ESS200A
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Tectonic Control of CO2 Removal – The Uplift Weathering Hypothesis
qThe uplifting weathering hypothesis asserts that the global mean rate of
chemical weathering is heavily affected by the availability of fresh rock and
mineral surfaces that the weathering process can attack.
qThis hypothesis suggests that tectonic uplifting enhances the exposure of
freshly fragmented rock which is an important factor in the intensity of chemical
weathering.
qThis hypothesis looks at chemical weathering as the active driver of climate
change, rather than as a negative feedback that moderates climate changes.
(from
Earth’s Climate: Past and Future)