Globally elevated chemical weathering rates beneath glaciers

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28032-1
• Publication Date: 2022-01-20T11:05:12Z
• Authors: Xiangying Li; Ninglian Wang; Yongjian Ding; Jon R. Hawkings; Jacob C. Yde; Robert Raiswell; Jintao Liu; Shiqiang Zhang; Shichang Kang; Rongjun Wang; Qiao Liu; Shiyin Liu; Roland Bol; Xiaoni You; Guoyu Li
• Keywords: Denudation; Biogeochemical Cycle

Abstract Physical erosion and chemical weathering rates beneath glaciers are expected to increase in a warming climate with enhanced melting but poorly constrained. We present global dataset of cations meltwaters 77 glaciers, including new data from 19 Asian glaciers. Our study shows that contemporary cation denudation (CDRs) (2174 ± 977 Σ*meq + m − 2 year 1 ) ~3 times higher than two decades ago, up 10 ice sheet catchments (~150-2000 ), 50 whole means (~30-45 ~4 major non-glacial riverine (~500 −2 ). Glacial CDRs positively correlated air temperature, suggesting glacial yields likely future. findings highlight is more intense many other terrestrial systems may become increasingly important for regional biogeochemical cycles.