The paleoenvironmental evolution of Earth and Mars

该项目建议开发和应用高分辨率的同位素和地球化学技术，以测量整个地质历史中地球表面水-岩石相互作用的时间和强度。水与岩石的相互作用塑造了地球的景观，决定了地表和地下水的组成，产生了维持生命的土壤，并缓冲了大气的组成。最终，该项目的目标是为南半球从中生代到现在的关键地点产生一个经过时间校准的连续大陆古环境记录。这项研究的结果可能使我们能够量化地球上的水-岩石相互作用，也可能适用于研究火星上的水文循环。

The project proposes to develop and apply high-resolution isotopic and geochemical techniques to measure the timing and intensity of water-rock interactions at the Earth’s surface throughout the geological past. Water–rock interactions shape the Earth’s landscape, determine the composition of surface and groundwater, produce the soils that sustain life, and buffer the composition of the atmosphere. Ultimately, the project aims to generate a time-calibrated and continuous continental paleoenvironmental record for key sites in the southern hemisphere, spanning from the Mesozoic to the present. Results from this study may allow us to quantify water–rock interactions on Earth, and may also be applicable to investigating the hydrological cycle on Mars.