TY - JOUR A1 - Steinhöfel, Grit A1 - Breuer, Jörn A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm A1 - Horn, Ingo A1 - Sommer, Michael T1 - The dynamics of Si cycling during weathering in two small catchments in the Black Forest (Germany) traced by Si isotopes JF - Chemical geology : official journal of the European Association for Geochemistry N2 - Silicon stable isotopes have emerged as a powerful proxy to investigate weathering because Si uptake from solution by secondary minerals or by the vegetation causes significant shifts in the isotope composition. In this study, we determined the Si isotope compositions of the principle Si pools within two small catchments located on sandstone and paragneiss, respectively, in the temperate Black Forest (Germany). At both settings, clay formation is dominated by mineral transformation preserving largely the signature of parental minerals with delta Si-30 values of around -0.7%. Bulk soils rich in primary minerals are similar to bulk parental material with delta Si-30 values close to -0.4%. Topsoils are partly different because organic matter degradation has promoted intense weathering leading to delta Si-30 values as low as -1.0%. Water samples expose highly dynamic weathering processes in the soil zone: 1) after spring snowmelt, increased release of DOC and high water fluxes trigger clay mineral dissolution which leads to delta Si-30 values down to -0.7% and 2) in course of the summer, Si uptake by the vegetation and secondary mineral formation drives dissolved Si to typical positive delta Si-30 values up to 1.1%. Groundwater with delta Si-30 values of around 0.4% records steady processes in bedrock reflecting plagioclase weathering together with kaolinite precipitation. An isotope mass balance approach reveals incongruent weathering conditions where denudation of Si is largely driven by physical erosion. Erosion of phytoliths contributes 3 to 21% to the total Si export flux, which is in the same order as the dissolved Si flux. These results elucidate the Si dynamics during weathering on catchments underlain of sedimentary origin, prevailing on the Earth surface and provide therefore valuable information to interpret the isotope signature of large river systems. KW - Weathering KW - Sedimentary rocks KW - Biogeochemical Si cycle KW - Silicon isotopes KW - UV femtosecond laser ablation Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.06.026 SN - 0009-2541 SN - 1878-5999 VL - 466 SP - 389 EP - 402 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hewawasam, Tilak A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm A1 - Bouchez, Julien A1 - Dixon, Jean L. A1 - Schüssler, Jan A. A1 - Mäkeler, Ricarda T1 - Slow advance of the weathering front during deep, supply-limited saprolite formation in the tropical Highlands of Sri Lanka JF - Geochimica et cosmochimica acta : journal of the Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society N2 - Silicate weathering - initiated by major mineralogical transformations at the base of ten meters of clay-rich saprolite generates the exceptionally low weathering flux found in streams draining the crystalline rocks of the mountainous and humid tropical Highlands of Sri Lanka. This conclusion is reached from a thorough investigation of the mineralogical, chemical, and Sr isotope compositions of samples within a regolith profile extending >10 m from surface soil through the weathering front in charnockite bedrock (a high-grade metamorphic rock), corestones formed at the weathering front, as well as from the chemical composition of the dissolved loads in nearby streams. Weatherable minerals and soluble elements are fully depleted at the top of the profile, showing that the system is supply-limited, such that weathering fluxes are controlled directly by the supply of fresh minerals. We determine the weathering rates using two independent means: (1) in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides in surface soil and creek sediments in the close vicinity of the regolith combined with immobile element mass balance across the regolith and (2) river dissolved loads. Silicate weathering rates determined from both approaches range from 16 to 36 t km(-2) y(-1), corresponding to a weathering front advance rate of 6-14 mm ky(-1). These rates agree across the 10(1) to 10(4) - y time scales over which our rate metrics integrate, suggesting that the weathering system operates at steady state. Within error these rates are furthermore compatible with those obtained by modeling the advance rate of the weathering front from chemical gradients and mineral dissolution rates. The silicate weathering flux out of the weathering profile, measured on small creeks, amounts to 84% of the profile's export flux; the remaining 16% is contributed by non-silicate, atmospheric-derived input. The silicate weathering flux, as measured by dissolved loads in large catchments, amounts to ca. 50% of the total dissolved flux; the remainder being contributed by dust, rain, and weathering of local marble bands. Spheroidal weathering is the key processes of converting the fresh bedrock into saprolite at the weathering front. The mineralogical composition of weathering rinds shows that the sequence of mineral decomposition is: pyroxene; plagioclase; biotite; K-feldspar. Observable biotite alteration does not appear to initiate spheroidal weathering within corestones; therefore, we infer that other processes than biotite oxidation, like pyroxene oxidation, clay formation from pyroxene and plagioclase decomposition, the development of secondary porosity by plagioclase dissolution, or even microbiologic processes at depth enable the coupling between slow advance of the weathering front and slow erosion at the surface. The comparison to tectonically more active tropical landscapes lets us conclude that the combination of hard rock with tightly interlocked mineral grains and slow erosion in the absence of tectonically-induced landscape rejuvenation lead to these exceptionally low weathering rates. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.05.006 SN - 0016-7037 VL - 118 IS - 10 SP - 202 EP - 230 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bernhard, Nadine A1 - Moskwa, Lisa-Marie A1 - Schmidt, Karsten A1 - Oeser, Ralf Andreas A1 - Aburto, Felipe A1 - Bader, Maaike Y. A1 - Baumann, Karen A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm A1 - Boy, Jens A1 - van den Brink, Liesbeth A1 - Brucker, Emanuel A1 - Buedel, Burkhard A1 - Canessa, Rafaella A1 - Dippold, Michaela A. A1 - Ehlers, Todd A1 - Fuentes, Juan P. A1 - Godoy, Roberto A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Karsten, Ulf A1 - Koester, Moritz A1 - Kuzyakov, Yakov A1 - Leinweber, Peter A1 - Neidhardt, Harald A1 - Matus, Francisco A1 - Mueller, Carsten W. A1 - Oelmann, Yvonne A1 - Oses, Romulo A1 - Osses, Pablo A1 - Paulino, Leandro A1 - Samolov, Elena A1 - Schaller, Mirjam A1 - Schmid, Manuel A1 - Spielvogel, Sandra A1 - Spohn, Marie A1 - Stock, Svenja A1 - Stroncik, Nicole A1 - Tielboerger, Katja A1 - Uebernickel, Kirstin A1 - Scholten, Thomas A1 - Seguel, Oscar A1 - Wagner, Dirk A1 - Kühn, Peter T1 - Pedogenic and microbial interrelations to regional climate and local topography BT - New insights from a climate gradient (arid to humid) along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile JF - Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution N2 - The effects of climate and topography on soil physico-chemical and microbial parameters were studied along an extensive latitudinal climate gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile (26 degrees-38 degrees S). The study sites encompass arid (Pan de Azucar), semiarid (Santa Gracia), mediterranean (La Campana) and humid (Nahuelbuta) climates and vegetation, ranging from arid desert, dominated by biological soil crusts (biocrusts), semiarid shrubland and mediterranean sclerophyllous forest, where biocrusts are present but do have a seasonal pattern to temperate-mixed forest, where biocrusts only occur as an early pioneering development stage after disturbance. All soils originate from granitic parent materials and show very strong differences in pedogenesis intensity and soil depth. Most of the investigated physical, chemical and microbiological soil properties showed distinct trends along the climate gradient. Further, abrupt changes between the arid northernmost study site and the other semi-arid to humid sites can be shown, which indicate non-linearity and thresholds along the climate gradient. Clay and total organic carbon contents (TOC) as well as Ah horizons and solum depths increased from arid to humid climates, whereas bulk density (BD), pH values and base saturation (BS) decreased. These properties demonstrate the accumulation of organic matter, clay formation and element leaching as key-pedogenic processes with increasing humidity. However, the soils in the northern arid climate do not follow this overall latitudinal trend, because texture and BD are largely controlled by aeolian input of dust and sea salts spray followed by the formation of secondary evaporate minerals. Total soil DNA concentrations and TOC increased from arid to humid sites, while areal coverage by biocrusts exhibited an opposite trend. Relative bacterial and archaeal abundances were lower in the arid site, but for the other sites the local variability exceeds the variability along the climate gradient. Differences in soil properties between topographic positions were most pronounced at the study sites with the mediterranean and humid climate, whereas microbial abundances were independent on topography across all study sites. In general, the regional climate is the strongest controlling factor for pedogenesis and microbial parameters in soils developed from the same parent material. Topographic position along individual slopes of limited length augmented this effect only under humid conditions, where water erosion likely relocated particles and elements downward. The change from alkaline to neutral soil pH between the arid and the semi-arid site coincided with qualitative differences in soil formation as well as microbial habitats. This also reflects non-linear relationships of pedogenic and microbial processes in soils depending on climate with a sharp threshold between arid and semi-arid conditions. Therefore, the soils on the transition between arid and semi-arid conditions are especially sensitive and may be well used as indicators of long and medium-term climate changes. Concluding, the unique latitudinal precipitation gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile is predestined to investigate the effects of the main soil forming factor - climate - on pedogenic processes. KW - Climate KW - Topography KW - Soil texture KW - Total organic carbon KW - Carbon isotope ratio (delta C-13(TOC)) KW - Microbial abundance Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.06.018 SN - 0341-8162 SN - 1872-6887 VL - 170 SP - 335 EP - 355 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Behrens, Ricarda A1 - Bouchez, Julien A1 - Schuessler, Jan A. A1 - Dultz, Stefan A1 - Hewawasam, Tilak A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm T1 - Mineralogical transformations set slow weathering rates in low-porosity metamorphic bedrock on mountain slopes in a tropical climate JF - Chemical geology : official journal of the European Association for Geochemistry N2 - In the Sri Lankan Highlands erosion and chemical weathering rates are among the lowest for global mountain denudation. In this tropical humid setting, highly weathered deep saprolite profiles have developed from high-grade metamorphic charnockite during spheroidal weathering of the bedrock. The spheroidal weathering produces rounded corestones and spalled rindlets at the rock-saprolite interface. We used detailed textural, mineralogical and chemical analyses to reconstruct the sequence of weathering reactions and their causes. The first mineral attacked by weathering was found to be pyroxene initiated by in situ Fe oxidation. Volumetric calculations suggest that this oxidation leads to the generation of porosity due to the formation of micro-fractures allowing for fluid transport and subsequent dissolution of biotite and plagioclase. The rapid ensuing plagioclase weathering leads to formation of high secondary porosity in the corestone over a distance of only a few cm and eventually to the final disaggregation of bedrock to saprolite. The first secondary phases are oxides or amorphous precipitates from which secondary minerals (mainly gibbsite, kaolinite and goethite) form. As oxidation is the first weathering reaction, the supply of O-2 is a rate-limiting factor for chemical weathering. Hence, the supply of O-2 and its consumption at depth connects processes at the weathering front with those at the Earth's surface in a feedback mechanism. The strength of the feedback depends on the relative weight of advective versus diffusive transport of O-2 through the weathering profile. The feedback will be stronger with dominating diffusive transport. The low weathering rate is explained by the nature of this feedback that is ultimately dependent on the transport of O-2 through the whole regolith, and on lithological factors such as low bedrock porosity and the amount of Fe-bearing primary minerals. Tectonic quiescence in this region and low pre-development erosion rate (attributed to a dense vegetation cover) minimize the rejuvenation of the thick and cohesive regolith column, finally leading to low denudation rates. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Weathering KW - Critical zone KW - Corestone KW - Regolith KW - Sri Lanka Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.07.008 SN - 0009-2541 SN - 1878-5999 VL - 411 SP - 283 EP - 298 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Steinhoefel, Grit A1 - Breuer, Jörn A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm A1 - Horn, Ingo A1 - Kaczorek, Danuta A1 - Sommer, Michael T1 - Micrometer silicon isotope diagnostics of soils by UV femtosecond laser ablation JF - Chemical geology : official journal of the European Association for Geochemistry N2 - This study presents the first Si isotope data of the principle Si pools in soils determined by a UV femtosecond laser ablation system coupled to a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). This method reveals accurate and precise Si isotope data on bulk materials, and at high spatial resolution, on the mineral scale. The following Si pools have been investigated: a) the Si source to soils on all major silicate minerals on thin sections from bedrock fragments in the soil profiles; b) bulk soils (particle size <2 mm) after fusion to glass beads with an iridium-strip heater or pressed into powder pellets: c) separated clay fractions as pressed powder pellets and e) separated phytoliths as pressed powder pellets. Multiple analyses of three rock standards, BHVO-2, AGV-1 and RGM-1 as fused glass beads and as pressed powder pellets, reveal delta(30)Si values within the expected range of igneous rocks. The MPI-DING reference glass KL2-G exhibits the same Si isotope composition after remelting by an iridium-strip heater showing that this technique does not alter the isotope composition of the glass. We used this approach to investigated two immature Cambisols developed on sandstone and paragneiss in the Black Forest (Germany), respectively. Bulk soils show a largely uniform Si isotope signature for different horizons and locations, which is close to those of primary quartz and feldspar with delta(30)Si values around -0.4 parts per thousand. Soil clay formation is associated with limited Si mobility, which preserves initial Si isotope signatures of parental minerals. An exception is the organic horizon of the paragneiss catchment where intense weathering leads to a high mobility of Si and significant negative isotope signatures as low as to -1.00 parts per thousand in bulk soils. Biogenic opal in the form of phytoliths, exhibits negative Si isotope signatures of about -0.4 parts per thousand. These results demonstrate that UV femtosecond laser ablation MC-ICP-MS provides a tool to characterize the Si isotope signature of the principle Si pools left behind after weathering and Si transport have altered soils. These results can now serve as a fingerprint of the residual solids that can be used to explain the isotope composition of dissolved Si in soil solutions and river water, which is mostly enriched in the heavy isotopes. KW - Silicon isotopes KW - Soils KW - UV femtosecond laser ablation KW - MC-ICP-MS Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2011.05.013 SN - 0009-2541 VL - 286 IS - 3-4 SP - 280 EP - 289 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frick, Daniel Alexander A1 - Schüßler, Jan Arne A1 - Sommer, Michael A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm T1 - Laser Ablation In Situ Silicon Stable Isotope Analysis of Phytoliths JF - Geostandards and geoanalytical research N2 - Silicon is a beneficial element for many plants and is deposited in plant tissue as amorphous bio-opal called phytoliths. The biochemical processes of silicon uptake and precipitation induce isotope fractionation: the mass-dependent shift in the relative abundances of the stable isotopes of silicon. At the bulk scale, delta Si-30 ratios span from -2 to +6 parts per thousand. To further constrain these variations in situ, at the scale of individual phytolith fragments, we used femtosecond laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (fsLA-MC-ICP-MS). A variety of phytoliths from grasses, trees and ferns were prepared from plant tissue or extracted from soil. Good agreement between phytolith delta Si-30 ratios obtained by bulk solution MC-ICP-MS analysis and in situ isotope ratios from fsLA-MC-ICP-MS validates the method. Bulk solution analyses result in at least twofold better precision for delta Si-30 (2s on reference materials <= 0.11 parts per thousand) over that found for the means of in situ analyses (2s typically <= 0.24 parts per thousand). We find that bushgrass, common reed and horsetail show large internal variations up to 2 parts per thousand in delta Si-30, reflecting the various pathways of silicon from soil to deposition. Femtosecond laser ablation provides a means to identify the underlying processes involved in the formation of phytoliths using silicon isotope ratios. KW - In situ silicon isotope ratio analysis KW - phytolith KW - laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry KW - biogenic silica Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12243 SN - 1639-4488 SN - 1751-908X VL - 43 IS - 1 SP - 77 EP - 91 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Acosta, Veronica Torres A1 - Schildgen, Taylor F. A1 - Clarke, Brian A. A1 - Scherler, Dirk A1 - Bookhagen, Bodo A1 - Wittmann, Hella A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm A1 - Strecker, Manfred T1 - Effect of vegetation cover on millennial-scale landscape denudation rates in East Africa JF - Lithosphere N2 - The mechanisms by which climate and vegetation affect erosion rates over various time scales lie at the heart of understanding landscape response to climate change. Plot-scale field experiments show that increased vegetation cover slows erosion, implying that faster erosion should occur under low to moderate vegetation cover. However, demonstrating this concept over long time scales and across landscapes has proven to be difficult, especially in settings complicated by tectonic forcing and variable slopes. We investigate this problem by measuring cosmogenic Be-10-derived catchment-mean denudation rates across a range of climate zones and hillslope gradients in the Kenya Rift, and by comparing our results with those published from the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda. We find that denudation rates from sparsely vegetated parts of the Kenya Rift are up to 0.13 mm/yr, while those from humid and more densely vegetated parts of the Kenya Rift flanks and the Rwenzori Mountains reach a maximum of 0.08 mm/yr, despite higher median hillslope gradients. While differences in lithology and recent land-use changes likely affect the denudation rates and vegetation cover values in some of our studied catchments, hillslope gradient and vegetation cover appear to explain most of the variation in denudation rates across the study area. Our results support the idea that changing vegetation cover can contribute to complex erosional responses to climate or land-use change and that vegetation cover can play an important role in determining the steady-state slopes of mountain belts through its stabilizing effects on the land surface. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1130/L402.1 SN - 1941-8264 SN - 1947-4253 VL - 7 IS - 4 SP - 408 EP - 420 PB - American Institute of Physics CY - Boulder ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Oeser, Ralf Andreas A1 - Stroncik, Nicole A1 - Moskwa, Lisa-Marie A1 - Bernhard, Nadine A1 - Schaller, Mirjam A1 - Canessa, Rafaella A1 - van den Brink, Liesbeth A1 - Köster, Moritz A1 - Brucker, Emanuel A1 - Stock, Svenja A1 - Pablo Fuentes, Juan A1 - Godoy, Roberto A1 - Javier Matus, Francisco A1 - Oses Pedraza, Romulo A1 - Osses McIntyre, Pablo A1 - Paulino, Leandro A1 - Seguel, Oscar A1 - Bader, Maaike Y. A1 - Boy, Jens A1 - Dippold, Michaela A. A1 - Ehlers, Todd A1 - Kühn, Peter A1 - Kuzyakov, Yakov A1 - Leinweber, Peter A1 - Scholten, Thomas A1 - Spielvogel, Sandra A1 - Spohn, Marie A1 - Ubernickel, Kirstin A1 - Tielbörger, Katja A1 - Wagner, Dirk A1 - von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm T1 - Chemistry and microbiology of the Critical Zone along a steep climate and vegetation gradient in the Chilean Coastal Cordillera JF - Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution N2 - From north to south, denudation rates from cosmogenic nuclides are similar to 10 t km(-2) yr(-1) at the arid Pan de Aziicar site, similar to 20 t km(2) yr(-1) at the semi-arid site of Santa Gracia, -60 t km(-2) yr(-1) at the Mediterranean climate site of La Campana, and similar to 30 t km(-2) yr(-1) at the humid site of Nahuelbuta. A and B horizons increase in thickness and elemental depletion or enrichment increases from north (similar to 26 degrees S) to south (similar to 38 degrees S) in these horizons. Differences in the degree of chemical weathering, quantified by the chemical depletion fraction (CDF), are significant only between the arid and sparsely vegetated site and the other three sites. Differences in the CDF between the sites, and elemental depletion within the sites are sometimes smaller than the variations induced by the bedrock heterogeneity. Microbial abundances (bacteria and archaea) in saprolite substantially increase from the arid to the semi-arid sites. With this study, we provide a comprehensive dataset characterizing the Critical Zone geochemistry in the Chilean Coastal Cordillera. This dataset confirms climatic controls on weathering and denudation rates and provides prerequisites to quantify the role of biota in future studies. KW - Weathering KW - Denudation KW - Microbial abundance KW - Climate KW - Chile Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.06.002 SN - 0341-8162 SN - 1872-6887 VL - 170 SP - 183 EP - 203 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -