* Use of stable isotopes in various branches of earth sciences has continuously increased within the country over the last decade

* While limited facilities are available in one or two leading institutes in the country, majority of these data were generated at laboratories abroad.

* Earth scientists have, therefore, realised the lack of such facilities in India  which is seriously hampering quality isotope research in the country

* Existing facilities of stable isotope research are insufficient to cater varied needs (including climate change) of the large number of earth scientists in the country 

* To meet these requirements on national facility basis a Gas Source Mass Spectrometer Laboratory is being set up at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur jointly by IIT and DST

* Expected to be operational within few months this will meet the longstanding requiements of university students and researchers of earth science in India

The facility hosts a state of the art Finnigan Mat Delta Plus XP continuous flow mass spectrometer with several peripheral equipments like Gas bench, Elemental analyser and TC-EA, capable of analysing varied kind of geological materials including water, carbonate,sulphide/sulphate/phosphate,organic matter, graphite, clay etc.