solutions and in situ in solid samples, respectively, will be delivered in April 2006. A Nu plasma multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer will be installed in August 2006 that is capable of high-precision isotopic analysis of most elements in the Periodic Table, both in solutions and in situ in solid samples (when coupled to the laser).