National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF)
Lead Research Organisation:
British Geological Survey
Department Name: NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory
Abstract
Determining the isotopic composition of a breadth of environmental materials underpins our ability to constrain, track and understand a wide range of environmental science processes. Isotopes are used to determine the age of materials, constrain rates of change, integrate disparate environmental records, and assess cause/effects hypothesis. Isotopes are also used to track a range of natural and anthropogenic processes operating across the planet, from the hydrosphere to the biosphere. Isotope science requires infrastructure at the leading edge; not only physical infrastructure such as state of the art equipment and well established laboratories, but as important are the experienced facility personnel who provide the expertise, drive development, explore new areas of application, and develop systems to ensure data are accessible, interoperable and reusable. The requirements for isotopes in environmental sciences necessitates national delivery of fundamental capabilities for the following reasons: (1) A compelling community need for fundamental and complex isotope analyses; (2) Continued investment in instruments and skilled people is required to remain at forefront of world isotope science; and (3) High demand and delivery required by the UK research portfolio. Where these requirements exist, national facilities are a demonstrably cost-effective mechanism to deliver and underpin environmental science research and innovation, now and into the future.
The National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) is an evolution of facilities that builds upon a strong track record of NERC facilities for environmental isotope analyses. This single nationally distributed facility comprises a range of analytical capabilities and staff expertise for isotope analyses that underpins an array of multidisciplinary, cross themed, environmental science areas. NEIF capabilities are subdivided into two categories: Chronology and Environmental and Life Science Tracers. Combined, these support research in the areas of biogeochemistry, archaeology, palaeoclimatology and climate change, solid Earth processes (inc. natural hazards), human-landscape evolution and interactions (inc. the Anthropocene), evolution of life, ecology, pollution, the hydrological cycle, applied minerals and energy research.
NEIF will underpin the UKs environmental research community in areas where isotope analyses are required, facilitating, supporting and encouraging the best research, technology and new ideas. The unified capabilities and expertise delivered by the NEIF are technically unique within the UK and are delivered to the highest standard and quality. NEIF will deliver against a number of key objectives: to facilitate environmental research to support the provision of training for early career researchers, to deliver innovation, and to promote awareness of NEIF capabilities, their role in environmental sciences, related NERC activities, and public outreach.
The benefits of a single national facility are that it will be ''greater than the sum of its parts''. The combined strategic nature of NEIF, with clear community input via the Strategy Group, acts as a catalyst for the areas of environmental science covered by NEIF. In addition to the direct support of projects and provision of training, the sustained support of NERC facilities has enabled their evolution to best fit the user community needs enable facility staff to deliver a longer-term perspective, identify challenges and opportunities, in order to best service the environmental science community. The NEIF represents a major evolution in the provision of isotopes capabilities and expertise for the UK research community. It will provide increased community innovation and greater scope for flexibility, whilst retaining the core purpose of underpinning UK science, in addition to hosting internationally competitive state-of-the-art capabilities critically underpinned by a vastly experienced, unique staff assemblage.
The National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) is an evolution of facilities that builds upon a strong track record of NERC facilities for environmental isotope analyses. This single nationally distributed facility comprises a range of analytical capabilities and staff expertise for isotope analyses that underpins an array of multidisciplinary, cross themed, environmental science areas. NEIF capabilities are subdivided into two categories: Chronology and Environmental and Life Science Tracers. Combined, these support research in the areas of biogeochemistry, archaeology, palaeoclimatology and climate change, solid Earth processes (inc. natural hazards), human-landscape evolution and interactions (inc. the Anthropocene), evolution of life, ecology, pollution, the hydrological cycle, applied minerals and energy research.
NEIF will underpin the UKs environmental research community in areas where isotope analyses are required, facilitating, supporting and encouraging the best research, technology and new ideas. The unified capabilities and expertise delivered by the NEIF are technically unique within the UK and are delivered to the highest standard and quality. NEIF will deliver against a number of key objectives: to facilitate environmental research to support the provision of training for early career researchers, to deliver innovation, and to promote awareness of NEIF capabilities, their role in environmental sciences, related NERC activities, and public outreach.
The benefits of a single national facility are that it will be ''greater than the sum of its parts''. The combined strategic nature of NEIF, with clear community input via the Strategy Group, acts as a catalyst for the areas of environmental science covered by NEIF. In addition to the direct support of projects and provision of training, the sustained support of NERC facilities has enabled their evolution to best fit the user community needs enable facility staff to deliver a longer-term perspective, identify challenges and opportunities, in order to best service the environmental science community. The NEIF represents a major evolution in the provision of isotopes capabilities and expertise for the UK research community. It will provide increased community innovation and greater scope for flexibility, whilst retaining the core purpose of underpinning UK science, in addition to hosting internationally competitive state-of-the-art capabilities critically underpinned by a vastly experienced, unique staff assemblage.
Organisations
Publications
Allington M
(2021)
Obtaining archaeointensity data from British Neolithic pottery: A feasibility study
in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Alsos I
(2020)
Last Glacial Maximum environmental conditions at Andøya, northern Norway; evidence for a northern ice-edge ecological "hotspot"
in Quaternary Science Reviews
Ardelean C
(2020)
Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum
in Nature
Armstrong J
(2019)
Mobilisation of arsenic, selenium and uranium from Carboniferous black shales in west Ireland
in Applied Geochemistry
Armstrong J
(2020)
Kilometre-scale compartmentalization of fluid sources to a fossil hydrothermal system
in Ore Geology Reviews
Atar E
(2019)
Dynamic climate-driven controls on the deposition of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation in the Cleveland Basin, Yorkshire, UK
in Climate of the Past
Austin RE
(2019)
Patterns of at-sea behaviour at a hybrid zone between two threatened seabirds.
in Scientific reports
Austin RE
(2021)
Interspecific and intraspecific foraging differentiation of neighbouring tropical seabirds.
in Movement ecology
Badenszki E
(2019)
Age and Origin of Deep Crustal Meta-igneous Xenoliths from the Scottish Midland Valley: Vestiges of an Early Palaeozoic Arc and 'Newer Granite' Magmatism
in Journal of Petrology
Baino AA
(2022)
We are what we eat, plus some per mill: Using stable isotopes to estimate diet composition in Gyps vultures over space and time.
in Ecology and evolution
Banks D
(2020)
On the common occurrence of sulphate with elevated d34S in European mine waters: Sulphides, evaporites or seawater?
in International Journal of Coal Geology
Banks D
(2023)
Dissolved sulfate d 34 S and the origin of sulfate in coal mine waters; NE England
in Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology
Bark G
(2020)
Fluid and metal sources in the Fäboliden hypozonal orogenic gold deposit, Sweden
in Mineralium Deposita
Barnet J
(2020)
Coupled evolution of temperature and carbonate chemistry during the Paleocene-Eocene; new trace element records from the low latitude Indian Ocean
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Barnet J
(2019)
A High-Fidelity Benthic Stable Isotope Record of Late Cretaceous-Early Eocene Climate Change and Carbon-Cycling
in Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
Barr C
(2019)
Holocene El Niño-Southern Oscillation variability reflected in subtropical Australian precipitation.
in Scientific reports
Bauld JT
(2022)
Can diet niche partitioning enhance sexual dimorphism?
in Ecology and evolution
Becerra-Valdivia L
(2022)
A chronology for the earliest human burials at Cuchipuy, central Chile
in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Bell B
(2019)
Stable carbon isotope analysis on fossil Cedrus pollen shows summer aridification in Morocco during the last 5000 years
in Journal of Quaternary Science
Bell B
(2021)
Palynological evidence from a sub-alpine marsh of enhanced Little Ice Age snowpack in the Marrakech High Atlas, North Africa
in Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
Benetti S
(2021)
Exploring controls of the early and stepped deglaciation on the western margin of the British Irish Ice Sheet
in Journal of Quaternary Science
Bennett-Williams J
(2022)
A Multi-Tissue, Multi-Species Assessment of Lipid and Urea Stable Isotope Biases in Mesopredator Elasmobranchs
in Frontiers in Marine Science
Beresford-Jones D
(2022)
Insights into changing coastlines, environments and marine hunter-gatherer lifestyles on the Pacific coast of South America from the La Yerba II shell midden, Río Ica estuary, Peru
in Quaternary Science Reviews
Beresford-Jones D
(2021)
Revisitando la hipótesis de Frederic Engel: cómo las lomas determinan la distribución arqueológica del Precerámico en la costa sur del Perú
in Relaciones
Beresford-Jones D
(2021)
Diet and Lifestyle in the First Villages of the Middle Preceramic: Insights from Stable Isotope and Osteological Analyses of Human Remains from Paloma, Chilca I, La Yerba III, and Morro I
in Latin American Antiquity
Bermingham A
(2021)
Island resource exploitation by the ancient Maya during periods of climate stress, Ambergris Caye, Belize
in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Biagi P
(2020)
Early Neolithic Settlement of the Po Plain (Northern Italy) Vhò and Related Sites
in Documenta Praehistorica
Bicknell A
(2020)
Stable isotopes reveal the importance of seabirds and marine foods in the diet of St Kilda field mice
in Scientific Reports
Binnie S
(2019)
Preliminary results of CoQtz-N: A quartz reference material for terrestrial in-situ cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al measurements
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Bird A
(2020)
A constant Chinese Loess Plateau dust source since the late Miocene
in Quaternary Science Reviews
Blanks DE
(2020)
Fluxing of mantle carbon as a physical agent for metallogenic fertilization of the crust.
in Nature communications
Blanz M
(2022)
Trace element ratios in tooth enamel as palaeodietary indicators of seaweed consumption and coastal grazing, and their broader applicability
in Journal of Archaeological Science
Blanz M
(2022)
Life, Death and Teeth of Late Neolithic Sheep and Red Deer Excavated at Ness of Brodgar, Orkney Islands (UK)
in Environmental Archaeology
Blong J
(2020)
Younger Dryas and early Holocene subsistence in the northern Great Basin: multiproxy analysis of coprolites from the Paisley Caves, Oregon, USA
in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Bradwell T
(2019)
Ice-stream demise dynamically conditioned by trough shape and bed strength.
in Science advances
Bradwell T
(2019)
Pattern, style and timing of British-Irish Ice Sheet retreat: Shetland and northern North Sea sector
in Journal of Quaternary Science
Bradwell T
(2021)
Pattern, style and timing of British-Irish Ice Sheet advance and retreat over the last 45 000 years: evidence from NW Scotland and the adjacent continental shelf
in Journal of Quaternary Science
Brasier A
(2019)
Detecting ancient life: Investigating the nature and origin of possible stromatolites and associated calcite from a one billion year old lake
in Precambrian Research
Briddon C
(2020)
Diatoms in a sediment core from a flood pulse wetland in Malaysia record strong responses to human impacts and hydro-climate over the past 150 years
in Geo: Geography and Environment
Briones M
(2019)
Plant identity control on soil food web structure and C transfers under perennial bioenergy plantations
in Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Briones MJI
(2021)
No evidence for increased loss of old carbon in a temperate organic soil after 13 years of simulated climatic warming despite increased CO2 emissions.
in Global change biology
Britton A
(2019)
The effects of land use disturbance vary with trophic position in littoral cichlid fish communities from Lake Tanganyika
in Freshwater Biology
| Description | A SelFrag facility to underpin UK geoscience |
| Amount | £300,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/T00925X/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | A Selective Fragmentation (SELFRAG) device for liberating minerals, microfossils from rocks: more efficient, effective and safer for the UK community. |
| Amount | £293,443 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/T009233/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2019 |
| End | 03/2020 |
| Title | A database of NERC radiocarbon measurements determined by accelerator mass spectrometry. |
| Description | The database contains radiocarbon (14C) measurements performed using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) by the NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory. Contextual information including sample type and sampling location, and associated publications are also provided |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Compilations of radiocarbon measurements performed by the NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory using radiometric methods have previously been made publicly available in research papers or databases. The new database is the first collection of radiocarbon measurements performed using accelerator mass spectrometry by the laboratory. The database provides a resource for researchers to access over 2000 radiocarbon measurements. |
| Description | 50 minute presentation on the Weymouth discovery of a Viking Age burial site and how isotopes were able to look at the origins of the men found there. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This talk was given to the Harrington Discussion Society. I was invited back having given a talk in 2018. This is group of local who gather regularly for such discussions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | A 50 minute talk about the discovery and analysis of Richard III's skeleton |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A talk about Richard III with a geological slant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | A 50 minute talk about the discovery and analysis of Richard III's skeleton |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation to the University of the Third Age group in Keyworth. Very interesting and diverse expertise within the audience resulting in 30 - 40 minutes of questions after the talk. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | BGS open day presentation to the general public on Richard III |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a talk targeted at the younger audience members aimed at showing the links between science and history |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Blog post |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Blogpost on BGS website describing the SelFrag instrument, its capabilities and future potential. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/exploding-rocks-the-uks-first-selfrag-machine/ |
| Description | Blogs |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Frequent blog posts on the BGS Geoblogy site, updating on the aims of the project and the progress made with the analysis of the samples. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
| Description | Cosmo2022 Scotland. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Cosmo 2022 - Scotland workshop is a continuation of the previous four events known as the Nordic Workshop on Cosmogenic Nuclides. The three-day workshop and the oneday field excursion was jointly hosted by the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) and the University of Edinburgh, and held in Edinburgh, 7-9 June 2022. The workshop Comprised of a scientific programme of oral and poster contributions by members of the international cosmogenic nuclide community, discussions, short practical workshops, and an optional field excursion the last day. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_845736_smxx.pdf |
| Description | Diatom isotopes demonstration as part of the British Geological Survey Open Day October 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An exhibit was presented at the BGS Open Day on diatoms, single-celled algae with silica (glass) shells, and how they are used in climate and environmental change research. Visitors were able to view fossil diatoms through a microscope and see their structure from 3D-printed models. Poster boards provided information on what diatoms are, their composition, their importance to us and the planet, how we utilise them in scientific research, and gave an example project (DeepCHALLA) where diatom isotopes are pivitol for providing a better understanding of past climate and its influence on patterns on human migration out of Africa. The stand engaged younger children by helping them create diatom art and plasticine models of diatoms from example images. Feedback was very positive |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Facebook Live discussion for paper in Science Advances "Multi-isotope analysis reveals that feasts in the Stonehenge environs and across Wessex drew people and animals from throughout Britain" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a four way moderated discussion, live on Facebook, organized by The VancePak Team Office of Public Programs (OPP) American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/ScienceAdvances/videos/793199927719821/. |
| Description | Geochronology activity and demonstration as part of the British Geological Survey Open Day October 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 70 members of the public participated in a combined activity and demonstration around the theme of geochronology and geological time, as part of the annual British Geological Surveys public open day. The demonstration included a talk and discussion about geological time combined with the 'Corridor of Time' activity which comprised a 46 metre scaled timeline (1cm equals 1 million years) of Earth history, from human history back to the formation of the Earth and Solar System. This demonstrated the tempo of evolution and the vastness of geological time compared to human histories. This was combined with a 'Speed dating' activity where members of the public came into the mass spectrometry laboratory and we explained how we obtain absolute dates on rocks and minerals, and then they were given a chance to select a mineral for analyses then and there - the sample was a real research target that contains detrital grains with a range of ages, from ~400 to 2700 million years. Throughout the day as more minerals were dated we kept a leader board and a prize was given to the person who picked the oldest grain. The capacity of 70 participants was set by the size of the laboratory and the nature of the activity. Feedback from the participants was wholly positive. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |