Earth Systems Center for Stable Isotopic Studies

YIBS: Earth Systems Center for Stable Isotopic Studies

Yale University

Yale Institute
for Biospheric Studies

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Mission Statement
Our Purpose and Our Goals

The YIBS Earth System Center for Stable Isotope Studies was established with the completion of the stable isotope facility in Class of 1954 Environmental Science Center (ESC). The Center is devoted to the study of the environment using the latest technology and ideas in light stable isotope research, and serves as a meeting point for both Yale and external scientists to exchange ideas and develop new approaches to the study of the environment.

Given that the stable isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen all show large variations depending on climatic and local conditions, it has become clear that nearly all aspects of the environment can be studied using light stable isotopes. It is also very clear that every living creature on this planet is, to a large extent, “what it eats, drinks and breaths.” The isotopic compositions of animals and plants in any environment reflect the environment in which they live, and with the isotopic record carried by some fossils we can document environmental change. Living flora and fauna carry isotopic information on animal migration, metabolic pathways and environmental influences. Light stable isotopes can also be used to study the long-term cycles that control the Earth’s climate on the long time scale. For instance isotopic studies can be used to help constrain the cycling of CO2 within the Earth’s interior, and to put constraints on the flux of volatiles through the Earth’s crust. Users of the stable isotope facility have and are doing a myriad of different projects, with some relevent references found on our "Citation" page. Members of the Geology and Geophysics department have used stable isotopes to study the dynamics of cloud formation, and the possible effects that clouds will have on Global Warming. Users have used isotopes in corals to establish changes in recent ocean circulation, and have used isotopes in Nautilus septa to establish the early life history of these animals. Others here have used isotope studies to constrain the amount of volatiles moving through and interacting with the Earth’s crust. Oxygen isotopes on phosphates are being used as environmental indicators, and may now allow us to recognize ancient life in ancient rocks and possibly Mars. Isotopes on individual biomarkers, isolated from sea cores, are being examined to follow past climatic events. The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department use the facility to do food web studies on local rivers to Bahama's estuaries, among other studies. The School of Forestry use isotopes to study water stress on plants from Indonesia to Hawaii to Panama to mainland US. They are also studying carbon cycling. We have collaborated with the Anthropology department on their analysis of stable isotopic studies on grains from dig sites in the Middle East. Stable isotope studies can tell us when and where irrigation became important, and when and where drought conditions have been predominant. We are collaborating with Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry department to follow protein folding using a 13C label as a marker of accessible sites. Users from the Chemistry department are using stable isotopes to follow catalyzed reactions. We also work with members of the Yale Medical School as well as with outside laboratories.

Members
The Center also includes the expertise of a number of people who make up the personnel of the center. The idea was to bring together a group of scientists, with stable isotope expertise, that represent a broad spectrum of environmental science disciplines. The group includes: Danny Rye, Mark Pagani, Ruth Blake, David Post, Gerard Olack, Gaboury Benoit, Peter Raymond, and Karl Turekian. This group gives us representation from geochemistry, bio-geochemistry, paleo-ecology, ecology, micro biology, and forestry. We also will have close ties to anthropology and engineering.

It is our desire to make the center a hot-bed of research that not only will interact with the other inhabitants of ESC, but also with the rest of the Yale community. We hope also to have a steady flux of visitors to the laboratory. These visitors will come both for the state of the art equipment and for intellectual interchange.

Staff
The Center has one full-time PhD-level staff member, one full-time research assistant and one part-time laboratory assistant. Dr. Gerard Olack, Dominc Colosi, and Keith Metzger provide day-to-day management and maintenence of the Center, assist users and instructors, and work with others both from within Yale and from outside of Yale who wish to use the facility.

History
Please see the Overview page for a complete history of the facility

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