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Hydrothermal alteration and earth surface rock weathering: A basalt example
Author(s) -
McGreevy J. P.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290070211
Subject(s) - weathering , basalt , hydrothermal circulation , geology , earth (classical element) , geochemistry , wetting , clay minerals , mineralogy , earth science , materials science , composite material , physics , seismology , mathematical physics
Geomorphologists have not devoted sufficient attention to the formation of clay minerals by hydrothermal activity. This paper describes the breakdown of freshly‐quarried basalt by cyclic wetting and drying. Breakdown is attributed to the swelling of hydrothermally‐derived smectite, and it is argued that the effects of endogenic processes can exert a significant control upon weathering behaviour under earth surface conditions.