Insight Into Climate Change

A Model CE440 Elemental Analyser from Exeter Analytical is being used by one of the world’s leading environmental research centres, British Antarctic Survey, in its climate change research on lake and ocean sediments.

British Antarctic Survey commented: "We have used CHN/O/S Elemental Analysers from Exeter Analytical for some years and initially chose the system due to its unique horizontal furnace design which made it ideal for the analysis of our sample types. One of our recent applications for the CE440 Elemental Analyser is sediment cores, laid down over periods of thousands of years, collected from lake and ocean environments because they contain a wealth of organic and inorganic remains from which it is possible to reconstruct past environmental and climate changes. Measurements of total organic carbon accumulation rates provide an index of past biological production which is often a function of temperature, and measurements of carbon to nitrogen ratios (C:N) combined with independent measurements of the carbon stable isotopes provide a diagnostic tool for identifying the sources of the organic matter. These standard measurements underlie many of the subsequent analyses conducted on the cores."

British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has a long and distinguished history of carrying out research and surveys in the Antarctic and surrounding regions, undertaking most of the British research on the frozen continent. The close linking of its science programmes with essential logistics support makes them very effective in carrying out the complicated and sophisticated scientific field programmes that are necessary today. The current BAS science research strategy is called Polar Science for Planet Earth (PSPE).

Paul Hemming, European Sales Manager for Exeter Analytical, said: "With its wide linear range, proprietary combustion technology and horizontal furnace design allowing for removal of residues between runs, the Exeter Analytical CE440 Elemental Analyser is uniquely suited to accurately analysing complex materials such as soils and sediment samples."