CIG: Thomas Owens

Thomas L. Owens
Lab Manager

483 McCone Hall
University of California and
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Berkeley, CA 94720-4767

T • (01) 510/643-5061
F • (01) 510/642-9520

or

Tom loads new samples into the TIMS barrel

Tom has several recommended links for those who work with mass spectrometers and in the field of isotope geochemistry. Check out Useful Links in our CIG Resources section...

Tom has managed the campus Center for Isotope Geochemistry (CIG) laboratory since its inception in 1988. He oversees all aspects of safety, chemistry, maintenance and analysis in the campus laboratory. He supervises and trains all researchers (students, post docs, staff and visiting scholars) that use our facilities. Under the supervision of Don DePaolo, he is responsible for the dissolution, separation and analysis of all samples for CIG, as well as tracking all standards and samples.

His duties include troubleshooting and repair of all our laboratory equipment. He also consults as a chemical safety officer with the Earth and Planetary Science Department here at UCB. And he acts as backup for Marilyn Saarni in computer support.

Education

B.S. Earth Sciences, SUNY @ Stony Brook
B.A. Chemistry, SUNY @ Stony Brook
4 yrs graduate work in Chemical Oceanography, University of Alaska @ Fairbanks

Work

1980-1988 • Staff Research Associate at UCLA Geology Dept
1988-Present • Principal Research Associate at LBNL Earth Sciences Division

Duties

Laboratory Manager for CIG at UC Berkeley Campus
Laboratory Radiation Officer
more on safeguards for radioactive substances: http//radsafe.berkeley.edu
Laboratory Safety Officer
more on lab safety: http://www.ehs.berkeley.edu/resources/resources.html
Supervise and train all students, staff and visitors in chemical isotope separations and analyses
Develop and/or implement all chemical separation procedures and analytical analyses
Maintain two Micromass Sector 54 Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometers (TIMS)
Maintain Thermo Triton Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer (TIMS)
Maintain class 10,000 clean room suite
Maintain and repair all equipment for CIG
Act as secondary computer support

Skills

Chemist
Electrician
Plumber
Machinist
Programmer
Councilman

Hobbies and Sidelines

Family, home, woodworking, gardening, camping, hiking, cards (Bridge anyone?), spelunking, wiring schools for the Internet, El Sobrante Manor Neighborhood Council (ESMNC), Councilman-El Sobrante Municipal Avdisory Council (ESMAC)

Publications

Renne, Paul R, Swisher, Carl C, Deino, Alan L, Karner, Daniel B,
Owens, Thomas L, DePaolo, Donald J (1998): Corrigendum; Intercalibration of standards, absolute ages and uncertainties in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating, Chemical Geology, v. 149: 259

Renne, P.R., Swisher, C.C., Deino, A.L., Owens, T.L., DePaolo, D.J., and Karner, D.B. (1998): Intercalibration of standards, absolute ages and uncertainties in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating, Chemical Geology, v. 145: 117-152

Renne, Paul R. et al. (1997): Intercalibration of standards, absolute ages and uncertainties in Ar/Ar dating, GSA 1997 Annual Meeting Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America, v. 29: 451

Skulan, Joseph, DePaolo, Donald J, Owens, Thomas L (1997): Biological control of calcium isotopic abundances in the global calcium cycle, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v.61: 2505-2510

Skulan, J L, DePaolo, D J and Owens, T L (1997): Paleontological applications of calcium isotopic analysis, 1997 California Paleontology Conference, Berkeley, California; Programs and Abstracts, PaleoBios., v. 18, no. 1, Suppl: 7

DePaolo, D.J., J.L. Skulan and T.L. Owens (1995): Calcium isotopic fractionation in terrestrial materials, GSA 1995 Annual Meeting Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America, v. 27: 39

Owens, T. L., D.C. Burrell and H.V. Weiss (1980): Reaction and flux of manganese within the oxic sediment and basin water of an Alaskan fjord, in Fjord Oceanography, eds Freeland, Farmer and Levings, pp 667-673