Silicate Weathering Intensity Research Articles

Paleogene global cooling–induced temperature feedback on chemical weathering, as recorded in the northern Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Plate-tectonic processes have long been thought to be the major cause of the Cenozoic global carbon cycle, and global cooling by uplift of the Tibetan Plateau through enhancing silicate weathering and organic carbon burial and/or by weathering of obducted ophiolites during the closure of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. However, the imbalance resulting from accelerated CO2 consumption and a relatively stable CO2 input from volcanic degassing during the Cenozoic should have depleted atmospheric CO2 within a few million years; therefore, a negative feedback mechanism must have stabilized the carbon cycle. Here, we present the first almost-complete Paleogene silicate weathering intensity (SWI) records from continental rocks in the northern Tibetan Plateau showing that silicate weathering in this tectonically inactive area was modulated by global temperature. These findings suggest that Paleogene global cooling was also strongly influenced by a temperature feedback mechanism, which regulated silicate weathering rates and hydrological cycles and maintained a nearly stable carbon cycle. It acted as a negative feedback by decreasing CO2 consumption resulting from the lower SWI and the kinetic limitations in tectonically inactive areas.

Neogene cooling driven by land surface reactivity rather than increased weathering fluxes.

The long-term cooling, decline in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and the establishment of permanent polar ice sheets during the Neogene period1,2 have frequently been attributed to increased uplift and erosion of mountains and consequent increases in silicate weathering, which removes atmospheric carbon dioxide3,4. However, geological records of erosion rates are potentially subject to averaging biases5,6, and the magnitude of the increase in weathering fluxes-and even its existence-remain debated7-9. Moreover, an increase in weathering scaled to the proposed erosional increase would have removed nearly all carbon from the atmosphere10, which has led to suggestions of compensatory carbon fluxes11-13 in order to preserve mass balance in the carbon cycle. Alternatively, an increase in land surface reactivity-resulting from greater fresh-mineral surface area or an increase in the supply of reactive minerals-rather than an increase in the weathering flux, has been proposed to reconcile these disparate views8,9. Here we use a parsimonious carbon cycle model that tracks two weathering-sensitive isotopic tracers (stable 7Li/6Li and cosmogenic 10Be/9Be) to show that an increase in land surface reactivity is necessary to simultaneously decrease atmospheric carbon dioxide, increase seawater 7Li/6Li and retain constant seawater 10Be/9Be over the past 16 million years. We find that the global silicate weathering flux remained constant, even as the global silicate weathering intensity-the fraction of the total denudation flux that is derived from silicate weathering-decreased, sustained by an increase in erosion. Long-term cooling during the Neogene thus reflects a change in the partitioning of denudation into weathering and erosion. Variable partitioning of denudation and consequent changes in silicate weathering intensity reconcile marine isotope and erosion records with the need to maintain mass balance in the carbon cycleand without requiring increases in the silicate weathering flux.

Revisiting the effects of hydrodynamic sorting and sedimentary recycling on chemical weathering indices

Although the proxies based on elemental geochemistry of siliciclastic sediments have been well developed to indicate the intensity of chemical weathering in various catchments, their geological indications and limitations, and especially how the differentiation of minerals and sediment grain size influences the applications of these proxies needs more clarification. This paper investigates the interactive effects of weathering, hydraulic sorting and sedimentary recycling on river sediment chemistry, and further validates the application of various weathering indices by measuring mineralogical and geochemical compositions of bank sediments and suspended particulate matters (SPMs) from five rivers in East China bearing various sizes, geologic settings and climatic regimes. For a specific river, the silicate weathering intensity registered in the fine SPMs is systematically stronger than that in the coarse-grained bank sediments. Most of the weathering indices not only reflect the integrated weathering history of various catchments but also depend on hydraulic sorting effect during sediment transport and depositional processes. The correlation between CIA (chemical index of alteration) and WIP (weathering index of Parker) offers an approach to predict the weathering trends of the fine SPMs, coarse bank sediments and recycled sediments under the influence of quartz dilution. To minimize the effects of hydrodynamic sorting and sedimentary recycling, we suggest that the fine sediments (e.g. SPMs and <2 μm fraction of bank sediments) in rivers can better reflect the average of present-day weathering crust in catchments and the weathered terrigenous materials into marginal seas and oceans.

Reconstruction of silicate weathering intensity and paleoenvironmental change during the late Quaternary in the Zhuoshui River catchment in Taiwan

Taiwan Island is one of the best places in the world for the study of earth surface processes during the late Quaternary because of its unique geological, geographic and climatic settings. In this study, we present sedimentary and element geochemical data of Core JRD-S drilled on the Zhuoshui River Delta, aiming to examine the changes of sediment provenance and silicate weathering intensity in response to monsoon climate variability since the last glacial period. Similar rare earth element (REE) compositions between the core sediments and modern Zhuoshui River samples suggest the Zhuoshui watershed was the dominant sediment provenance for the late Quaternary deposition in the river mouth, while the mainland rivers in southeast China including the Changjiang (Yangtze River) could not be the major sediment suppliers. Due to the stable sediment provenance, the geochemical proxy of the core sediments reveals the change of silicate weathering intensity during the late Quaternary in the Zhuoshui watershed was primarily driven by monsoon climate under an active tectonic setting. The weaker monsoonal precipitation in the last glaciation caused weaker erosion (thus less sediment supply) in the mountainous watershed and thus, increased the sediment residence time and silicate weathering intensity. In contrast, the enhanced Holocene monsoonal precipitation might greatly increase the physical erosion and sediment transfer rate from land to sea, which consequently produced more less-weathered sediments. This study provides in-depth insights into sedimentary response to tectonic and monsoon climatic changes during the Quaternary on a tectonically active high-standing island, which increases our better understanding of earth surface processes in the unique continental margin.

Geochemistry of river‐borne clays entering the East China Sea indicates two contrasting types of weathering and sediment transport processes

AbstractThe East China Sea is characterized by wide continental shelf receiving a huge input of terrigenous matter from both large rivers and mountainous rivers, which makes it an ideal natural laboratory for studying sediment source‐to‐sink transport processes. This paper presents mineralogical and geochemical data of the clays and bulk sediments from the rivers entering the East China Sea, aiming to investigate the general driving mechanism of silicate weathering and sediment transport processes in East Asian continental margin. Two types of river systems, tectonically stable continental rivers and tectonically active mountainous rivers, coexist in East Asia. As the direct weathering products, clays can better reflect the silicate weathering regimes within the two river systems. Provenance rock types are not the dominant factor causing silicate weathering intensity difference existed in the East Asian rivers. The silicate weathering intensity of tectonically stable river basins is primarily driven by monsoon climate, and the sediment transfer is relatively slow because of natural trapping process and increasing damming effect. The geochemistry of these river‐borne sediments can thus indicate paleo‐weathering intensities in East Asian continent. In contrast, silicate weathering intensity in tectonically active mountainous rivers is greatly limited by strong physical erosion despite the high temperature and highest monsoon rainfall. The factors controlling silicate weathering in tectonically active catchments are complex and thus, it should be prudent to use river sediment records to decipher paleoclimate change. These two different silicate weathering regimes and sediment transport processes are manifestations of the landscape evolution and overall dominate the sedimentation in Asian continental margin.

Sr isotopic characteristics in two small watersheds draining silicate and carbonate rocks: implication for studies on seawater Sr isotopic evolution

Abstract. We systematically investigated the Sr isotopic characteristics of a small silicate watershed, the Xishui River a tributary of the Yangtze River, and a small carbonate watershed, the Guijiang River a tributary of the Pearl River. The results show that the two rivers have uncommon Sr isotopic characteristics compared with most small watersheds. Specifically, the silicate watershed (Xishui River) has relatively high Sr concentrations (0.468 to 1.70 μmol L−1 in summer and 1.30 to 3.17 μmol L−1 in winter, respectively) and low 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.708686 to 0.709148 in summer and 0.708515 to 0.709305 in winter). The carbonate watershed (Guijiang River) has low Sr concentrations (0.124 to 1.098 μmol L−1) and high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.710558 to 0.724605). As the 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the Xishui River are lower than those in seawater, the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of seawater will decrease after the river water is transported to the oceans. Previous studies have also shown that some basaltic watersheds with extremely high chemical weathering rates reduced the seawater Sr isotope ratios. In other words, river catchments with high silicate weathering rates do not certainly transport highly radiogenic Sr into oceans. Therefore, the use of the variations in the seawater 87Sr/86Sr ratio to indicate the continental silicate weathering intensity may be questionable. In the Guijiang River catchment, the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of carbonate rocks and other sources (rainwater, domestic and industrial waste water, and agricultural fertilizer) are lower than 0.71. In comparison, some non-carbonate components, such as sand rocks, mud rocks, and shales, have relatively high Sr isotopic compositions. Moreover, granites accounted for only 5% of the drainage area have extremely high 87Sr/86Sr ratios with an average of greater than 0.8. Therefore, a few silicate components in carbonate rocks obviously increase the Sr isotopic compositions of the river water.

Carbon isotope signatures of pedogenic carbonates from SE China: rapid atmospheric pCO2 changes during middle–late Early Cretaceous time

AbstractLower Cretaceous pedogenic carbonates exposed in SE China have been dated by U–Pb isotope measurements on single zircons taken from intercalated volcanic rocks, and the ages integrated with existing stratigraphy. δ13C values of calcretes range from –7.0‰ to –3.0‰ and can be grouped into five episodes of increasing–decreasing values. The carbon isotope proxy derived from these palaeosol carbonates suggests pCO2 mostly in the range 1000–2000 parts per million by volume (ppmV) at S(z) (CO2 contributed by soil respiration) = 2500 ppmV and 25°C during the Hauterivian–Albian interval (c. 30 Ma duration). Such atmospheric CO2 levels are 4–8 times pre-industrial values, almost double those estimated by geochemical modelling and much higher than those established from stomatal indices in fossil plants. Rapid rises in pCO2 are identified for early Hauterivian, middle Barremian, late Aptian, early Albian and middle Albian time, and rapid falls for intervening periods. These episodic cyclic changes in pCO2 are not attributed to local tectonism and volcanism but rather to global changes. The relationship between reconstructed pCO2 and the development of large igneous provinces (LIPs) remains unclear, although large-scale extrusion of basalt may well be responsible for relatively high atmospheric levels of this greenhouse gas. Suggested levels of relatively low pCO2 correspond in timing to intervals of regional to global enrichment of marine carbon in sediments and negative carbon isotope (δ13C) excursions characteristic of the oceanic anoxic events OAE1a (Selli Event), Kilian and Paquier events (constituting part of the OAE 1b cluster) and OAE1d. Short-term episodes of high pCO2 coincide with negligible carbon isotope excursions associated with the Faraoni Event and the Jacob Event. Given that episodes of regional organic carbon burial would draw down CO2 and negative δ13C excursions indicate the addition of isotopically light carbon to the ocean–atmosphere system, controls on the carbon cycle in controlling pCO2 during Early Cretaceous time were clearly complex and made more so by atmospheric composition also being affected by changes in silicate weathering intensity.

Hf and Nd isotopes in marine sediments: Constraints on global silicate weathering

The combined use of Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd isotope systems potentially offers a unique perspective for investigating continental erosion, but little is known about whether, and to what extent, the Hf–Nd isotope composition of sediments is related to silicate weathering intensity. In this study, Hf and Nd elemental and isotope data are reported for marine muds, leached Fe-oxide fractions and zircon-rich turbidite sands collected off the Congo River mouth, and from other parts of the SE Atlantic Ocean. All studied samples from the Congo fan (muds, Fe-hydroxides, sands) exhibit indistinguishable Nd isotopic composition (ε Nd ~ − 16), indicating that Fe-hydroxides leached from these sediments correspond to continental oxides precipitated within the Congo basin. In marked contrast, Hf isotope compositions for the same samples exhibit significant variations. Leached Fe-hydroxide fractions are characterized by ε Hf values (from − 1.1 to + 1.3) far more radiogenic than associated sediments (from − 7.1 to − 12.0) and turbidite sands (from − 27.2 to − 31.6). ε Hf values for Congo fan sediments correlate very well with Al/K (i.e. a well-known index for the intensity of chemical weathering in Central Africa). Taken together, these results indicate that (1) silicate weathering on continents leads to erosion products having very distinctive Hf isotope signatures, and (2) a direct relationship exists between ε Hf of secondary clay minerals and chemical weathering intensity. These results combined with data from the literature have global implications for understanding the Hf–Nd isotope variability in marine precipitates and sediments. Leached Fe-hydroxides from Congo fan sediments plot remarkably well on an extension of the ‘seawater array’ (i.e. the correlation defined by deep-sea Fe–Mn precipitates), providing additional support to the suggestion that the ocean Hf budget is dominated by continental inputs. Fine-grained sediments define a diffuse trend, between that for igneous rocks and the ‘seawater array’, which we refer to as the ‘zircon-free sediment array’ (ε Hf = 0.91 ε Nd + 3.10). Finally, we show that the Hf–Nd arrays for seawater, unweathered igneous rocks, zircon-free and zircon-bearing sediments (ε Hf = 1.80 ε Nd + 2.35) can all be reconciled, using Monte Carlo simulations, with a simple weathering model of the continental crust.

Weathering Processes in the Min Jiang: Major Elements, $$ {}^{87}{\text{Sr/}}{}^{86}{\text{Sr}},\;\delta {}^{34}{\text{S}}_{{\text{SO}}_{\text{4}} } ,\;{\text{and}}\;\delta {}^{18}{\text{O}}_{{\text{SO}}_{\text{4}} } $$

We investigated the dissolved major elements, $$ {}^{87}{\text{Sr/}}{}^{86}{\text{Sr}},\;\delta {}^{34}{\text{S}}_{{\text{SO}}_{\text{4}} } ,\;{\text{and}}\;\delta {}^{18}{\text{O}}_{{\text{SO}}_{\text{4}} } $$ composition of the Min Jiang, a headwater tributary of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River). A forward calculation method was applied to quantify the relative contribution to the dissolved load from rain, evaporite, carbonate, and silicate reservoirs. Input from carbonate weathering dominated the major element composition (58–93%) and that from silicate weathering ranged from 2 to 18% in unperturbed Min Jiang watersheds. Most samples were supersaturated with respect to calcite, and the CO2 partial pressures were similar to or up to ∼5 times higher than atmospheric levels. The Sr concentrations in our samples were low (1.3–2.5 μM) with isotopic composition ranging from 0.7108 to 0.7127, suggesting some contribution from felsic silicates. The Si/(Na* + K) ratios ranged from 0.5 to 2.5, which indicate low to moderate silicate weathering intensity. The $$ \delta {}^{34}{\text{S}}_{{\text{SO}}_{\text{4}} } \;{\text{and}}\;\delta {}^{18}{\text{O}}_{{\text{SO}}_{\text{4}} } $$ for five select samples showed that the source of dissolved sulfate was combustion of locally consumed coal. The silicate weathering rates were 23–181 × 103 mol/km2/year, and the CO2 consumption rates were 31–246 × 103 mol/km2/year, which are moderate on a global basis. Upon testing various climatic and geomorphic factors for correlation with the CO2 consumption rate, the best correlation coefficients found were with water temperature (r 2 = 0.284, p = 0.009), water discharge (r 2 = 0.253, p = 0.014), and relief (r 2 = 0.230, p = 0.019).

Response of silicate weathering to monsoon changes on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Abstract Eolian deposits of loess on the Chinese Loess Plateau are investigated to decipher the influence of sequentially changed monsoon climate on silicate weathering process. Detailed hydrochloric acid dissolution experiments are applied to establish a sensitive proxy for silicate weathering. Combined elemental and mineralogical studies show that the minerals which are susceptible to incipient chemical weathering can be totally dissolved in hot hydrochloric acid (80°C, 3mol/L) after 4h, while other stable minerals are nearly unaffected. Thus, the hydrochloric acid dissolvable fractions (ADF) of loess and paleosol are more sensitive than bulk samples in the weathering reaction. Since Mg is tend to be leached out from the ADF while Al is conserved during the incongruent weathering, Mg/Al ratio of the ADF (Mg/Al ADF ) could indicate the weathering intensities of the Mg-bearing minerals, mainly chlorite. The Mg/Al ADF of the modern soils on the Chinese Loess Plateau is closely correlated to the local precipitation amounts, suggests that the intensity of summer monsoon is a key factor in the weathering of Mg-silicate. The silicate weathering intensity of the loess-paleosol deposits of past 130Kyrs shows strong procession cycle of ∼ 23Kyrs coupled by glacial-interglacial variation. The ∼ 23Krys cycles are coherent to the variations of the intensity of summer monsoon, while the ∼ 100Kyrs glacial-interglacial variation may relates to the changes in winter monsoon. Phased intensification of East Asian summer monsoon, and thus enhanced silicate weathering and atmosphere CO 2 drawdown, in response to the uplift of Tibetan Plateau, may be another mechanism relating the late Cenozoic tectonics to global cooling.

The control of weathering processes on riverine and seawater hafnium isotope ratios

Hafnium 176 Hf/ 177 Hf isotope ratio variations in marine records are thought to reflect changes in continental weathering through time, but the behavior of Hf in rivers, and during weathering, is not well understood. Here, we present 176 Hf/ 177 Hf data for rivers, bedrock, soils, and leaching experiments for the Moselle basin, Vosges, France. These data strongly suggest that the 176 Hf/ 177 Hf composition of river waters is controlled by prefer- ential dissolution of accessory phases (i.e., apatite, sphene) versus more resistant minerals (e.g., K-feldspar) and linked to the intensity of silicate weathering. Estimates for the global isotopic composition of riverine Hf suggest that the ocean Hf budget may be dominated by river input, and variations seen in marine records can be directly related to changes in silicate weathering intensity.

Germanium/silicon ratios in the Copper River Basin, Alaska: Weathering and partitioning in periglacial versus glacial environments

Glacial to interglacial variation in the germanium to silicon ratio (Ge/Si) of biogenic opal in oceanic sediment cores has been proposed to record terrestrial silicate weathering intensity. However, data connecting Ge/Si ratios to weathering are sparse, especially for cold regions. To characterize Ge/Si of the dissolved loads of rivers draining modern glacial and periglacial regions, we measured Ge and major element chemistry of more than 30 streams in the Copper River Basin of south Alaska. We measured significantly higher Ge/Si in rivers with greater than 15% glacial cover in their basins than in rivers draining areas with less glacial cover, which we attribute to preferencial subglacial weathering of biotite. We also ran laboratory experiments to investigate the role of differential sorption of Ge and Si on hydrous iron oxides in moderating the Ge/Si ratio of rivers in recently deglaciated basins. These experiments indicate that Ge is preferentially adsorbed over Si by hydrous iron oxides over a wide range of pH values and support differential sorption as a potentially significant fractionation process. Our measured high Ge/Si in glaciated basins is in striking contrast to the low Ge/Si in the oceanic record during glacial periods. The glacial to interglacial changes in marine Ge/Si cannot simply reflect changes in glacier cover on land, as the mineralogy of silicates weathered and processes partitioning Ge in soils must also strongly influence the fluvial Ge and Si inputs to the ocean.

Small-catchment perspective on Himalayan weathering fluxes

Weathering fluxes from four small catchments in the Himalayas, one forested, one agricultural, and two glacial, have been calculated by quantifying stream discharge, deposition, and biomass uptake of major ions. These fluxes were partitioned between silicate and carbonate sources by using a mineral mass-balance model. This approach provides the first well-defined estimates of Himalayan weathering fluxes from small catchments. Silicate weathering rates are highest in the favorable weathering environment of the Middle Hills catchments, despite higher dissolved fluxes in the High Himalayas attributed to high carbonate weathering. The silicate weathering fluxes for High Himalayan small catchments are similar to estimates from the chemistry of large rivers draining the same regions. Much higher silicate weathering intensity for the Ganges basin indicates that the silicate material eroded from the High Himalayas undergoes up to six times as much weathering in the Ganges Plain as in the High Himalayan mountains. Himalayan silicate weathering rates are higher than in equivalent continental settings and, on an area-normalized basis, are comparable to fluxes from weathering of basalts on ocean islands and tropical volcanic provinces.