Abstract

Rock weathering is the main source of element geochemical cycle, which has a very important impact on the environment. Three well-developed basalt weathering profiles in Changbai Mountain area are selected in this study, and the samples of parent rock, parent material layer, sedimentary layer, and leaching layer are systematically collected. The systematic study showed that the basalt in the study area experienced moderate chemical weathering under warm and humid climate conditions, with leaching of some major elements such as silicon and aluminum. The distribution of the rare earth elements (REE) in the weathering products recalls that of an alkali-basalt, with an evident fractionation between light- and heavy-REE. Such a feature is therefore referable to the parent volcanic rock, although with some degree of leaching.

Highlights

  • The geochemical behavior of elements during rock weathering has a great impact on the chemical composition, formation, and evolution of soil and sediments

  • Basalt weathering research mainly focuses on mineralization, behavior of major and trace elements, and isotopic behavior caused by weathering in tropical climate (Hainan Island) and subtropical climate (Emeishan basalt) [2,3,4,5]

  • This study addresses the behavior of elements in the chemical weathering process of basalt in the study area, revealing the impact of traces element enrichment and leaching on the surface soil

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Summary

Introduction

The geochemical behavior of elements during rock weathering has a great impact on the chemical composition, formation, and evolution of soil and sediments. It has become an important link connecting land and ocean, rivers and lakes, and paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. Relative behaviors of immobile elements during weathering are usually stable from rock to its weathered products. The stability of these relative behaviors is similar to the genetic inheritance in biology [20].

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