Soil weathering dynamics and erosion in a dry oceanic area of the southern hemisphere (Otago, New Zealand).

ABSTRACT: Landscape evolution is driven by tectonics, climate and surface denudation. In New Zealand, tectonics and steep climatic gradients cause a dynamic landscape with intense chemical weathering, rapid soil formation, and high soil losses. In this study, soil, and elemental redistribution along two adjacent hillslopes in East Otago, New Zealand, having different landscape settings (ridge versus valley) are compared to identify soil weathering and erosion dynamics. Fallout radionuclides (^239+240Pu) show that over the last ~ 60 years, average soil erosion rates in the valley (~ 260 [t km^-2 year^-1]) are low compared to the ridge (~ 990 [t km^-2 year^-1]). The ridge yields up to 26% lower soil weathering intensity than the topographical-protected

SUBMITTER: Raab G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9672066 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature