Mineralogy
At the IfM, isotope research is mainly focused on investigating the radiogenic and stable isotope composition of the lithophile (“rock-loving”) elements. Active areas of research include the geochemistry of Earth’s mantle and crust, geochronology, paleoceanography and experimental geochemistry. Isotope systems applied include the Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf, U-Pb radiogenic isotope systems and stable Ca isotope measurements.
Equipment
- Thermo Scientific Triton TIMS
- VG 54 TIMS
- Thermo Scientific Neptune MC-ICP-MS
Contact person
Prof. Andreas Stracke
Email: stracke.andreas@uni-muenster.de
Phone: ++49-251-83-33487Planetology
At the IfP, a variety of isotopic and geochemical tools are applied to investigate the early history of the solar system and the accretion and differentiation history of asteroids and terrestrial planets. Analytical methods routinely applied include measurements of the radiogenic isotope systems Hf-W and Pd-Ag.
Equipment
- Thermo Scientific Triton TIMS
- Thermo Scientific Neptune MC-ICP-MS
- Thermo Scientific X-Series 2 ICP-MS
Contact person
Prof. Thorsten Kleine
Email: thorsten.kleine@uni-muenster.de
Phone: ++49-251-83-33406Geology and Palaeontology
At the IfGP, measurements of light stable isotopes (H, C, N, O, S) are applied
- for reconstructing changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere-ocean system through time,
- for identifying traces of life in Earth’s early history, for reconstructing the temporal evolution of metabolic pathways,
- for characterizing past and present interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere, and
- for investigating the impact of anthropogenic activities on modern surface waters, ground waters, and soils.
Equipment
- Thermo Scientific Delta Plus Gas MS
- Thermo Scientific Delta Plus XL Gas MS
- Thermo Scientific MAT 253 Gas MS
- Carlo Erba Elemental Analyzer
Contact Person
Prof. Harald Strauss
Email: hstrauss@uni-muenster.de
Phone: ++49-251-83-33932