EarthTrek is a global citizen science programme, launched on 1st July this year. One of the projects that people are being asked to become involved in is the measurement of the weathering of marble gravestones; click here for more details. Note - the measurement of the lead letters can be done with a tyre depth gauge if a micrometer is not available. Participants could also look to see if there is any difference in the weathering of one side of the stone from the other side; this may indicate the influence of the prevailing wind. In the U.K. the latitude and longitude of the site can be found on Ordnance Survey maps so you don't need GPS.
The weathering rates of gravestones are an indication of changes in the acidity of rainfall between locations and over time. The acidity is affected by air pollution and other factors, and could be used as a measure of changes in climate and pollution levels.
'Weathering - rocks breaking up and breaking down' is the Earthlearningidea activity concerned with the various ways rocks are weathered.
2 comments:
Come join people around the world collecting Gravestone data for this research project - its a perfect way for students to become involved in a real research project. The protocols are simple to follow...and the data will be used for real research. Participants will receive emails front he lead scientists telling them about the research progress.
EARTH TREK! I love these guys, I have been lucky enough to ran over some of their programs and I tell you, these guys are really cool.
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