This research involves comprehensive sedimentologic and isotope geochemistry studies on Permian to Jurassic clastic and chemical deposits of a freshwater rift lake from the Mid-Zambezi Basin, in southern Gondwana. The objective is to document Permian to Jurassic climate changes from the sedimentary record and to compare the climate data to those obtained from equivalent time-intervals in Laurasia. The research will provide crucial field data and produce a realistic conceptual climate model for large continental interiors against which numerical model simulations can be tested and refined. Provenance and depositional environments will be determined from petrographic and microfabric studies of sandstones and carbonates, respectively. Distribution of primary clay mineral assemblages will be determined on <2um sediment fractions and the variation through time interpreted in terms of climate regimes for depositional times. 6-18O will be measured on meteoric calcite cements from strat-bound early-formed concretions in shales throughout the sedimentary succession to establish changes in isotopic composition of meteoric waters and to infer surface paleotemperatures. C-org signatures from laminated primary lake carbonates will be used to assess organic productivity of the ancient lake. Interactive activities include: teaching one upper level undergraduate course on palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from continental deposits, mentoring three students in undergraduate geology research, and expanding contacts with middle-school science teachers of the School District of Philadelphia, visiting and demonstrating class activities in Earth and Environmental Sciences, as well as guiding motivated individuals.
