We measure stable isotopes in air and ice to better understand the Earth's climate systems. We excel at measurements of δ13C and δ18O in atmospheric carbon dioxide, δ13C of atmospheric methane and local sources of elevated methane, and δ2H and δ18O in water from ice cores as well as in environmental waters. Read more about our research below!
Lab manager
Lab manager
Faculty fellow
Faculty fellow
Faculty fellow
Faculty fellow emeritus
Research staff
Research staff
Research staff
Research staff
Grad student
Grad student
Taline Leon
Research assistant
Paloma Siegel
Research assistant
SIL hosted the Front Range Isotope Day (FRIDay) last summer at ſ2023¼
Contact us
Come visit! We are in the southeast corner of SEEC (Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Complex) at 4001 Discovery Dr.
Or call! 303-492-5495
We provide analytical services to scientists and institutions around the world. Find more info below.
Our team
We're a dedicated crew from different scientific backgrounds and experiences, but with common purpose: to understand the Earth's climate system, the carbon cycle, and global change. We work together in the lab and in the field in our shared mission. We also try to have some fun!
Blog headlines
- Welcome Kerstin!
- Alaska NNA team update
- A send-off for Chloe!
- An isotope introduction
A bit of SIL history ...
Are you interested in being a SIL team member?
- Prospectivegraduate students: please reach out to our principal investigators Tyler Jones, Brad Markle, or Ben Li!
- Prospective undergraduates and Professional Research Assistants: please and email an introduction to Sylvia.
Research
Stable isotopes are a unique tool because they indicate, record, integrate, and trace processes in the global environment. The INSTAAR Stable Isotope Lab partners with researchers from a variety of academic institutions and governmental agencies worldwide in interdisciplinary research into Earth systems.
Services
We provide analytical servicesto scientists and institutions around the world.
Analysis | Analysis Mode | Sample Volume | Precision (‰) | Cost Per | Analysis Time | Limitations | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C & O: atm. carbon dioxide | δ13C δ18O |
dual inlet | 400 cc minimum 1 Liter preferred |
±0.015 ±0.05 |
$60 | 4-6 wks | Near-ambient concentrations of CO2 in air |
C: atm. methane | δ13C | continuous flow | 40 cc minimum 1 Liter preferred |
±0.1 | $240 | 4-6 wks | Near-ambient concentrations of CH4 in air |
H & O: liquid water & ice | δD δ18O |
dual inlet | 2ml minimum 15 ml preferred |
±0.5 ±0.07 |
$50 | 4-6 wks | Relatively clean samples, please! |
Stable Isotope Lab by the numbers
7
Full-Time Technicians
+ grad students
30+
Years
of operations
36+
Publications
inNature orScience
180+
Publications
assoc. with the lab
800
Square Feet
of freezer space
at -20°C/-4°F
3000
Gallons
of liquid nitrogen
on demand
8000+
Square Feet
of lab space
25,000+
Analyses
per year
Instrumentation
Our equipment includes
- Dual-inlet and continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometers
- Laser-based cavity ring-down spectrometers.
Overview video (90 sec)
ʲٲԱ
. We work closely withNOAA’s Global Monitoring Lab, providingcritical isotopic constraints on the sources and sinks of major greenhouse gases and related carbon- climate feedback processes—constraints which are not otherwise available from observations of trace gas concentration alone.
. Many of our projects have been supported under the leadership of the National Science Foundation.
Collaborators
We also collaborate with colleagues at many universities, government labs, and other science organizations and communities around the world.