Prof. Edward Tipper

The inhabitable surface of the Earth is shaped by many processes, tectonics, erosion, chemical weathering and life. My research interests concentrate on the links between the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere. How do chemical reactions at the Earth's surface mediate the chemistry of the atmosphere and seawater over geological time? How are these reactions influenced by rock composition and how do these reactions influence rock composition? To answer these geological questions I use geochemical methods, exploiting small variations in isotope ratios. Until the last decade it was not possible to measure these with sufficient precision to address geological questions that interest me. I have been involved in developing Mg and Ca isotope tracers as geochemical tools to investigate the important role of chemical weathering to geochemical budgets.  I am involved in a series of major fieldwork expeditions.  Some are our exploits can be followed on Twitter @UCam_RiverWATCH.