Modelling weathering processes at the catchment scale: The WITCH numerical model

A numerical model of chemical weathering in soil horizons and underlying bedrock (WITCH) has been coupled to a numerical model of water and carbon cycles in forest ecosystems (ASPECTS) to simulate the concentration of major species within the soil horizons and the stream of the Strengbach granitic watershed, located in the Vosges Mountains (France). For the first time, simulations of solute concentrations in soil layers and in the catchment river have been performed on a seasonal basis. The model is able to reproduce the concentrations of most major species within the soil horizons, as well as catching the first-order seasonal fluctuations of aqueous calcium, magnesium and silica concentrations. However, the WITCH model underestimates concentrations of Mg²⁺ and silica at the spring of the catchment stream, and significantly underestimates Ca²⁺ concentration. The deficit in calculated calcium can be compensated for by dissolution of trace apatite disseminated in the bedrock. However, the resulting increased Ca²⁺ release yields important smectite precipitation in the deepest model layer (in contact with the bedrock) and subsequent removal of large amount of silica and magnesium from solution. In contrast, the model accurately accounts for the concentrations of major species (Ca, Mg and silica) measured in the catchment stream when precipitation of clay minerals is not allowed. The model underestimation of Mg²⁺ and H₄SiO₄ concentrations when precipitation of well crystallized smectites is allowed strongly suggests that precipitation of well crystallized clay minerals is overestimated and that more soluble poorly crystallized and amorphous materials may be forming. In agreement with observations on other watersheds draining granitic rocks, this study indicates that highly soluble trace calcic phases control the aqueous calcium budget in the Strengbach watershed.     

Metamorphic decarbonation, silicate weathering and the long-term carbon cycle

The seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr curve implies a 50–100 Myr episodicity in weathering rate which requires a corresponding variation in CO₂ degassing from the solid earth to the atmosphere. It is proposed that this is caused by orogenesis, which both produces CO₂ as a result of metamorphic decarbonation reactions, and consumes extra CO₂ as a consequence of erosion-enhanced weathering. Global climate on the geological time-scale is therefore contTolled by the difference between the relatively large and variable orogenic-moderated degassing and weathering CO₂ fluxes.     

Bridging the gap between laboratory measurements and field estimations of silicate weathering using simple calculations

Weathering rates of silicate minerals observed in the laboratory are in general up to five orders of magnitude higher than those inferred from field studies. Simple calculations show that even if the field conditions were fully simulated in standard laboratory experiments, it would be impossible to measure the slow rates of mineral dissolution that are observed in the field. As it is not possible to measure the dissolution rates under typical field conditions, one should extrapolate the available data to the field conditions. To do this, a rate law for the dissolution of plagioclase in the field was formulated by combining the far from equilibrium dissolution rate of weathered natural oligoclase at 25°C with the effect of deviation from equilibrium on dissolution rate of fresh albite at 80°C. In contrast to the common view that laboratory experiments predict dissolution rates that are faster than those in the field, the simulation based on this rate law indicates that laboratory dissolution experiments actually predict slower rates than those observed in the field. This discrepancy is explained by the effect of precipitation of secondary minerals on the degree of saturation of the primary minerals and therefore on their dissolution rate. Indeed, adding kaolinite precipitation to the simulation significantly enhances the dissolution rate of the plagioclase. Moreover, a strong coupling between oligoclase dissolution and kaolinite precipitation was observed in the simulation. We suggest that such a coupling must exist in the field as well. Therefore, any attempt to predict the dissolution rate in the field requires knowledge of the rate of the secondary mineral precipitation.     

Eco-hydrological versus supply-limited weathering regimes and the potential for biotic enhancement of weathering at the global scale

Biotic enhancement of weathering (BEW) has been proposed to substantially alter the geologic C cycle but the large scale impact of small scale biotic processes remains elusive, especially when compared to large scale drivers of weathering such as climate and crustal uplift. A global land surface model was used to estimate the potential strength of BEW for two contrasting types of weathering regimes that are either limited by the supply of fresh parent material by uplift or controlled by the climatic and eco-hydrological conditions. The biospheric effect on soil CO₂ in the model was then removed in order to determine the reduction of weathering rates and thereby to infer BEW. It was found that only those areas that are not supply limited are susceptible to biotic enhancement. This indicates that the potential for BEW depends directly on the supply of fresh material and thus on crustal uplift.     

Tree-mycorrhiza symbiosis accelerate mineral weathering: Evidences from nanometer-scale elemental fluxes at the hypha-mineral interface

In soils, mycorrhiza (microscopic fungal hypha) living in symbiosis with plant roots are the biological interface by which plants obtain, from rocks and organic matter, the nutrients necessary for their growth and maintenance. Despite their central role in soils, the mechanism and kinetics of mineral alteration by mycorrhiza are poorly constrained quantitatively. Here, we report in situ quantification of weathering rates from a mineral substrate, (0 0 1) basal plane of biotite, by a surface-bound hypha of Paxillus involutus, grown in association with the root system of a Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris. Four thin-sections were extracted by focused ion beam (FIB) milling along a single hypha grown over the biotite surface. Depth-profile of Si, O, K, Mg, Fe and Al concentrations were performed at the hypha-biotite interface by scanning transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDX). Large removals of K (50-65%), Mg (55-75%), Fe (80-85%) and Al (75-85%) were observed in the topmost 40 nm of biotite underneath the hypha while Si and O are preserved throughout the depth-profile. A quantitative model of alteration at the hypha-scale was developed based on solid-state diffusion fluxes of elements into the hypha and the break-down/mineralogical re-arrangement of biotite. A strong acidification was also observed with hypha bound to the biotite surface reaching pH < 4.6. When consistently compared with the abiotic biotite dissolution, we conclude that the surface-bound mycorrhiza accelerate the biotite alteration kinetics between pH 3.5 and 5.8 to ∼0.04 μmol biotite m⁻² h⁻¹. Our current work reaffirms that fungal mineral alteration is a process that combines our previously documented bio-mechanical forcing with the μm-scale acidification mediated by surface-bound hypha and a subsequent chemical element removal due to the fungal action. As such, our study presents a first kinetic framework for mycorrhizal alteration at the hypha-scale under close-to-natural experimental conditions.     

Chemical weathering in the Hong (Red) River basin: Rates of silicate weathering and their controlling factors

The Hong (Red) River drains the prominent Red River Fault Zone that has experienced various tectonic activities—intrusion of magma, exhumation of basement rocks, and influx of thermal waters—associated with the Cenozoic collision of India and Eurasia. We report dissolved major element and Sr isotope compositions of 43 samples from its three tributary systems (Da, Thao/Hong main channel, and Lo) encompassing summer and winter seasons. Carbonic acid ultimately derived from the atmosphere is the main weathering agent, and sulfuric acid from pyrite oxidation plays a minor role. Seasonality is manifested in higher calcite saturation index and Mg/TZ⁺ and lower Ca/Mg in summer, suggesting calcite precipitation, and in higher Si/(Na^∗ + K) ratios in summer suggesting more intensive silicate weathering. We quantified the input from rain, evaporite, carbonate, and silicate reservoirs using forward and inverse models and examined the robustness of the results. Carbonate dissolution accounts for a significant fraction of total dissolved cations (55-97%), and weathering of silicates makes a minor contribution (1-40%). Our best estimate of the spatially averaged silicate weathering rate in the Hong basin is 170 × 10³ mol/km²/yr in summer and 51 × 10³ mol/km²/yr in winter. We tested for correlations between the rate of CO₂ consumption by silicate weathering and various climatic (air temperature, precipitation, runoff, and potential evapotranspiration) and geologic (relief, elevation, slope, and lithology) parameters calculated using GIS. Clear correlations do not emerge (except for ?CO₂ and runoff in winter) which we attribute to the complex geologic setting of the area, the seasonal regime change from physical-dominant in summer to chemical-dominant in winter, and the incoherent timescales involved for the different parameters tested.     

Rate controls on the chemical weathering of natural polymineralic material. II. Rate-controlling mechanisms and mineral sources and sinks for element release from four UK mine sites,and implications for comparison of laboratory and field scale weathering studies

Predictions of mine-related water pollution are often based on laboratory assays of mine-site material. However, many of the factors that control the rate of element release from a site, such as pH, water–rock ratio, the presence of secondary minerals, particle size, and the relative roles of surface-kinetic and mineral equilibria processes can exhibit considerable variation between small-scale laboratory experiments and large-scale field sites.Monthly monitoring of mine effluent and analysis of natural geological material from four very different mine sites have been used to determine the factors that control the rate of element release and mineral sources and sinks for major elements and for the contaminant metals Zn, Pb, and Cu. The sites are: a coal spoil tip; a limestone-hosted Pb mine, abandoned for the last 200 a; a coal mine; and a slate-hosted Cu mine that was abandoned 150 a ago. Hydrogeological analysis of these sites has been performed to allow field fluxes of elements suitable for comparison with laboratory results to be calculated. Hydrogeological and mineral equilibrium control of element fluxes are common at the field sites, far more so than in laboratory studies. This is attributed to long residence times and low water–rock ratios at the field sites. The high water storativity at many mine sites, and the formation of soluble secondary minerals that can efficiently adsorb metals onto their surfaces provides a large potential source of pollution. This can be released rapidly if conditions change significantly, as in, for example, the case of flooding or disturbance.     

矿物尺度下烃类气体的赋存特点与地质意义

以山东焦家金矿I号主矿体为研究对象,选取128线金矿体周围不同地质体岩石样品,对样品中疑似碳酸盐矿物,通过岩矿鉴定、激光拉曼、电子探针等方法进行分析,从矿物尺度对烃类气体的赋存特点进行研究,以期获取烃类气体参与成矿的直接证据。研究发现,样品中的疑似碳酸盐矿物电子探针测定成分与纯净的方解石成分吻合,在金矿体周围不同地质体中均可见方解石以极细小的颗粒充填于矿物裂隙或矿物颗粒之间形成细脉,具有后期形成的特点;其次,电子探针数据与酸解烃法得出的烃类气体含量整体呈现出一致的变化关系,具向外渗滤扩散的特点。研究证实了疑似碳酸盐矿物确实为碳酸盐矿物,且其为烃类气体的赋存提供了载体,找到了烃类气体参与成矿在矿物尺度上的直接的证据,同时证明了酸解烃法能够有效提取与成矿有关的烃气信息,对寻找金属矿床具有一定的指导作用。     

The fluvial geochemistry, contributions of silicate, carbonate and saline-alkaline components to chemical weathering flux and controlling parameters: Narmada River (Deccan Traps), India

The Narmada River in India is the largest west-flowing river into the Arabian Sea, draining through the Deccan Traps, one of the largest flood basalt provinces in the world. The fluvial geochemical characteristics and chemical weathering rates (CWR) for the mainstream and its major tributaries were determined using a composite dataset, which includes four phases of seasonal field (spot) samples (during 2003 and 2004) and a decade-long (1990-2000) fortnight time series (multiannual) data. Here, we demonstrate the influence of minor lithologies (carbonates and saline-alkaline soils) on basaltic signature, as reflected in sudden increases of Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ contents at many locations along the mainstream and in tributaries. Both spot and multiannual data corrected for non-geological contributions were used to calculate the CWR. The CWR for spot samples (CWR_spot) vary between 25 and 63 ton km⁻² year⁻¹, showing a reasonable correspondence with the CWR estimated for multiannual data (CWR_multi) at most study locations. The weathering rates of silicate (SilWR), carbonate (CarbWR) and evaporite (Sal-AlkWR) have contributed ∼38-58, 28-45 and 8-23%, respectively to the CWR_spot at different locations. The estimated SilWR (11-36 ton km⁻² year⁻¹) for the Narmada basin indicates that the previous studies on the North Deccan Rivers (Narmada-Tapti-Godavari) overestimated the silicate weathering rates and associated CO₂ consumption rates. The average annual CO₂ drawdown via silicate weathering calculated for the Narmada basin is ∼0.032 × 10¹² moles year⁻¹, suggesting that chemical weathering of the entire Deccan Trap basalts consumes approximately 2% (∼0.24 × 10¹² moles) of the annual global CO₂ drawdown. The present study also evaluates the influence of meteorological parameters (runoff and temperature) and physical weathering rates (PWR) in controlling the CWR at annual scale across the basin. The CWR and the SilWR show significant correlation with runoff and PWR. On the basis of observed wide temporal variations in the CWR and their close association with runoff, temperature and physical erosion, we propose that the CWR in the Narmada basin strongly depend on meteorological variability. At most locations, the total denudation rates (TDR) are dominated by physical erosion, whereas chemical weathering constitutes only a small part (<10%). Thus, the CWR to PWR ratio for the Narmada basin can be compared with high relief small river watersheds of Taiwan and New Zealand (1-5%) and large Himalayan Rivers such as the Brahmaputra and the Ganges (8-9%).     

Modeling coupled THM processes of geological porous media with multiphase flow: Theory and validation against laboratory and field scale experiments

A FEM model for analysis of fully coupled multiphase flow, thermal transport and stress/deformation in geological porous media was developed based on the momentum, mass and energy conservation laws of the continuum mechanics and the averaging approach of the mixture theory over a three phase (solid–liquid–gas) system. Six processes (i.e. stress–strain, water flow, gas flow, vapor flow, heat transport and porosity evolution processes) and their coupling effects are considered, which not only makes the problem well-defined, but renders the governing PDEs closed, complete, compact and compatible. Displacements, pore water pressure, pore gas pressure, pore vapor pressure, temperature and porosity are selected as basic unknowns. The physical phenomena such as phase transition, gas solubility in liquid, thermo-osmosis, moisture transfer and moisture swelling are modeled. As a result, the relative humidity and other related variables in porous media can be evaluated on a sounder physical basis. A three dimensional computer code, THYME3D, was developed, with eight degrees of freedom at each node. The laboratory CEA Mock-up test and the field scale FEBEX benchmark test on bentonite performance assessment for underground nuclear waste repositories were used to validate the numerical model and the software. The coupled THM behaviors of the bentonite barriers were satisfactorily simulated, and the effects and impacts of the governing equations, constitutive relations and property parameters on the coupled THM processes were understood in terms of more straightforward interpretation of physical processes at microscopic scale of the porous media. The work developed enables further in-depth research on fully coupled THM or THMC processes in porous media.     

Experimental study of the dynamic behavior and segregation of density-bidisperse granular sliding masses at the laboratory scale

From the understanding of dynamics and processes of rapid granular flows and the granular-segregation mechanism in gravity-driven flow, we can clarify the particle-composition structure in the downstream areas of avalanches in geophysical contexts, such as landslides, rock falls, and snow-slab avalanches. Such dynamics also provide a basis for geophysical studies. This study experimentally investigates the dynamic behavior and segregation phenomena of a density-bidisperse, rapid, granular flow down a quasi-2D, rough, inclined rectangular chute. Particles with two density ratios are used to investigate the mechanism of density-induced segregation, and four chute-inclination angles are tested to examine the influence of driving forces. The dynamics of the mixture flow—which includes the flow-depth evolution, stream-wise and depth-wise velocity profiles, shear rate, and granular temperature in the upper high-shear band of the flow—are obtained from particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. The two-dimensional concentration distributions of the particles in the stream-wise direction are also obtained using 2D image processing to determine the segregation state. In the upstream region, the variation in the concentration of heavier particles is defined as the strength of the density-induced segregation state, S_d. Our results indicate that the mixture-flow parameter—particularly the shear rate and the granular temperature in the upper high-shear band—crucially influence the strength of particle segregation in granular avalanches. In the upstream region, a higher shear rate and a higher granular temperature in the upper high-velocity band result in a smaller drag force in the mixture flow, causing stronger density-induced particle segregation. These results well describe the entire processes of dense granular flows, from upstream initiation to the downstream steady state. Therefore, they reveal the structure of the mixed flow in the depth direction and are expected to explain various gravity-driven mixture granular flows.

     

River dissolved and solid loads in the Lesser Antilles: New insight into basalt weathering processes

We present here the first available estimations of chemical weathering and associated atmospheric CO₂ consumption rates as well as mechanical erosion rate for the Lesser Antilles. The chemical weathering (100–120 t/km²/year) and CO₂ consumption (1.1–1.4 × 10⁶ mol/km²/year) rates are calculated after subtraction of the atmospheric and hydrothermal inputs in the chemical composition of the river dissolved loads. These rates thus reflect only the low-temperature basalt weathering. Mechanical erosion rates (approx. 800–4000 t/km²/year) are estimated by a geochemical mass balance between the dissolved and solid loads and mean unaltered rock. The calculated chemical weathering rates and associated atmospheric CO₂ consumption rates are among the highest values worldwide but are still lower than those of other tropical volcanic islands and do not fit with the HCO₃⁻ concentration vs. 1/T correlation proposed by Dessert et al. (2001). The thick soils and explosive volcanism context of the Lesser Antilles are the two possible keys to this different weathering behaviour; the development of thick soils limits the chemical weathering and the presence of very porous pyroclastic flows allows an important water infiltration and thus subsurface weathering mechanisms, which are less effective for atmospheric CO₂ consumption.     

Time scale and conditions of weathering under tropical climate: Study of the Amazon basin with U-series

The Rio Solimões/Amazonas (Amazon River) and its major tributaries have been analyzed for U-series nuclides. ²³⁸U-²³⁴U-²³⁰Th-²²⁶Ra disequilibria have been measured in the dissolved (<0.2 μm) and suspended loads (>0.2 μm) as well as bed sands. U-series disequilibria are closely related to major and trace element compositions and therefore reflect elemental fractionation during chemical weathering. Moreover, while the dissolved load records present-day weathering, suspended particles integrate the erosion history over much longer time scales (>100 ka). Lowland rivers are characterized by long time scales of chemical erosion (?100 ka) resulting in a high weathering intensity. Moreover, exchange between suspended particles and the dissolved load may explain the U-series signature for these rivers. By combining U-series and Pb isotopes in suspended particles, we show that erosion in the Rio Madeira basin occurred as a multi-step process, whereby the pristine continental crust was eroded several hundreds of Ma ago to produce sediments that have then been integrated in the Cordillera by crustal shortening and are currently eroded. In contrast, recent erosion of a pristine crust is more likely for the Rio Solimões/Amazonas (<10 ka). The suspended particles of the rivers draining the Andes (Solimões/Amazonas, Madeira) suggest time scales of weathering ranging between 4 and 20 ka. This indicates that suspended particles transported by those rivers are not stored for long periods in the Andean foreland basin and the tropical plain. The sediments delivered to the ocean have resided only a few ka in the Amazon basin (6.3 ± 1 ka for the Rio Amazonas at Óbidos). Nevertheless, a large fraction of the sediments coming out from the Andes are trapped in the foreland basin and may never reach the ocean. Erosion in the Andes is not operating in steady state. U-series systematics shows unambiguously that rivers are exporting a lot more sediments than predicted by steady-state erosion and that is a consequence of soil destruction greater than production. By relating this observation to the short time scales of weathering inferred for the Andes (a few ka), it appears that the erosion regime has been recently perturbed, resulting in high denudation rates. A possible explanation would be the increase in precipitation less than 5 ka proposed by recent paleoclimatic studies. Our results indicate that erosion responds rapidly to high-frequency climatic fluctuations.     

Plant distribution at the mobile dune scale and its relevance to soil properties and topographic features

A survey was conducted in an 11-year recovery mobile dune (RMD11) and a 20-year recovery mobile dune (RMD20), in Horqin Sandy Land, Northern China, to determine plant distribution at the mobile dune scale and its relevance to soil properties and topographic features. The results showed that (1) vegetation cover and species number increased from dune top to bottom in the restoration process of mobile dune; (2) the average value of soil organic C, total N, pH, relative height of sampling site, very fine sand content and soil water contents (40−60 and 60−80 cm) of RMD11 were less than that of RMD20, respectively, and there were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the two dunes; (3) soil resources were redistributed by shrub restoration and relative height of sampling site on dune. The distribution of sand pioneer plant, Agriophyllum squarrosum, was positively related to the relative height of sampling site and soil water content, while that of other herbaceous plants was positively related to soil nutrients in the restoration process of mobile dune. These results suggest that at mobile dune scale, plant distributions are determined by a combination of soil properties and topographic feature. Much effort should be made to preserve the interdune lowland and to improve the level of soil nutrients on mobile dune.     

Simulation of the nucleation and growth of simple clay minerals in weathering processes: The NANOKIN code

We present a numerical approach which accounts for nucleation, growth and/or resorption of particles of fixed composition in aqueous solutions, and which involves functionalities suited to the formation of simple clay minerals in weathering processes, such as: formation of non-spherical particles, heterogeneous/homogeneous nucleation, several growth laws, precipitation resulting from the dissolution of primary minerals. The overall model is now embedded into a new numerical code called NANOKIN, in which several optimization procedures have been introduced in order to allow long dynamics to be followed. NANOKIN was applied to the precipitation of Al- bearing minerals from aqueous solutions: halloysite, kaolinite and Ca-montmorillonite. It allowed us to propose a stable scheme for the competitive precipitation of halloysite and kaolinite under two different types of initial conditions: (1) a given initial super-saturation state of the aqueous solution; (2) progressive super-saturation resulting from the kinetic dissolution of the minerals from a granitic rock under weathering conditions. Both yield particle sizes in the micron range, but with distinct crystal size distribution functions. The interplay between kinetic and thermodynamic effects is discussed.     

硫化物风化产酸对流域岩石风化和碳循环的影响——以黄河支流三川河流域为例

硫化物风化产酸可加速岩溶作用但抑制大气二氧化碳参与流域碳循环,其复杂的地球化学机制和过程待阐明。本文以黄河二级支流三川河流域为例,通过采集20个三川河及其支流地表水点样和30个柳林泉地下水点样,经实验测试获得了流域比较系统的水化学资料和δ¹³C、δ³⁴ S数据,运用碳、硫同位素分析与水化学平衡计量方法,量化了流域硫化物风化产酸对岩石风化作用的贡献以及对碳循环的影响。计算结果表明：煤系地层硫化物和矿床硫化物的氧化及大气酸沉降所形成的硫酸明显促进了流域碳酸盐岩的溶蚀,对碳酸盐岩溶蚀的贡献约占64.59%;柳林泉水石膏溶解来源的SO₄^2-占69%,河水中石膏溶解来源的SO₄^2-占30%,但这些部分SO₄^2-没有参与溶蚀作用,应当扣除;三川河流域平均岩石风化速率为10.02 mm/ka,其中碳酸盐岩、硅酸盐岩的风化速率分别为9.14 mm/ka和0.88 mm/ka,低于国内外很多流域;由于硫酸抵消了碳酸盐岩石风化作用对大气二氧化碳的吸收,流域岩石风化消耗大气/土壤CO₂通量为116.58 mmol/（km² ·a）,不足珠江流域的1/5,且硅酸盐岩风化的贡献占63.3%。

     

Importance of porosity and transfer of matter in the rock weathering processes: two examples in central Spain

Some physical properties (bulk and free porosity, pore size distribution), and the chemical composition and mass balance of two deeply weathered profiles one developed on Hercynian granodiorite and the other on pre-Cambrian slates were studied. Hydric and mercury porosimetry, nitrogen adsorption techniques, chemical analyses and XRD techniques were used. On granodiorite, weathering has created increased porosity with a pore diameter <5 μm, whereas on slates the weathering has produced of ca. 1 μm in diameter. These pore sizes have played an important role in the weathering processes. Assuming that weathering preserves volumes, except in the uppermost part of the profiles, it brought about a loss of matter of more than 12% (~300 kg/m³) on granodiorite and ca. 30% (~800 kg/m³) on slates. These changes are related to shifts in the mineralogical evolution, with the appearance of new 2:1 and 1:1 phyllosilicates and Fe oxy-hydroxides as the main authigenic minerals. The release of matter, at least since the upper Neogene until the present, has led to the lowering of relief in a more or less homogeneous way, giving rise to gentle hillsides and flat surfaces below which the current river networks are incised. Porosity studies have the potential to explain several specific landforms as well as affecting landscape development in general.     

Relating soil erosion and sediment yield to geomorphic features and erosion processes at the catchment scale in the Spanish Pre-Pyrenees

Erosion and sediment redistribution are important processes in landscape changes in the short and long term. In this study, the RMMF model of soil erosion and the SEDD model of sediment delivery were used to estimate annual soil loss and sediment yield in an ungauged catchment of the Spanish Pre-Pyrenees and results were interpreted in the context of the geomorphic features. The Estaña Catchment is divided into 15 endorheic sub-catchments and there are 17 dolines. Gullies and slopes were the main erosive geomorphic elements, whereas the colluvial, alluvial, valley floor, and doline deposits were depositional elements. Spatially distributed maps of gross soil erosion, sediment delivery ratio (SDR), and sediment yield (SY) were generated in a GIS. Severe erosion rates (>100 Mg ha^?1 year^?1) were found in gullies, whereas mean and maximum erosion rates were very high on slopes developed on Keüper Facies and high in soils on Muschelkalk Facies. Where crops are grown, the depositional-type geoforms were predicted by the models to have an erosive dynamic. Those results were consistent with the rates of erosion quantified by ¹³⁷Cs which reflects the significant role of human activities in triggering soil erosion. Catchment area was positively correlated with erosion rate, but negatively correlated with SDR and SY. The latter were negatively correlated with the proportion of the surface catchment covered with forests and scrublands. The topography of the area influenced the high SDR and SY in the dolines and valley floors near the sinks. Intra-basin stored sediment was 59.2% of the total annual eroded soil in the catchment. The combination of the RMMF and SEDD models was an appropriate means of assessing the effects of land uses on soil erosion and obtaining a better understanding of the processes that underlie the geomorphic changes occurring in mountainous environments of the Mediterranean region.     

Sediment ingestion by worms and the production of bio-clays: a study of macrobiologically enhanced weathering and early diagenetic processes

The experiments reported here show that a range of early diagenetic clay minerals can develop within ingested sand in the guts of creatures at a rate that is at least 2 or 3 orders of magnitude greater than in an abiotic environment. Early diagenesis in marine environments may be strongly influenced by the occurrence of sediment ingestion and excretion by animals. Using a set of artificial marine experiments and the common lugworm Arenicola marina , it is shown that sediment ingestion by macrobiota represents a new way in which to precipitate clay minerals or 'bio-clays'. Significant quantities of clay minerals can be the product of biological interaction within sediment. Tanks were constructed with artificially layered sediment and natural seawater. The experiments were conducted at room temperature for a total duration of 9 months. The silicate material fed to the worms was an unweathered, and thus clay mineral-free, basalt from Iceland. Less than 2  μ m fractions from original, control and faecal samples were periodically analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Faecal casts underwent mineral alteration as denoted by loss of primary minerals, especially plagioclase. New minerals in faecal casts from the lugworms included, kaolinite, illite, quartz and possibly chlorite. Inorganic weathering of similar parent basalt would probably produce an identical mineral assemblage but many more times slowly than with the macrobiotic mechanism demonstrated here.