Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Silicate weathering acts as a significant carbon sink and sustains ecosystems by supplying essential elements, thus shaping Earth's habitability. However, our understanding the evolution of silicate weathering rates remains incomplete, with most knowledge focusing on rate decreases at solution‐silicate interfaces, while reactivity at fungi‐weathered silicate interfaces is poorly understood. This study shows that the fungus Talaromyces flavus significantly enhances the dissolution of olivine and lizardite covered by Si‐rich layers up to 3.6 μm thick by one to two orders of magnitude compared to abiotic conditions. Initially, fungal hyphae create dissolution channels ∼10–65 nm deep, promoting element release from altered layers and underlying pristine minerals while oxidizing structural Fe(II). Over time, hyphae penetrate these altered layers, exposing and etching the underlying minerals. Our data suggest that fungal etching and penetration degrade the altered layers, leading to increased interdiffusion of weathering agents and released cations, thereby continuously driving silicate weathering.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2024gl111197
Authors: Zi‐Bo Li, Xiancai Lu, Gaojun Li, Zhangdong Jin, Lianwen Liu, Zongjun Yin, Maoyan Zhu, Hui Henry Teng, Junfeng Ji, Jun Chen
Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing University, Institute of Earth Environment, State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin University
Language: English
Subfield: Earth-Surface Processes
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,900
Awards: G3601038490, G4015695689, G8628038174
OpenAlex ID: W4404651148