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Mineral Weathering

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Ecosystem Biogeochemistry

Abstract

Mineral weathering is a process characterized by chemical and physical breakdown of geologic materials, accompanied by the generation of dissolved solutes plus relatively stable new mineral phases. Weathering is important as a (i) source of nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, iron, silica, and a variety of trace metals; (ii) source of acid neutralizing capacity or alkalinity; (iii) source of phosphorus and sulfur in certain types of geologic formations; and (iv) vital process contributing to formation of clay colloids or secondary minerals. In watershed ecosystems, mineral weathering represents a crucial process of replenishment that helps to offset cation losses resulting from leaching and forest harvesting, and it restores alkalinity consumed by acidic deposition and soil acidification processes. This chapter examines weathering processes, controls on weathering rates, methods for estimating weathering contributions to element budgets, and comparative field data illustrating weathering estimates from different watershed ecosystems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

    Christopher S. Cronan

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  1. Christopher S. Cronan
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Cronan, C.S. (2018). Mineral Weathering. In: Ecosystem Biogeochemistry. Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66444-6_7

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