Weathering Of Silicate Minerals Research Articles

87Sr/ 86Sr as an indicator of flowpaths and weathering rates in the Plynlimon experimental catchments, Wales, U.K.

A knowledge of the processes involved in streamflow generation are critical to an understanding of solute transport and weathering rates in upland catchments. The determination of specific flow pathways and the formulation of process-based models have proved difficult in such terrains, largely due to the heterogeneous nature of catchments and the necessary limitations of bulked parameter models. Natural geochemical tracers have proved invaluable in developing conceptual models of catchment functioning and for constraining weathering processes and geochemical cycling. Strontium isotopes have been used as a natural tracer to calculate weathering rates for Sr and Ca, and to constrain the dominant flow pathways in two upland forested sub-catchments (Afon Hafren and Afon Hore) of the River Severn at Plynlimon in Central Wales. The dominant source of Sr in the catchments is considered to be from the weathering of silicate minerals. Weathering rates for Sr and Ca in the Afon Hafren, calculated using Sr isotopes, were similar to those derived from mass balance studies. The rates for the Afon Hore were similar for Ca, but significantly different for Sr. The reason for the difference is unclear, but may be due to additional sources (calcite) in the catchment. Strontium isotope ratios for different input sources and compartments within the catchment were characterised and helped to identify potential flow pathways. The data suggest an important role for groundwater inputs in contrast to previous models which indicated a dominant role for soil waters.

A possible long-term CO 2 sink through submarine weathering of detrital silicates

The weathering of silicate minerals exposed on the continents is the largest sink of atmospheric CO2 on time scales of millions of years. The rate of this process is positively correlated with global mean temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration, resulting in a negative feedback that stabilizes Earths’ climate (Berner, 2004). Detrital silicates derived from the physical denudation of the continents are a major component of marine sediments (Li and Schoonmaker, 2003). However, their geochemical behaviour is poorly understood and they are considered to be unimportant to the long-term carbon cycle. We show that in organic matter-rich sediments of the Sea of Okhotsk detrital silicates undergo intense weathering. This process is likely favoured by microbial activity, which lowers pore water pH and releases dissolved humic substances, and by the freshness of detrital silicates which originate from the cold, poorly weathered Amur River basin. Numerical simulations of early diagenesis show that submarine weathering rates in our study area are comparable to average continental weathering rates (Gaillardet et al., 1999). Furthermore, silicate weathering seems to be widespread in organic matter-rich sediments of continental margins, suggesting the existence of a significant CO2 sink there. These findings imply a greater efficiency of the silicate weathering engine also at low surface temperatures, resulting in a weakening of the negative feedback between pCO2, climate evolution and silicate weathering.

The Geochemistry of Supraglacial Streams of Canada Glacier, Taylor Valley (Antarctica), and their Evolution into Proglacial Waters

We have investigated the geochemistry of supraglacial streams on the Canada Glacier, Taylor Valley, Antarctica during the 2001–2002 austral summer. Canada Glacier supraglacial streams represent the link between primary precipitation (i.e. glacier snow) and proglacial Lake Hoare. Canada Glacier supraglacial stream geochemistry is intermediate between glacier snow and proglacial stream geochemistry with average concentrations of 49.1 μeq L−1 Ca2+, 19.9 μeq L−1 SO42−, and 34.3 μeq L−1 HCO3−. Predominant west to east winds lead to a redistribution of readily soluble salts onto the glacier surface, which is reflected in the geochemistry of the supraglacial streams. Western Canada Glacier supraglacial streams have average SO42−:HCO3− equivalent ratios of 1.0, while eastern supraglacial streams average 0.5, suggesting more sulfate salts reach and dissolve in the western supraglacial streams. A graph of HCO3− versus Ca2+ for western and eastern supraglacial streams had slopes of 0.87 and 0.72, respectively with R2 values of 0.84 and 0.83. Low concentrations of reactive silicate (> 10 μmol L−1) in the supraglacial streams suggested that little to no silicate weathering occurred on the glacier surface with the exception of cryoconite holes (1000 μmol L−1). Therefore, the major geochemical weathering process occurring in the supraglacial streams is believed to be calcite dissolution. Proglacial stream, Anderson Creek, contains higher concentrations of major ions than supraglacial streams containing 5 times the Ca2+ and 10 times the SO42−. Canada Glacier proglacial streams also contain higher concentrations (16.6–30.6 μeq L−1) of reactive silicate than supraglacial streams. This suggests that the controls on glacier meltwater geochemistry switch from calcite and gypsum dissolution to both salt dissolution and silicate mineral weathering as the glacier meltwater evolves. Our chemical mass balance calculations indicate that of the total discharge into Lake Hoare, the final recipient of Canada Glacier meltwater, 81.9% is from direct glacier runoff and 19.1% is from proglacial Andersen Creek. Although during a typical, low melt ablation season Andersen Creek contributes over 40% of the water added to Lake Hoare, its overall chemical importance is diluted by the direct inputs from Canada Glacier during high flow years. Decadal warming events, such as the 2001–2002 austral summer produce supraglacial streams that are a major source of water to Lake Hoare.

Hydrochemical associations and depth profiles of arsenic and fluoride in Quaternary loess aquifers of northern Argentina

AbstractArsenic and fluoride in groundwater from Quaternary loess deposits in Argentina pose major health concerns. Common sources for arsenic and fluoride have been suggested but the processes of mobilization are disputed, and distributions in groundwater are largely unresolved at a sample density >1/50 km2. At Los Pereyras in Tucumán Province, northern Argentina, we have evaluated distributions and hydrochemical associations of arsenic and fluoride with a sample density of 0.75 per km2 over an area of 75 km2, to a depth of 230 m. Groundwater in the loess is oxic and alkaline. Fluoride is restricted to the upper 20 m of the Quaternary loess, where it reaches 8.3 mg/1. Arsenic has a vertical layering consistent with that of fluoride, ranging from 20 to 760 μg/1 in the upper 20 m and 58—163 μg/l below this. There are two sources of arsenic, one unrelated to the fluoride source. Positive correlations between arsenic and fluoride with pH, but not with alkalinity, support desorption from iron oxyhydroxides as the likely mechanism of release to groundwater for arsenic and fluoride, rather than the weathering of silicate minerals. Stratigraphic and/or palaeohydrological controls may explain the observed depth distributions within the loess aquifer.

River water quality in weathered limestone: A case study in upper Mahanadi basin, India

Stromatolitic limestone and calcareous shale belonging to Chattisgarh Supergroup of Proterozoic age dominate the upper part of the Mahanadi river basin. X-ray diffractogram (XRD) of limestone rocks show presence of a significant amount of calcite, dolomite and ankerite. Shales of various colours contain calcite and dolomite. It is observed that congruent dissolution of carbonate minerals in the Charmuria pure limestone has given rise to a typical karst topography. On the other hand, limestones are also seen to support red and black soil profiles. This indicates that the limestone bedrock undergoes a parallel incongruent weathering, which leaves a residue of decomposed rock. The XRD analyses reveal that the limestone soils thus formed contain an assemblage of quartz, clays and Fe-oxides. It is likely that the silicate component trapped during deposition of the stromatolitic limestone weathers incongruently resulting in diverse soil profiles. Carbonate and silicate mineral weathering schemes have been worked out to explain the soil formation, fixation of Al in clay minerals, and Fe in goethite. The water quality parameters such as Ca, Mg and HCO3 in the river water suggest under saturation with respect to calcite and dolomite. The mineral stability diagrams indicate that kaolinite and Ca-smectite are stable in the river water environment, hence they occur in suspended sediments and soils. The dominant influence of carbonate weathering on the water quality is observed even in the downstream part of the river outside the limestone terrain.

Biological control of terrestrial silica cycling and export fluxes to watersheds

Silicon has a crucial role in many biogeochemical processes--for example, as a nutrient for marine and terrestrial biota, in buffering soil acidification and in the regulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Traditionally, silica fluxes to soil solutions and stream waters are thought to be controlled by the weathering and subsequent dissolution of silicate minerals. Rates of mineral dissolution can be enhanced by biological processes. But plants also take up considerable quantities of silica from soil solution, which is recycled into the soil from falling litter in a separate soil-plant silica cycle that can be significant in comparison with weathering input and hydrologic output. Here we analyse soil water in basaltic soils across the Hawaiian islands to assess the relative contributions of weathering and biogenic silica cycling by using the distinct signatures of the two processes in germanium/silicon ratios. Our data imply that most of the silica released to Hawaiian stream water has passed through the biogenic silica pool, whereas direct mineral-water reactions account for a smaller fraction of the stream silica flux. We expect that other systems exhibiting strong Si depletion of the mineral soils and/or high Si uptake rates by biomass will also have strong biological control on silica cycling and export.

Evidence for the submarine weathering of silicate minerals in Black Sea sediments: Possible implications for the marine Li and B cycles

The role of sediment diagenesis in the marine cycles of Li and B is poorly understood. Because Li and B are easily mobilized during burial and are consumed in authigenic clay mineral formation, their abundance in marine pore waters varies considerably. Exchange with the overlying ocean through diffusive fluxes should thus be common. Nevertheless, only a minor Li sink associated with the low‐temperature alteration of volcanic ash has been observed. We describe a low‐temperature diagenetic environment in the Black Sea dominated by the alteration of detrital plagioclase feldspars. Fluids expelled from the Odessa mud volcano in the Sorokin Trough originate from shallow (≈100–400 m deep) sediments which are poor in volcanic materials but rich in anorthite. These fluids are depleted in Na+, K+, Li+, B, and 18O and enriched in Ca2+ and Sr2+, indicating that anorthite is dissolving and authigenic clays are forming. Using a simple chemical model, we calculate the pH and the partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) in fluids associated with this alteration process. Our results show that the pH of these fluids is up to 1.5 pH units lower than in most deep marine sediments and that PCO2 levels are up to several hundred times higher than in the atmosphere. These conditions are similar to those which favor the weathering of silicate minerals in subaerial soil environments. We propose that in Black Sea sediments enhanced organic matter preservation favors CO2 production through methanogenesis and results in a low pore water pH, compared to most deep sea sediments. As a result, silicate mineral weathering, which is a sluggish process in most marine diagenetic environments, proceeds rapidly in Black Sea sediments. There is a potential for organic matter‐rich continental shelf environments to host this type of diagenesis. Should such environments be widespread, this new Li and B sink could help balance the marine Li and Li isotope budgets but would imply an apparent imbalance in the B cycle.

The effect of time on the weathering of silicate minerals: why do weathering rates differ in the laboratory and field?

The correlation between decreasing reaction rates of silicate minerals and increasing duration of chemical weathering was investigated for both experimental and field conditions. Column studies, using freshly prepared Panola Granite, produced ambient plagioclase weathering rates that decreased parabolically over 6 years to a final rate of 7.0×10 −14 mol m −2 s −1. In contrast, the corresponding plagioclase reaction rate for partially kaolinized Panola Granite, after reaching steady-state weathering after 2 months of reactions, was significantly less (2.1×10 −15 mol m −2 s −1). Both rates were normalized to plagioclase content and BET surface area. Extrapolation of decreasing rates for the fresh plagioclase with time indicated that several thousand years of reaction would be required to replicate the rate of the naturally weathered plagioclase under identical experimental conditions. Both rates would remain orders of magnitude faster than field weathering rates previously measured for a weathering profile in the Panola Granite. Additional trends in weathering rates with time were established from a tabulation of previously reported experimental and field rates for plagioclase, K-feldspar, hornblende and biotite. Discrepancies in the literature, produced by normalization of weathering rates with respect to surface areas measured by gas absorption (BET) and geometric methods, were overcome by developing a time-dependent roughness factor. Regression curves through the corrected rates produced strong correlations with time that were similar for the four silicate minerals. The average silicate weathering rate R (mol m −2 s −1) was described by the power function R=3.1×10 −13t −0.61 which was similar to the relationship describing the decrease in the fresh Panola plagioclase with time and suggesting control by transport-limited reaction. The time dependency of silicate weathering is discussed in terms of processes intrinsic to the silicate mineral and those extrinsic to the weathering environment. Intrinsic surface area, which increases with the duration of weathering, was shown to account for a third of the exponential decrease in the weathering rate shown by the above equation. Other factors, including progressive depletion of energetically reactive surfaces and accumulation of leached layers and secondary precipitates, must explain differences for fresh and weathered plagioclase reacting under identical experimental conditions. Extrinsic controls, including low permeability, high mineral/fluid ratios and increased solute concentrations, produce weathering reactions close to thermodynamic equilibrium under field conditions compared to highly unsaturated conditions during experimental reaction of fresh and weathered plagioclase. These differences explain the time-dependent difference in field and lab rates.

The rise of trees and their effects on Paleozoic atmospheric CO2 and O2

Abstract The rise of large vascular plants during the mid-Paleozoic brought about a major increase in the rates of weathering of silicate minerals that induced a drop in the level of atmospheric CO 2 and contributed, via the atmospheric greenhouse effect, to global cooling and the initiation of the most long lived and a really extensive glaciation of the past 550 million years. Sedimentary burial of the microbiologically resistant remains of the plants resulted during the Permo-Carboniferous in both further lowering of CO 2 and in elevation of atmospheric O 2 . Evidence of changes in CO 2 and O 2 are provided by mathematical models, studies of paleosols, fossil plants, fossil insects, and the effects of modern plants on silicate weathering, and by laboratory studies of the effects of changes in O 2 on plants and insects. To cite this article: R.A. Berner, C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).

Mineral stimulation of subsurface microorganisms: release of limiting nutrients from silicates

Microorganisms play an important role in the weathering of silicate minerals in many subsurface environments, but an unanswered question is whether the mineral plays an important role in the microbial ecology. Silicate minerals often contain nutrients necessary for microbial growth, but whether the microbial community benefits from their release during weathering is unclear. In this study, we used field and laboratory approaches to investigate microbial interactions with minerals and glasses containing beneficial nutrients and metals. Field experiments from a petroleum-contaminated aquifer, where silicate weathering is substantially accelerated in the contaminated zone, revealed that phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe)-bearing silicate glasses were preferentially colonized and weathered, while glasses without these elements were typically barren of colonizing microorganisms, corroborating previous studies using feldspars. In laboratory studies, we investigated microbial weathering of silicates and the release of nutrients using a model ligand-promoted pathway. A metal-chelating organic ligand 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4 DHBA) was used as a source of chelated ferric iron, and a carbon source, to investigate mineral weathering rate and microbial metabolism. In the investigated aquifer, we hypothesize that microbes produce organic ligands to chelate metals, particularly Fe, for metabolic processes and also form stable complexes with Al and occasionally with Si. Further, the concentration of these ligands is apparently sufficient near an attached microorganism to destroy the silicate framework while releasing the nutrient of interest. In microcosms containing silicates and glasses with trace phosphate mineral inclusions, microbial biomass increased, indicating that the microbial community can use silicate-bound phosphate inclusions. The addition of a native microbial consortium to microcosms containing silicates or glasses with iron oxide inclusions correlated to accelerated weathering and release of Si into solution as well as the accelerated degradation of the model substrate 3,4 DHBA. We propose that silicate-bound P and Fe inclusions are bioavailable, and microorganisms may use organic ligands to dissolve the silicate matrix and access these otherwise limiting nutrients.

Long‐Term Disturbance of Ground Water Chemistry Following Well Installation

Ground water samples collected from a multilevel sampler shortly after its construction showed significantly higher alkalinity and concentrations of calcium and magnesium than those from nearby wells installed 10 years earlier. The sampler was drilled using a conventional hollow-stem power auger in a sandy, silicate aquifer lying beneath an isthmus between two lakes in northern Wisconsin. Ground water in the study area is of low ionic strength and its chemistry is dominated by silicate mineral weathering. Periodic sampling over two years following installation of the sampler showed that the higher solute concentrations had subsequently decreased. Oxygen isotope signature and other solute species, such as sulfate and chloride, were comparable to those of older wells and did not show any notable trends over time. Independent variation of other chemical species that cannot be derived from aquifer minerals, and the similarly high concentrations in older wells shortly after their installation, suggest that rapid dissolution of fresh mineral surfaces and hyperfine particles generated during drilling has induced the enhanced concentrations. This observation is consistent with the field equivalent of laboratory mineral dissolution experiments that show initially increased dissolution rates that decay over time. Well installations for geochemical sampling in dominantly silicate material may require longer times to reach an equilibrium state than has been previously thought.

Identification and evolution of hydrogeochemical processes in the groundwater environment in an area of the Palar and Cheyyar River Basins, Southern India

The Palar and Cheyyar River Basins in Tamil Nadu state of Southern India are characterised by different geological formations, and groundwater is the major source for domestic, agricultural and other water-related activities. Hydrogeochemical studies were carried out in this area with the objective of identifying the geochemical processes and their relation to groundwater quality. Groundwater samples were collected once a month from 43 groundwater wells in this area from January 1998 to July 1999. Sampling procedures and chemical analysis were carried out as per the standard methods. Chemical data are used for mathematical calculations and graphical plots to understand the chemical process and its relation to the groundwater quality. The chemical composition of groundwater in the central part of the study area mainly depends on the recharge from lakes and the river, which is explained by a mixing mechanism. In addition, weathering of silicate minerals controls the concentration of major ions such as sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium in the groundwater of this area. Further, the activity ratios indicate that the groundwater is in equilibrium with kaolinite, smectite and montmorrillonite. The reverse ion exchange process controls the concentration of calcium, magnesium and sodium in hard rock formations, and dissolution of carbonate minerals and accessory minerals is the source of Ca and Mg, in addition to cation exchange in the sedimentary formations. In general, the chemical composition of the groundwater in this area is influenced by rock–water interaction, dissolution and deposition of carbonate and silicate minerals, ion exchange, and surface water interactions.

Carbonate verse silicate Sr isotope in lake sediments and its response to Little Ice Age

The87Sr/86Sr ratios of silicate (acid-insoluble, AI) and carbonate (acid-soluble, AS) of the lake sediments from the Daihai Lake, Inner Mongolia, since the last 500 years are measured respectively, indicating that chemical weathering of silicate minerals was in an early stage since the Little Ice Age within the Daihai watershed by combination with mineral constitute, Rb/Sr ratio and CaCO3 content in the sediments. During the Little Ice Age maximum, an evident peak in the87Sr/86Sr ratios of both silicate and carbonate in sediments suggests that a cold climate condition is unfavorable to dissolving radiogenic strontium from silicate minerals. Meanwhile, the variation of87Sr/86Sr ratios of silicate and carbonate also reflects a projected warming climate favorable to intensifying chemical weathering after the Little Ice Age. Consequently, the87Sr/86Sr ratio of both silicate and carbonate in inland lake sediments can be used as an effective proxy of the past climate in single watershed.

Statistical and hydrochemical methods to compare basalt- and basement rock-hosted groundwaters: Atherton Tablelands, north-eastern Australia

Multivariate analysis of physico-chemical and chemical data has enabled differentiation among groundwaters sourced from different lithological formations in the Atherton Tablelands region of north-eastern Australia. The main water resource is stored in basalt, although basement rocks such as granite and metamorphics also contain variable amounts of water. Groundwater in the basalt is mostly Mg–Ca–Na, HCO3 type, with electrical conductivities less than 300 µS/cm and pH values from 6.5 to 8.5. Some of the other groundwater is quite similar, making the identification of hydrochemical facies difficult. Groundwater samples were grouped based on the results of a principal component factor analysis of the major dissolved constituents H4SiO4, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and HCO3 –, as well as pH and electrical conductivity. Based on this differentiation it was possible to identify the likely host rocks of groundwaters from unidentified lithological units, define the basalt thickness and provide a better understanding of the groundwater resource. Principal component factor analysis has also been useful in identifying the likely hydrochemical processes controlling the composition of these groundwaters, including the production of weak acids in the soil layers, silicate mineral weathering, ion-exchange reactions, evapotranspiration and the leaching of ions from organic matter. Supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-002-0667-z.

A study of environmental analysis of urban river sediments using activation analysis

Sediments of the Kitajukkengawa River (Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan) were analyzed by activation analyses. Concentrations of 36 elements for each sample were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and neutron induced prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA). Based on the correlation matrix between the elements in vertical distribution, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. The degree of chemical weathering of silicate minerals was highest in the middle layer of the Kitajukkengawa River sediment and that adsorbed amount of trace metals such as Cd and Cr was increased along with chemical weathering.

Terrestrial ecosystems and the global biogeochemical silica cycle

Most research on the global Si cycle has focused nearly exclusively on weathering or the oceanic Si cycle and has not explored the complexity of the terrestrial biogeochemical cycle. The global biogeochemical Si cycle is of great interest because of its impact on global CO2 concentrations through the combined processes of weathering of silicate minerals and transfer of CO2 from the atmosphere to the lithosphere. A sizable pool of Si is contained as accumulations of amorphous silica, or biogenic silica (BSi), in living tissues of growing plants, known as phytoliths, and, after decomposition of organic material, as remains in the soil. The annual fixation of phytolith silica ranges from 60–200 Tmol yr−1 and rivals that fixed in the oceanic biogeochemical cycle (240 Tmol yr−1). Internal recycling of the phytolith pool is intense with riverine fluxes of dissolved silicate to the oceans buffered by the terrestrial biogeochemical Si cycle, challenging the ability of weathering models to predict rates of weathering and consequently, changes in global climate. Consideration must be given to the influence of the terrestrial BSi pool on variations in the global biogeochemical Si cycle over geologic time and the influence man has had on modifying both the terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemical cycles.

Water contamination downstream from a copper mine in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania

This paper presents the results of a study on stream and mine waters in the area of the largest porphyry copper deposit in the Apuseni Mountains (western Romania), the Rosia Poieni ore deposit. The research was focused on two aspects of environmental impact: (1) evaluation of the release of toxic elements into the environment through studying the mineralogical and chemical composition of the ore deposit; and (2) assessment of the distribution and extent of contamination through studying the chemistry of stream waters. This work proved that the Rosia Poieni mine is an active acid-rock drainage (ARD)-producing site. Waters draining freely from the ore deposit are acidic and transport large amounts of toxic elements (Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Cd, Sr, etc.). The weathering of silicate and ore minerals represents an important source of elements. Their release was determined by speciation calculations using an EQ3/6 computer program.

Solute sources and chemical weathering in the Owens Lake watershed, eastern California

Chemical and strontium isotope analyses of solutes in a series of streams representing the bulk of the water reaching the ∼8500 km2 Owens Lake watershed provide a unique opportunity to evaluate factors that control stream chemistry on a regional scale. The streams drain terrain that is dominated by Mesozoic granitoids of the Sierra Nevada batholith but that also contains irregularly distributed roof pendants of Paleozoic metasedimentary sequences. Mass balance modeling indicates that plagioclase feldspar weathering is the dominant contributor to stream chemistry and that carbonate dissolution is also a significant source of solutes for most streams. The calculated ratio of plagioclase to carbonate is highly sensitive to the assumed weathering product of plagioclase (kaolinite versus smectite), and we suggest that the importance of carbonate could be exaggerated in cases where only the plagioclase‐to‐kaolinite reaction is considered. Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) ratios range from 0.70685 to 0.71958, with a flow‐weighted mean of 0.70911. To the extent that this value represents the water that would be flowing into Owens Lake (were it not diverted by the Los Angeles Aqueduct system), the flow‐weighted mean 87Sr/86Sr ratio is consistent with ratios measured in Owens Lake core carbonates ranging in age up to 25 kyr. The overall Sr budget of the watershed is determined by the relative contributions of carbonate dissolution and plagioclase feldspar weathering and is dominated by reactions related to pyrite oxidation and hydrothermal fluid input from just two subbasins. The impact of these processes needs to be considered when modeling regional and global riverine Sr budgets. Climate‐related shifts in the relative importance of silicate mineral weathering reactions appear to be only second‐order effects on a regional scale.

Tracing spatial and temporal variations in the sources of calcium in pedogenic carbonates in a semiarid environment

In arid environments, significant amounts of calcium (Ca) are stored in pedogenic carbonates that develop in soils. There are two sources for Ca in pedogenic carbonates in soils: local parent material and dust deposited on the surface. In this study, the strontium (Sr) isotopes ( 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios) were used as a tracer for Ca from these sources. We studied spatial and temporal variations in the sources of Ca in pedogenic carbonates in soils developed in six Quaternary basalt flows and a cinder deposit in the Zuni–Bandera volcanic field near Grants, NM. Young basalt is an excellent rock type on which to study soil development because it provides a chemically and isotopically uniform substrate. Age dating of the flows provides control for the beginning of soil development. Other rock types (with varying 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios) cropping out around the basalt provide an opportunity to evaluate spatial variations in sources of Ca and Sr. The 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio of pedogenic carbonates (average 0.7078) is similar to the average ratio of marine limestone cropping out in the region, and is distinctly different from that of basalt bedrock (average 0.7053), indicating that chemical alteration of dust is the principle source of Ca. There is a strong correlation between the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio of pedogenic carbonate and the labile fraction of dust and A soil horizon samples. There is little correlation between the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio of pedogenic carbonate and that of the residual (silicate) fraction of dust or A horizon samples. This indicates that the major source of Ca cycling through these soils is chemical weathering of carbonate minerals in dust and that only a minor component is from chemical weathering of silicate minerals, either in dust or the underlying basalt. Mixing calculations using Sr isotopes as a tracer for Ca support the qualitative observations. Some variability in the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio of pedogenic carbonates was found on a local scale (several hundred meters to several kilometers), and can be attributed to changes in dust composition due to contributions from local bedrock. There was no correlation found between the age of a basalt flow and the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio of the pedogenic carbonate developed on them, indicating that the composition of dust has not changed significantly over the last 0.7 Ma.

Strontium isotope composition of runoff from a glaciated carbonate terrain

The relationship between subglacial chemical weathering processes and the Sr isotope composition of runoff from Robertson Glacier, Alberta, Canada, is investigated. This glacier rests on predominantly carbonate bedrock of Upper Devonian age, but silicate minerals are also present. The provenance of solute in meltwaters is found to vary systematically with solute concentration and, by inference, subglacial water residence time. In dilute waters, the principal process of solute acquisition is calcite dissolution fueled by protons derived from the dissolution of CO2 and subsequent dissociation of carbonic acid. At higher solute concentrations, dolomite dissolution coupled to sulfide oxidation is more important. Sr concentration is found to increase with total solute concentration in two separate meltwater streams draining from the glacier, but 87Sr/86Sr only increases in the eastern melt stream. Carbonate and K-feldspar sources are shown to dominate the Sr content of the western stream, irrespective of concentration. They also dominate the Sr content of the eastern stream at low and intermediate concentrations, but at higher concentrations, muscovite (with high 87Sr/86Sr) is also an important Sr source. This reflects the outcrop of muscovite-bearing lithologies in the catchment of the eastern stream and an increase in the rate of weathering of K-silicates relative to that of carbonates as more concentrated solutions approach saturation with respect to carbonates. Nonstoichiometric release of 87Sr/86Sr and preferential release of Sr over K from freshly ground K-silicate surfaces may also occur. This may help to explain the radiogenic nature of runoff from distributed subglacial drainage systems, which are characterized by long water:rock contact times and water flow through environments in which crushing and grinding of bedrock are active processes.Although the exchangeable Sr in tills has higher 87Sr/86Sr than local carbonate bedrock, only the more concentrated meltwaters from the eastern stream display similarly high values. The most dilute waters, which probably transport the bulk of the dissolved Sr flux from the glacier, have 87Sr/86Sr characteristic of local carbonate bedrock. Thus, the results suggest that although enhanced weathering of silicate minerals containing radiogenic Sr (such as muscovite) does occur in glaciated carbonate terrains, it is unlikely to contribute to any enhanced flux of radiogenic Sr from glaciated continental surfaces to the oceans.