Instrument time and Sample Analysis
SOURCES SOUGHT: This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a MARKET SURVEY to determine the interest and capability of any firm eligible to compete under NAICS code 541380- Testing Laboratories, for an upcoming requirement for: Detrital zircon geochronology using LA-MC-ICPMS
Work Requirements
Task 1: PWS: Given samples of sand and sandstone, the contractor shall conduct U-Pb geochronologic analysis for 100 - 200 replicate zircons. Upon request, the contractor may be asked to determine 500, rather than 100 - 200 single grain age measurements for a sample, in order to screen for grains that constrain the maximum depositional age of a sample.
Task 1 Standards: Quality Standards: The contractor shall perform all U-Pb geochronologic analysis following the protocols outlined in Cottle et al., 2009, Cottle et al., 2012, and Kylander-Clark et al., 2013. To ensure data continuity with existing USGS data, the contractor shall combine single shot laser ablation methods with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer measurements of isotopic abundances. These requirements mean that the contractor shall also employ data reduction methods that integrate isotope signal intensities over the duration of a single laser pulse to calculate isotope ratios for unknowns, in order to avoid systematic errors that may arise from tau (decay) and/or response time offset effects for different types of ion counters/detectors. Importantly, the geochronologic method must be nondestructive and consume 100 zircons from each sample, and for 500 grains per sample as requested by USGS scientists.
Task 2: PWS: USGS scientists require access to the Laser-Ablation Multi-Collector Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (LA-MC-ICPMS) laboratory for each day of instrument time to gather U-Pb geochronologic data following the protocols outlined in Cottle et al., 2012. During this time, the contractor will maintain the LA-MC-ICPMS laboratory, such that USGS scientists are able to obtain data following the protocols in Cottle et al., 2012.
Task 2 Standards: Quality Standards: The contractor will ensure that the LA-MC-ICPMS instrument is available, maintained, and performing normally for each day of scheduled instrument time for a USGS scientist to operate, in order to facilitate U-Pb geochronologic measurements on detrital zircons following the protocols in Cottle et al., 2012. To ensure data continuity with existing USGS data, the contractor shall provide instrumentation that is able to combine single shot laser ablation methods with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer measurements of isotopic abundances. These requirements mean that the contractor shall also employ data reduction methods that integrate isotope signal intensities over the duration of a single laser pulse to calculate isotope ratios for unknowns, in order to avoid systematic errors that may arise from tau (decay) and/or response time offset effects for different types of ion counters/detectors. Importantly, the geochronologic method must be nondestructive and consume
