This grant provides partial support for Dr. Edou-Minko, a geologist with the University of Science and Technology of Masuku, in Gabon, West Africa, to collaborate with Erik Brown, Assistant Professor of Geochemistry at the Large Lakes Observatory with the University of Minnesota, on the use in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides to determine long-term weathering rates at various watershed sites in the Mississippi Valley. Dr. Edou-Minko is a specialist in the geochemistry of laterites and lateritic gold deposits, and has had extensive field experience in tropical and equatorial West Africa. The multiple approaches to examination of weathering dynamics offered by Professor Brown and Dr. Edou-Minko will provide insights into the effects of the differing geological settings. The importance of attempting to quantify weathering rates is fundamental to an overall understanding of all surficial processes of the Earth. Furthermore, through time the overall chemistry of the ocean is influenced by differences in weathering rates caused by variations in rock type and climate. The researchers expect to be able to make a comparison of quantitative weathering rates within different latitudes, which could lead to a better understanding of weathering processes in different climatic regimes.
