The roles of salt (sodium nitrate) and fog in weathering : a laboratory simulation of conditions in the northern Atacam Desert, Chile

Auteurs :
GOUDIE, A.S.
WRIGHT, E.
VILES, H.A.

Description :
The AA. investigate interactions within a hyper-arid and hyper-saline weathering environment based on conditions observed in the Atacama Desert. The experimental design produced a matrix of 18 different weathering environments with 6 levels of salt availability and 3 levels of fog precipitation. The experiment took place over an 11-week period. Collectively, the results indicate that fog appears to control the rate of breakdown and that salt availability controls the timing of the response. The style of breakdown was similar, irrespective of the fog and salt levels. The morphological observations provide an experimental example of the role of inheritance in weathering processes.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2002, vol. 48, n°. 4, p. 255-266, nombre de pages : 12, Collation : Illustration, Références bibliographiques : 20 ref.

Date :
2002

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena