Development of Quantitative Weathering Indicators in Proximal Alluvial Sediments to Assess Glacial Activity in the Rock Record

拟议的研究旨在检验近端冲积系统的化学和物理风化将在冰川和非冰川系统之间显示出系统和可测量的变化的假设。为了实现这一目标，在其他“非气候”因素（如物源、流域面积和地形、样品粒度、沉积物相）得到控制的情况下，本研究将试图量化冰川和非冰川末端沉积系统中花岗岩源近端冲积沉积物的化学和物理风化的自然变化。如果热湿、热干旱、热半干旱非冰期系统和冷湿、冷半干旱和冷干旱冰期系统的化学风化表现出系统的变化，那么化学风化指标可以用来帮助区分古气候条件。对学生的持续依赖为这项拟议的研究提供了更广泛的影响，并坚定地将这一努力作为其教育使命的基础。

The proposed research seeks to test the hypothesis that chemical and physical weathering in proximal alluvial systems will show systematic and measurable variations between glacial and nonglacial systems. To accomplish this, the investigation will attempt to quantify the natural variation of chemical and physical weathering in granitoid-sourced proximal alluvial sediments in end-member glacial and nonglacial systems, when other, "non-climatic" factors (e.g. provenance, drainage basin area and relief, sample grain size, sediment facies) are controlled. If chemical weathering in the proposed hot-humid, hot-arid, hot semi-arid nonglacial systems and the cool-wet, cold semi-arid, and cold-arid glacial systems show systematic variations, then chemical indices may be used to help differentiate paleoclimatic conditions. Continued reliance on students provides a broader impact of this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.