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Kinetically limited weathering at low denudation rates in semiarid climatic conditions
Author(s) -
Schoonejans Jérôme,
Vanacker Veerle,
Opfergelt Sophie,
AmeijeirasMariño Yolanda,
Christl Marcus
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: earth surface
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9011
pISSN - 2169-9003
DOI - 10.1002/2015jf003626
Subject(s) - weathering , denudation , soil production function , erosion , geology , biogeochemical cycle , cosmogenic nuclide , earth science , hydrology (agriculture) , soil water , soil science , pedogenesis , geomorphology , environmental science , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , paleontology , physics , cosmic ray , astrophysics , tectonics
Biogeochemical cycling within the Critical Zone depends on the interactions between minerals and fluids controlling chemical weathering and physical erosion rates. In this study, we explore the role of water availability in controlling soil chemical weathering in semiarid climatic conditions. Weathering rates and intensities were evaluated for nine soil profiles located on convex ridge crests of three mountain ranges in the Spanish Betic Cordillera. We combine a geochemical mass balance with 10 Be cosmogenic nuclides to constrain chemical weathering intensities and long‐term denudation rates. As such, this study presents new data on chemical weathering and 10 Be‐derived denudation for understudied semiarid climate systems. In the Betic Cordillera, chemical weathering intensities are relatively low (~5 to 30% of the total denudation of the soil) and negatively correlated with the magnitude of the water deficit in soils. Chemical mass losses are inversely related to denudation rates (14–109 mm/kyr) and positively to soil thickness (14–58 cm); these results are consistent with kinetic limitation of chemical weathering rates. A worldwide compilation of chemical weathering data suggests that soil water balance may regulate the coupling between chemical weathering and physical erosion by modulating soil solute fluxes. Therefore, future landscape evolution models that seek to link chemical weathering and physical erosion should include soil water flux as an essential driver of weathering.