The IAEA offers a variety of training courses in the fundamentals of isotope hydrology and isotopic analyses of stable isotopes, tritium, and noble gases.
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Isotope hydrology training courses
Training Course on Advances in Data Processing and Interpretation Applied to Isotope Hydrology Studies
This course provides an overview of advances in the field of isotope hydrology that are used to better understand and characterize atmospheric, surface and ground water bodies by the identification of water sources, the study of interactions and mixing processes, as well as groundwater dynamics and age dating.
Participants should have a university degree with a scientific profile that attests to their experience with the use of hydrological, hydrogeological or hydro-chemical techniques, and/or involvement in water resources assessment and/or management. They should have a good understanding of water-related hydrogeological issues. As the course is conducted in English, participants must have proficiency to follow lectures and express themselves in English without difficulty.
This two-week course is held once per year for up to 15 participants.
Training Course on H and O Stable Isotope Analysis of Water by Laser Spectroscopy
The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive hands-on training in the installation, operation and maintenance of laser spectrometry for the analysis of stable isotopes in water samples; training in isotope data post processing and QA/QC practices; and the use of the LIMS for Lasers software, a laboratory management system designed for the standardized analysis of oxygen-18 and deuterium in water samples.
The course comprises lectures covering theoretical concepts on measurement of environmental stable isotopes using laser spectrometry, followed by demonstrations and practical exercises including the setup of the laser analyser, routine maintenance, troubleshooting, sample preparation and handling of isotope calibration standards, as well as isotope data postprocessing, QA/QC and reporting.
The course is held twice per year and is open to 8 to 10 participants.
Training Course on New Developments in Tritium Analysis for Hydrological Applications
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of new developments in the analysis of environmental levels of tritium in water samples for hydrological applications using liquid scintillation counting after electrolytical enrichment, and training on the use of the TRIMS, a laboratory management system designed for the standardized analysis of tritium in isotope hydrology laboratories.
The course comprises lectures on theoretical concepts on the measurement of environmental radioactivity using liquid scintillation counting, the use of the compact tritium enrichment unit developed by the IAEA's Isotope Hydrology Laboratory, the use of deuterium and laser spectrometry to determine the enrichment factor, as well as practical work on tritium data processing and reporting.
The course is held once per year and is open to 10 to 15 participants.
Training Course on the Use of Noble Gases in Hydrological Applications
The purpose of this training course is to provide knowledge on the principles of groundwater dating by using noble gas isotopes; a comprehensive hands-on training in the data handling and interpretation of noble gas isotope data from groundwater samples; and training in sampling and data acquisition in the laboratory and in the field.
The course comprises lectures covering theoretical concepts on the application of noble gas isotopes in environmental studies, followed by field demonstrations and practical exercises/demonstrations on sampling, isotope measurement, as well as isotope data post-processing and data interpretation.
The course is held once per year and is open to 10 to 15 participants.