The chemical weathering regime of Kärkevagge, arctic–alpine Sweden

Thorn, Colin E.; Darmody, Robert G.; Dixon, John C.; Schlyter, Peter

doi:10.1016/s0169-555x(01)00102-7

Cited by 79 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…above the much larger, west-east-trending Vassijuare valley at approximately 18°18 0 E, 68°26 0 N. The steep valley walls of Kärkevagge reveal a complex geology of essentially horizontally bedded metamorphic rocks (Kulling, 1964). The geomorphology of Kärkevagge was described in Rapp's (1960) seminal paper, but there have been no detailed descriptions of Kärkevagge's chemical weathering regime or pedogenesis prior to the project of which this paper is a part (see Thorn et al (2001) for an overview).…”

Section: Research Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Weathering rates of buried machine‐polished rock disks, Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland

Thorn

Darmody

Dixon

et al. 2002

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Some 48 dolomite, 37 granite, and 19 limestone machine-polished disks were buried at soil horizon boundaries in 16 soil pits to maximum depths of 0Ð5-0Ð6 m within Kärkevagge, a presently periglacial, glaciated trough in Arctic Sweden. The objective of the ongoing study is to determine near-surface 'potential' weathering rates beneath birch forest, Dryas heath, heath, meadow, solifluction meadow, and willow vegetation cover types. Selected disks were excavated after 1 year, and all disks were excavated after 4 or 5 years.The limestone disks weathered fastest, followed closely by the dolomite disks, but the granite disks weathered at much slower rates. Mean annual percentage mass loss over 4 or 5 years was 0Ð473 š 0Ð145% (two standard errors) for dolomite disks, 0Ð032 š 0Ð005% (two standard errors) for granite disks, and 1Ð104 š 0Ð446% (two standard errors) for limestone disks. For dolomite disks the Dryas heath and heath environments weathered the most slowly, a trend that was generally followed by the granite disks. Poor drainage (i.e. increasing wetness) and decreasing pH were found to promote dolomite weathering rates in a statistically significant manner. Surficial and subsurface weathering rates at individual sites were generally found to be correlated for dolomite, but not granite.

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Section: Research Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Weathering rates of buried machine‐polished rock disks, Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland

Thorn

Darmody

Dixon

et al. 2002

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…The water fluxes in cold-climate environments are assumed to be important because weathering is dominated by physical processes (Egli et al, 2014); thus the intensity and the frequency of freeze-thaw cycles are factors of critical importance. Chemical weathering in periglacial areas is also an important mechanism in terms of geomorphic work (Allen et al, 2001;Thorn et al, 2001), being controlled by the type of lithology, biological activity, organic matter, topography, aspect, water availability, the structure of the hydrologic system and the age of exposure/deglaciation (Egli et al, 2014). Previous work developed indexes, such as the chemical index of alteration (CIA) (Daviel et al, 2011), to assess soil weathering based on geochemical properties, .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedimentological characteristics of ice-wedge polygon terrain in Adventdalen (Svalbard) – environmental and climatic implications for the late Holocene

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Ice wedges are widespread periglacial features in the landscape of Adventdalen, Svalbard. The networks of ice wedges have created areas with well-developed polygonal terrains in the lowest fluvial terraces in this valley. We have examined the sedimentological characteristics of the northern and southern banks of the Advent river for palaeoenvironmental purposes. The base of two sedimentary sections reported radiocarbon dates of 3.3 and 3.9 ka BP, respectively. The northern site is constituted by three very different lithostratigraphical units, which suggests that their formation should be related to different environmental and climate conditions. By contrast, the southern section shows a rather homogeneous composition, with no significant variations in grain size and organic matter content. In both cases the uppermost sediments are constituted by a thick aeolian deposit. According to our data, warmer climate conditions may have prevailed during the mid Holocene until 3.3 ka BP with widespread peat formation in the valley bottom. Subsequently, a period with alternating soil formation and aeolian sedimentation took place from 3 to 2.5 ka BP, probably due to increasing climatic severity. During the last millennium a long-term cooling trend has favoured aeolian deposition in the lowest part of Adventdalen.

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“…However, this basic tenet has been repeatedly questioned. Evidence for active chemical weathering in arcticalpine regions has been found, for example by Thorn et al (2001). Undoubtedly, the observation of rock temperature alone cannot adequately explain local rock disintegration patterns, since numerous weathering processes in cold regions are probably not temperature-limited but rather limited by moisture availability (Hall et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rock moisture measurements: techniques, results, and implications for weathering

Sass

2005

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Rock moisture is an important factor for the intensity and distribution of frost weathering processes. However, quantitative measurements are scarce, which is partly due to the lack of reliable measurement techniques. This paper presents five different techniques for obtaining rock moisture data. While collecting rock pieces and two-dimensional geoelectric measurements allow determination of the spatial moisture distribution, the temporal variability can be derived from conductivity and time domain reflectometry records. Computer simulations, using rock properties and climatic records as input data, render it possible to clarify the important aspects that are responsible for the moisture distribution. It proved to be advisable to use several methods to check and validate the results.The results, obtained in study areas in the Bavarian Alps, make it clear that direct rainfall is the main source of rock moisture. The influence of snow is limited to the immediate vicinity of the snow fields and is not equally pronounced at different times and positions. Rock moisture levels are higher in summer than they are in winter, since in winter less water is supplied in liquid form. Northerly exposed rockwalls are generally more moist than those exposed in a southerly direction, which is due to the different insolation as well as to the wind direction during rainfall. In every position the rock is, on average, wetter on the inside than it is on the surface. This means that shallow frost cycles, as typical for southexposed sites, are not affecting weathering, since they take place at a depth level that is mostly dried out.Numerous spatial and temporal patterns of rockfall found in the same study areas can be explained through variations in rock moisture. Thus, the moisture content of the rock is considered to be one of the major controlling factors of the frost-shattering rate. Copyright

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The chemical weathering regime of Kärkevagge, arctic–alpine Sweden

Cited by 79 publications

References 19 publications

Weathering rates of buried machine‐polished rock disks, Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland

Weathering rates of buried machine‐polished rock disks, Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland

Sedimentological characteristics of ice-wedge polygon terrain in Adventdalen (Svalbard) – environmental and climatic implications for the late Holocene

Rock moisture measurements: techniques, results, and implications for weathering

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