Abstract
CHEMICAL denudation includes the set of processes which mobilise ions from rocks and carry them to the sea in solution. These processes, and the rates at which they act, are of considerable importance in the development of landforms and soils because they are responsible for weakening rocks which then become susceptible to soil formation and erosion. However, very few adequate measurements of such rates have been made. I report here a set of such measurements from tropical catchments in Kenya. They are the first set of reported values that correctly measure the rate of chemical denudation in the tropics because they include only true denudation components1 rather than biogenic and atmospheric inputs. Even for temperate regions I am not aware of a set of such data over a range of climate from wet to dry. The data presented here indicate how chemical denudation varies over such a gradient.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Janda, R. J. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 82, 67–80 (1971).
Livingstone, D. A. Prof. Pap. U.S. Geol. Surv. 440-G (1963).
Gibbs, R. J. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 78, 1203–1232 (1967); Gibbs, R. J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 36, 1061–1066 (1972).
Meybeck, M. & Carbonnel, J. P. Nature 225, 134–136 (1975).
Rapp, A. Geogr. Ann. 45, 65–200 (1960).
Miller, J. P. Wat.-Supply Pap. U.S. geol. Surv. 1535-F (1961).
Johnson, N. M., Likens, G. E., Borman, F. H. & Pierce, R. S. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 32, 531–545 (1968).
Cleaves, E. T., Godfrey, A. E. & Bricker, O. P. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 81, 3015–3032 (1970).
Marchand, D. E. Am. J. Sci. 270, 109–135 (1971).
Reynolds, R. C. & Johnson, N. M. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 36, 537–554 (1972).
Cleaves, E. T., Fisher, D. W. & Bricker, O. P. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 85, 437–444 (1974).
Dethier, D. P. thesis, Univ. Washington (1976).
Moberly, R. J. Geol. 71, 371–375 (1963).
Langbein, W. B. & Dawdy, D. R. Prof Pap. U.S. Geol. Survey 501-D, D115–D117 (1964).
Meybeck, M. Hydrol. Sci. Bull. 21, 265–284 (1976).
Atlas of Kenya (Government Printer, Nairobi, 1970).
Dunne, T. Hillslope Hydrology (ed. Kirkby, M. J.) 227–293 (Wiley, New York, 1977).
Meade, R. H. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 80, 1265–1274 (1969).
Eriksson, E. Tellus 7, 243–250 (1955).
Feth, J. H., Roberson, C. E. & Polzar, W. L. Wat.-Supply Pap. U.S. Geol. Surv. 1535-I (1964).
Bricker, O. P. & Garrels, R. M. Principles and Applications of Water Chemistry (eds Faust, S. P. & Hunter, J. V.) 449–469 (Wiley, New York, 1967).
Weaver, R. M., Jackson, M. L. & Syers, J. K. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 35, 823–830 (1971).
Jackson, M. L. 9th Int. Congr. Soil Sci., Trans. 4, 281–292 (1968).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DUNNE, T. Rates of chemical denudation of silicate rocks in tropical catchments. Nature 274, 244–246 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/274244a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/274244a0
This article is cited by
-
Potash fertilizer promotes incipient salinization in groundwater irrigated semi-arid agriculture
Scientific Reports (2020)
-
Environmental gradients along the tropical coast drive plankton biomass and alter food web interactions
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2020)
-
Tropical storm-induced landslide-dammed lakes and debris flow hazards at Ocotepeque, Western Honduras
Landslides (2019)
-
Biological versus geochemical control and environmental change drivers of the base metal budgets of a tropical montane forest in Ecuador during 15 years
Biogeochemistry (2017)
-
Coupling of carbon and silicon geochemical cycles in rivers and lakes
Scientific Reports (2016)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
