Depth and character of rock weathering across a basaltic-hosted climosequence on Hawai'i

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

GOODFELLOW, B.W.

Geological and Environmental Sciences, Univ., Stanford, Etats-Unis

Dept. of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Univ., Stockholm, Suede

CHADWICK, O.A.

Dept. of Geography, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, Etats-Unis

HILLEY, G.E.

Geological and Environmental Sciences, Univ., Stanford, Etats-Unis

Description :
Using field observations and geochemical and digital terrain analyses, the AA. describe the structure and thickness of the regolith across a climosequence on the island of Hawai'i to gain insight into the relative roles of precipitation and the near-surface hydrologic structure in determining weathering patterns. The abrupt change in regolith depth and character that coincides with the transition from net-positive to net-negative long-term water balance implies that small changes in precipitation rates around a neutral water balance result in large changes in the distribution and depth of weathering. Together the observations indicate that the distribution and depth of weathering in basalts (and probably other lithologies) might be best understood by considering how precipitation interacts with the complicated near-surface permeability structure over regolith-forming timescales to weather rock in the vadose zone.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2014, vol. 39, n°. 3, p. 381-398, nombre de pages : 18, Références bibliographiques : 1 p.

Date :
2014

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley

Langue :
Anglais