Noble Gas Lab Marty Grove
Sunset at the beach

The Stanford Noble Gas Laboratory produces high-quality 40Ar/39Ar & (U-Th)/He data for geochronologic & thermochronologic applications in the Earth Sciences.  The laboratory is open to all Stanford researchers to perform their own analyses under the supervision of laboratory personnel.  Based upon time availability researchers from other institutions may also gain access to the laboratory. All potential users must submit a request form.

Research Highlights

  • Detrital Thermochronology

     Clastic sedimentary sequences shed from orogenic belts provide a fertile, and arguably unique, record of crustal exhumation.

  • Chronology of Silicic Volcanism

     Gail Mahood's group is studying silicic volcanism associated with the main phase of Steens and Columbia River flood basalt eruptions between 16.7 and 15.0 Ma. During this period, ca. 3900 km3 of silicic magma erupted from centers dispersed across 25,000 k

  • Sediment Underplating During Shallow Subduction

     During the Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic, southern California was underplated by subducted sediments as the western margin of the arc and inner part of the forearc basin were simultaneously removed from the margin.

Laboratory News

  • New Compact RIO control system

    The Stanford Noble Gas Laboratory has begun a new project in collaboration with Dr. Jeremy Hourigan of UC Santa Cruz

    November 16, 2015

  • New Argon Reference Gas

    We have developed a new reference gas for standardizing 40Ar/39Ar measurements made with a multicollector array.

    November 16, 2015