Numerical Modelling of Sediment Generation

A better understanding of sediment generation is crucial for development of fully integrated source-to-sink models of Earth surface dynamics. The sediment-generation model should incorporate chemical weathering and formation of authigenic minerals, as well as mechanical weathering. The latter causes disaggregation of rocks along mineral interfaces, and accounts for size reduction of primary crystals (inter- and intracrystal breakage, respectively). The model will be designed to simulate the time evolution of grain-size distribution and petrographic/mineral/chemical composition of the solids (residual and secondary phases) produced during sediment generation, subject to a chemical mass balance of all weathering products (i.e. solids as well as solutes). Model output should permit direct matching to observable sediment properties for the purpose of calibration. A sufficient amount of legacy data is available to constrain specific aspects of the model. If needed, additional data will be gathered in collaboration with the research groups of Prof. Dr. Hilmar von Eynatten (Gottingen, Germany) and Prof. Dr. Salvatore Critelli (Cosenza, Italy).