Inactive

This is a Request For Information. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. No contract will be awarded as a result of ... This is a Request For Information. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. No contract will be awarded as a result of this Sources Sought announcement. The United States Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition and Grants is soliciting information from qualified sources; the results of this announcement will be evaluated to determine if there are businesses capable of performing the proposed work. The US Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition and Grants seeks responses from vendors that possess the capability to provide Radiogenic Isotope Analysis. US Geological Survey, California Volcano Observatory (CalVO) is conducting research on the Clearlake volcanic field as part of the California Coast Range Volcanic Field project. This work involves investigating the genetic origins of rocks erupted form the volcanic field. Radiogenic isotopes, including 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 204, 206, 207, 208Pb and 176Hf/177Hf, are among the most important and useful geochemical tracers used in this line of research. The isotope analyses from Clearlake rocks will aid in building our understanding of the evolution of the volcanic field and permit assessment of the potential for future volcanic activity in the field. The contractor will provide Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer (TIMS) strontium analysis and Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (MC-ICPMS) neodymium, lead, and hafnium isotope analyses of provided samples. This data will be delivered with co-run standards, laboratory procedural blanks, and analytical results, all furnished in an Excel spreadsheet. CalVo requires a lab to perform composite analysis of the suite of radiogenic isotopes (e.g., 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf, 20XPb/204Pb) on the same sample aliquot with the option to combine these analyses with sample preparation by digestion in high-pressure digestion vessels (¿bombs¿). Traditional digestion methods used by many analytical laboratories do not effectively break down minerals such as zircon, which are common in Clearlake volcanic field rocks. Failing to dissolve these refractory minerals can lead to inaccurate whole rock compositions and thus unusable data. The contractor must be equipped to commercially offer the desired suite of isotopic analyses on a single sample aliquot and 'bomb' digestion option as a package and must have a reputation for high-accuracy, high-precision radiogenic isotope analysis. For further information, interested parties may contact the Contracting Officer, Charlan Fejarang at (916)278-9329 or cjfejarang@usgs.gov by the due date, July 11, 2022.