During the summer holidays I completed a five-week Nuffield Research Placement. This took place at the Open University in the School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences (EEES).
My project was to assist in exploring the nature of gypsum crystals found in deep-sea sediments from monsoon region.
A microscope view of gypsum crystals.
My aims were to:
- Investigate ocean sediments;
- Identify crystals (quartz or something else?) and other marine, terrestrial and minerals formed during the sediment deposition, using a binocular microscope;
- Determine the relative abundance of crystals with respect to other known fragments, such as pyrite and biogenic components;
- Evaluate environmental changes related to physical weathering or any other processes operating during the sediment deposition.
This was all to help answer two related questions: 1) how were these crystals formed; and 2) what conditions were needed?