Annie Rossi

Major Professor

My research is on porosity formation and weathering of granitic rock. Weathered granitic rock is highly porous and can play an important role in soil ecosystems by increasing rooting depths and available water holding capacities. I am using a chronosequence of moraines containing granitic rocks to measure changes in porosity over time. From this I hope to be able to gauge the weathering rate and determine how other factors, such as lithology, influence the rate. In addition, I am looking at how characteristics of the porosity, such as size, shape, and distribution, change over time. These characteristics are major determinants of the hydraulic properties of weathered rock. Understanding how the porosity changes with weathering will give further insight into the role of weathered granitic rock in ecosystems.