Dating of supergene minerals - Insights from Gypcrete, Silcrete, Calcrete and Supergene Copper Deposits into the evolution of aridity in the Atacama and Namib Deserts (D02)

• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 268236062

In the 3rd funding period, the project will apply their knowledge and tools to constrain chronologies from hitherto largely untouched, neglected archives and/or to improve existing chronologies. We investigate previously insufficient archives associated to the formation of supergene minerals in arid to hyper-arid environments, i.e. supergene Cu-Fe minerals and gyp-/sil-/calcretes, using a specialized and adapted U-Pb laser ablation dating technique in combination with Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides (TCN). By obtaining critical chronologies of the evolution or aridity from the Miocene to the Pleistocene from both deserts, the identification and differentiation of common pacemakers and forcing factors driving aridification in both deserts can be obtained.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1211: Earth - Evolution at the Dry Limit
• International Connection: Chile
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Co-Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Eduardo Campos, since 7/2024; Professor Dr. Tibor J. Dunai, since 7/2020; Dr. Axel Gerdes, since 7/2020; Professor Dr. Daniel Herwartz, until 6/2020; Professor Dr. Carsten Münker, until 6/2024; Dr. Benedikt Ritter, since 7/2024; Professor Dr. Michael Staubwasser, from 7/2020 until 6/2024