Update for understanding geological time

Sedimentary rocks often show repeating patterns in their layering or bedding, which can give clues about how the Earth`s climate changed over millions of years. These patterns are often linked to changes in the Earth`s orbit and position relative to the sun, but these patterns can also be the result of changes in the sediment itself after deposition (a process called diagenesis). The diagenetic processes make it harder to read climate information from the rock record, and especially, how long certain rock layers took to form. This project aims to answer two big questions: (1) How do diagenetic changes in carbonate sedimentary rocks affect the information they hold about past climate cycles? And (2) how is time recorded and spread out in these repeating sedimentary rock layers? To explore this, we will use two new scientific techniques: one using changes in chemistry and another using statistical methods. We will apply these methods to samples from ocean drilling projects from different locations, water depths, and time periods, where past research has already given us clues about the sedimentary rocks diagenetic and climatic history. This will help us better understand the relationship between Earth`s climate, the sedimentary rock record, and the distribution of geological time.