The evidence presented by numerous investigations of the interface between lichens and their rock substrates strongly suggests that the weathering of minerals can be accelerated by the growth of at least some lichen species. The effects of lichens on their mineral substrates can be attributed to both physical and chemical processes. The physical effects are reflected by the mechanical disruptio...

Estimation of the temperature dependence of natural feldspar weathering in two catchments at different elevations yields an apparent Arrhenius activation energy of 18.4 kcal/mol (77.0 kj/mol), much higher than most laboratory values. This finding supports recent suggestions that hydrolytic weathering of silicate minerals may consume carbonic acid and thereby remove atmospheric carbon dioxide mo...

Tectonic uplift is one of the key factors controlling the supply of material to weathering environments. At present however, there is debate about whether tectonics or climate plays a larger role in controlling chemical weathering rates on a global scale over geologic time. We measured riverine weathering fluxes from twelve catchments along the Skykomish River in the Washington Cascades, where ...

Reclamation under the strict requirements of the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires a high level of knowledge of plant growth r e q u i r e m e n t s in r e l a t i o n to geochemical factors on each mine site. A desirable reclamation goal would be to consider all feasible alternatives for creating productive soils and attractive landscapes. The raw materials fo...

Weathering is a continuous process; the best way to deal with weathered coal is to identify the extent of weathering. Based on level of weathering its consumption pattern should be changed, this will help in minimizing the effect of weathering on coke quality. Due to weathering, various technological properties of coal get altered such as as ash, free swelling index, fluidity, plastic range and...

Petroleum-based products are the major source of energy for industry and daily life. Petroleum is also the raw material for many chemical products such as plastics, paints, and cosmetics. The transport of petroleum across the world is frequent, and the amounts of petroleum stocks in developed countries are enormous. Consequently, the potential for oil spills is significant, and research on the ...

Connections between glaciation, chemical weathering, and the global carbon cycle could steer the evolution of global climate over geologic time, but even the directionality of feedbacks in this system remain to be resolved. Here, we assemble a compilation of hydrochemical data from glacierized catchments, use this data to evaluate the dominant chemical reactions associated with glacial weatheri...

This work aimed to evaluate the capability of different microorganisms to degrade commercial diesel oil in comparison to a weathered diesel oil collected from the groundwater at a petrol station. Two microbiological methods were used for the biodegradability assessment: the technique based on the redox indicator 2,6 -dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP) and soil respirometric experiments using bio...

The relationships among climate, physical erosion, and chemical weathering have remained uncertain, because long-term chemical weathering rates have been difficult to measure. Here we show that long-term chemical weathering rates can be measured by combining physical erosion rates, inferred from cosmogenic nuclides, with dissolution losses, inferred from the rock-to-soil enrichment of insoluble...

The Hebei Spirit oil spill (HSOS) in December 7, 2007 spilled approximately 10,900 tons of crude oil in about 10 km off the Taean coasts in South Korea. We first summarize and overview, in the present study, the current status of environmental and ecological effects of the HSOS focusing on i) pollution status for surrounding environment (water, sediment, and porewater), ii) biological effects o...