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Earth’s silicate weathering continuum

Trapp-Müller, Gerrit ; Caves Rugenstein, Jeremy ; Conley, Daniel J. LU orcid ; Geilert, Sonja ; Hagens, Mathilde ; Hong, Wei Li ; Jeandel, Catherine ; Longman, Jack ; Mason, Paul R.D. and Middelburg, Jack J. , et al. (2025) In Nature Geoscience 18(8). p.691-701
Abstract

Chemical weathering of silicate rocks redistributes major, minor and trace elements through coupled dissolution–precipitation reactions. These weathering processes drive shifts in ocean acid–base chemistry, modulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and providing a stabilizing feedback in the carbon cycle. Silicate weathering occurs in both terrestrial and marine environments, releasing (‘forward’) or consuming alkalinity (‘reverse’), but these have largely been perceived as independent and studied in isolation. However, weathering products are transported downstream across terrestrial and to marine environments, suggesting a dynamic coupling of these weathering processes across scales. Here we propose that the Earth’s silicate... (More)

Chemical weathering of silicate rocks redistributes major, minor and trace elements through coupled dissolution–precipitation reactions. These weathering processes drive shifts in ocean acid–base chemistry, modulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and providing a stabilizing feedback in the carbon cycle. Silicate weathering occurs in both terrestrial and marine environments, releasing (‘forward’) or consuming alkalinity (‘reverse’), but these have largely been perceived as independent and studied in isolation. However, weathering products are transported downstream across terrestrial and to marine environments, suggesting a dynamic coupling of these weathering processes across scales. Here we propose that the Earth’s silicate weathering occurs along a continuum linking mountains to the deepest sedimentary environments and forward to reverse weathering. In this framework, the magnitude and direction of a local weathering flux depends on the materials’ origin, weathering–erosion history and environmental conditions. Consequently, global silicate weathering fluxes and the long-term carbon cycle feedback may be governed by the dynamic interplay of various environments along the silicate weathering continuum.

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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature Geoscience
volume
18
issue
8
pages
11 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:105012886015
ISSN
1752-0894
DOI
10.1038/s41561-025-01743-y
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © Springer Nature Limited 2025.
id
7f7f5ffc-2066-4b4c-bde2-c5952e3fe945
date added to LUP
2025-12-12 10:38:43
date last changed
2025-12-12 10:39:05
@article{7f7f5ffc-2066-4b4c-bde2-c5952e3fe945,
  abstract     = {{<p>Chemical weathering of silicate rocks redistributes major, minor and trace elements through coupled dissolution–precipitation reactions. These weathering processes drive shifts in ocean acid–base chemistry, modulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and providing a stabilizing feedback in the carbon cycle. Silicate weathering occurs in both terrestrial and marine environments, releasing (‘forward’) or consuming alkalinity (‘reverse’), but these have largely been perceived as independent and studied in isolation. However, weathering products are transported downstream across terrestrial and to marine environments, suggesting a dynamic coupling of these weathering processes across scales. Here we propose that the Earth’s silicate weathering occurs along a continuum linking mountains to the deepest sedimentary environments and forward to reverse weathering. In this framework, the magnitude and direction of a local weathering flux depends on the materials’ origin, weathering–erosion history and environmental conditions. Consequently, global silicate weathering fluxes and the long-term carbon cycle feedback may be governed by the dynamic interplay of various environments along the silicate weathering continuum.</p>}},
  author       = {{Trapp-Müller, Gerrit and Caves Rugenstein, Jeremy and Conley, Daniel J. and Geilert, Sonja and Hagens, Mathilde and Hong, Wei Li and Jeandel, Catherine and Longman, Jack and Mason, Paul R.D. and Middelburg, Jack J. and Milliken, Kitty L. and Navarre-Sitchler, Alexis and Planavsky, Noah J. and Reichart, Gert Jan and Slomp, Caroline P. and Sluijs, Appy and van Hinsbergen, Douwe J.J. and Zhang, Xu Y.}},
  issn         = {{1752-0894}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{691--701}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature Geoscience}},
  title        = {{Earth’s silicate weathering continuum}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01743-y}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41561-025-01743-y}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}