Executive Summary : | The global carbon cycle and climate change evolution are influenced by chemical weathering processes, including mineral dissolution, lithology, and hydrology conditions. The major continental carbon sink is the conversion of irrigation fields to forest regions, which sequesters atmospheric carbon dioxide. In equatorial and sub-tropical regions, intensive weathering consumes more atmospheric CO2. In unstable mountain belts, weathering yields silica, bicarbonates, and clay minerals. River alkalinity is derived from silicate and non-silicate rocks, with south Asian rivers showing higher carbon transport due to silicate weathering. Quantifying weathering and afforestation is crucial to reverse global warming trends. |