Collaborative Research: Chemical Weathering in Taylor Valley Streams: Sources, Mechanisms and Global Implications

The research has two components: Field and laboratory. The field component investigated the geochemistry of stream waters and stream sediments in Taylor Valley, Antarctica in order to determine the extent of chemical weathering occurring in a polar desert stream system where the mean annual temperature is -20C. Stream waters and sediments were collected and analyzed for a large number of major, minor and trace elements as well as 87Sr/86Sr. In addition, our Tulane collaborators analyzed stream and closed-basin lake waters for 238U and 235U decay series. The laboratory portion of the study conducted by our U of A collaborators consisted of a series of experiments where the major rock types found in Taylor Valley Hills were crushed, size-separated and exposed to a series of freeze-thaw cycles. The waters from the experiments were analyzed at Ohio State for major ion concentrations. A control was also established and analyzed in a like manner. These experiments were done in order to establish if freezing aided in the dissolution of elements from the rocks.