Studying gravestones to track changes in Earth's chemistry

TALKIN’ GRAVESTONE BLUES: According to a news release from the Geological Society of America, studying gravestones can help us track changes over time in the earth’s rainfall and atmospheric chemistry. Atmospheric gases dissolved in drops of rain cause marble to erode gradually, we’re told, and changes in atmospheric chemistry can change the rate at which marble weathers. The best part? You can hang out in graveyards and help scientists gather data through a new GSA program called EarthTrek. Just visit www.goearthtrek.com, read a set of simple scientific protocols, then go out gravin’ with some calipers and a GPS. You log your data directly into a scientific database via the project web site. Scientists hope to use these measurements from volunteers worldwide to produce a map of the weathering rates of gravestones and determine how the atmosphere has changed. If you’re not so much into graveyards, EarthTrek has other opportunities for citizen scientists, including studies that involve spotting hummingbirds and investigating invasive plant species. For more about the GSA, visit www.geosociety.org.