Precessional variation of monsoon-controlled silicate weathering caused steady atmospheric carbon dioxide consumption during glacial periods
Zhao, Debo ; Wan, Shiming ; Huang, Xiangtong ; Lu, Zhengyao LU
; Clift, Peter D.
; Li, Dongyong
; Liu, Xiting
; Yang, Yifei
; Jiang, Shoushu
and Lin, Anni
(2025)
In Communications Earth and Environment
6(1).
- Abstract
Silicate weathering regulates climate as a critical carbon sink, yet understanding its role in the carbon cycle is challenging because of limited knowledge about the impact of temperature and rainfall on weathering during glacial-interglacial cycles. Here we investigated the orbital scale of silicate weathering variations and their role in atmospheric carbon dioxide sequestration using reconstructions, model simulations, and modern river sediment geochemical data. Results show that silicate weathering intensity in subtropical and tropical monsoon regions follows the precession cycle and is mainly controlled by rainfall. During glacial periods, global carbon dioxide consumption by silicate weathering was lower than interglacials but... (More)
Silicate weathering regulates climate as a critical carbon sink, yet understanding its role in the carbon cycle is challenging because of limited knowledge about the impact of temperature and rainfall on weathering during glacial-interglacial cycles. Here we investigated the orbital scale of silicate weathering variations and their role in atmospheric carbon dioxide sequestration using reconstructions, model simulations, and modern river sediment geochemical data. Results show that silicate weathering intensity in subtropical and tropical monsoon regions follows the precession cycle and is mainly controlled by rainfall. During glacial periods, global carbon dioxide consumption by silicate weathering was lower than interglacials but remained stable at ~2.47 Teramoles per year. We propose that ice sheet expansion confined intense weathering to the subtropics and tropics during glacial times. As insolation patterns shifted with the precession cycle, rainfall belts oscillated between hemispheres, maintaining a constant weathering area and stable carbon dioxide consumption. Our study provides insights into silicate weathering’s role in the global carbon cycle, both historically and in future projections.
(Less)
- author
- Zhao, Debo
; Wan, Shiming
; Huang, Xiangtong
; Lu, Zhengyao
LU
; Clift, Peter D.
; Li, Dongyong
; Liu, Xiting
; Yang, Yifei
; Jiang, Shoushu
and Lin, Anni
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Communications Earth and Environment
- volume
- 6
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 505
- publisher
- Springer Nature
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105009704043
- ISSN
- 2662-4435
- DOI
- 10.1038/s43247-025-02498-5
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c5411c37-afbe-456a-ad9f-13564af48e6f
- date added to LUP
- 2025-10-27 13:00:13
- date last changed
- 2025-10-27 15:56:19
@article{c5411c37-afbe-456a-ad9f-13564af48e6f,
abstract = {{<p>Silicate weathering regulates climate as a critical carbon sink, yet understanding its role in the carbon cycle is challenging because of limited knowledge about the impact of temperature and rainfall on weathering during glacial-interglacial cycles. Here we investigated the orbital scale of silicate weathering variations and their role in atmospheric carbon dioxide sequestration using reconstructions, model simulations, and modern river sediment geochemical data. Results show that silicate weathering intensity in subtropical and tropical monsoon regions follows the precession cycle and is mainly controlled by rainfall. During glacial periods, global carbon dioxide consumption by silicate weathering was lower than interglacials but remained stable at ~2.47 Teramoles per year. We propose that ice sheet expansion confined intense weathering to the subtropics and tropics during glacial times. As insolation patterns shifted with the precession cycle, rainfall belts oscillated between hemispheres, maintaining a constant weathering area and stable carbon dioxide consumption. Our study provides insights into silicate weathering’s role in the global carbon cycle, both historically and in future projections.</p>}},
author = {{Zhao, Debo and Wan, Shiming and Huang, Xiangtong and Lu, Zhengyao and Clift, Peter D. and Li, Dongyong and Liu, Xiting and Yang, Yifei and Jiang, Shoushu and Lin, Anni}},
issn = {{2662-4435}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Springer Nature}},
series = {{Communications Earth and Environment}},
title = {{Precessional variation of monsoon-controlled silicate weathering caused steady atmospheric carbon dioxide consumption during glacial periods}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02498-5}},
doi = {{10.1038/s43247-025-02498-5}},
volume = {{6}},
year = {{2025}},
}