Project description
Isotopes of dissolved minerals shed light on weathering processes and the carbon cycle
As Earth's climate continues to change mainly due to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) content, it is increasingly important to understand processes that affect the carbon cycle. One such process is mineral carbonation, the sequestering of CO2 by various mineral sources, which occurs when acidic rain containing dissolved CO2 falls on silicate rocks. However, the actual mechanisms and the factors affecting them are largely unknown. The EU-funded SIFFT project is investigating whether the length of time that the silicate rock is in contact with the water plays an important role. Combining data from controlled lab experiments and field studies exploiting novel isotope tracers of chemical silicate weathering, a mathematical model will represent hydrological variability and its effect on weathering fluxes. The project will help scientists better predict weathering and carbon sequestration processes in the context of climate change.
Objective
The chemical dissolution (weathering) of continental silicate rocks is a crucial Earth System process that makes nutrients available to ecosystems and consumes atmospheric CO2, affecting Earth’s climate and habitability. The mechanistic controls on chemical weathering are still poorly understood, partly due to lack of integration between geochemical and hydrological concepts. Here, I propose to test a key hypothesis that silicate weathering fluxes are primarily controlled by how long water spends in contact with rocks, before being exported via rivers. To do this, I will use novel tracers of chemical silicate weathering - the stable isotope ratios of dissolved silicon (δ30Si) and lithium (δ7Li) in a project that couples controlled lab weathering experiments with a watershed-scale field study.
I will use column flow-through and batch reactor experiments to simulate in isolation the effect of variable water-rock interaction times on dissolved δ30Si and δ7Li. I will then compare these results with natural weathering observed in a study watershed, recording the response of riverine δ30Si and δ7Li to variable hydrological conditions. The water transit time variations in the watershed will be constrained using water hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios (δD, δ18O, 3H). Finally, I will synthesize the experimental and field results to build a novel reactive transport framework that will incorporate a robust representation of hydrological variability in determining weathering fluxes and isotopic riverine signatures.
The results of this project will have important implications for our understanding of the links between climate and chemical weathering. In turn, this will enable a better prediction how nutrient and carbon cycles, driven by weathering, will respond to anthropogenic perturbation of atmospheric composition, the hydrological cycle, and natural ecosystems, which is a major European and global environmental research priority.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkali metals
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences hydrology drainage basins
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry metalloids
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75238 Paris
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.