Doctoral Dissertation Research in Geography and Regional Science

地貌过程、气候、土壤和生物区系共同作用于一个 大规模地创造出可观察到的物理景观。 在 微尺度上，风化作为地貌的一部分， 系统，风化研究的一个重要目标是 开发解释和预测化学物质扩散率的模型 地球表面的反应。 石英是世界上 常见的陆地矿物，它被认为是一个 最耐化学风化。 石英的过程 风化作用并不像那些与 其他更耐候的材料。 本项目谋求 了解石英脱钙作用，一种微风化作用 这种现象受气候、生物区系、地球化学和 时间 它还将确定石英的化学特征 可能对古环境有用的去碳酸盐作用 research. 该项目将从一个恒定的石英样品 地貌环境和时间，但气候和 植被 现场分析与实验室相结合 微分析技术将被用来量化的物理 石英脱矿的化学特征。 这些 特性将与时间，温度， 水分，地球化学环境，生物化学环境， 地貌和规模的统计检验。 这项研究将确定石英的元素 这将有助于实现更大的 从整体上理解风化过程。 这是 这一点很重要，因为风化过程与 地貌过程、土壤发育和沉积学。 的 研究结果还应放大石英在 地质年代学、古环境研究和考古学。

Geomorphic processes, climate, soils, and biota work on a large scale to create the observed physical landscape. At a microscale, weathering contributes as part of the geomorphic system, and an important objective of weathering research is the development of models that explain and predict rates of chemical reactions at the earth's surface. Quartz is among the most common of terrestrial minerals, and it is regarded as one of the most resistant to chemical weathering. The processes of quartz weathering is not as well understood as those associated with other, more weatherable materials. This project seeks to understand how quartz decrystallization, a micro-weathering phenomenon, is influenced by climate, biota, geochemistry, and time. It will also determine a chemical signature for quartz decrystallization that may be useful for paleo-environmental research. The project will sample quartz from a constant geomorphic environment and time, but with varying climate and vegetation. Field analysis combined with laboratory microanalytical techniques will be used to quantify the physical and chemical characteristics of quartz decrystallization. These characteristics will be compared with time, temperature, moisture, geochemical environment, biochemical environment, geomorphology, and scale by means of statistical tests. This research will define the elements of quartz decrystallization, and it will contribute to a greater understanding of weathering processes as a whole. This is important because weathering processes are closely connected to geomorphic processes, soil development, and sedimentology. The findings should also amplify the importance of quartz in geochronology, paleo-environmental research, and archaeology.