Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award

Stern, Libby A.将与同生方解石和大气水的氧同位素值比较海拔样带中非碳酸盐矿物的氧、氢同位素系统。这些数据将：(1)量化土壤水分蒸发的同位素效应；(2)检验哪些土壤矿物质作为气候指标更有用。该方法背后的假设是，土壤矿物质在其形成时记录了大气水的同位素组成。成土方解石的氧同位素值已被用作气候的代表，但其他土壤矿物中保存的气候记录在很大程度上尚未被探索。由于方解石在相对潮湿的气候条件下不会在土壤中形成，因此这项工作如果成功，将大大扩展可用于气候指标的环境。

EAR-9525336 Stern, Libby A. The oxygen and hydrogen isotope systematics of non-carbonate minerals in altitudinal transects will be compared with oxygen isotope values of cogenetic calcite and meteoric water. These data will: (1) quantify the isotopic effects of soil water evaporation, and (2) test which soil minerals are more useful as climate indicators. The assumption behind the method is that soil minerals record the isotopic composition of meteoric water at the time of their formation. The oxygen isotope value of pedogenic calcite has been used as a proxy for climate, but the climate record preserved in other soil minerals is largely unexplored. Because calcite does not form in soils in relatively humid climates, this work, if successful, will greatly expand the environments in which climatic indicators can be utilized.