GSA TOPICAL SESSION T59: EFFECTS OF CARBONATE MINERALS ON CRITICAL ZONE CHARACTERISTICS AND PROCESSES
This session was organized for the 2021 GSA meeting as part of the Carbonate Critical Zone Research Coordination Network.
Session Rationale: Differing weathering reaction mechanisms of carbonate and silicate minerals are likely to affect characteristics and processes of Earth’s critical zone in distinct ways. A primary example of different weathering includes the congruent dissolution of carbonate minerals, which may form karst landscapes, compared with incongruent dissolution of silicate minerals. These differences can impact soil development, water retention and composition, permeability distribution, vertical scale, morphology and drainage, surface and subsurface biomes, land use, and societal services of the critical zone. Presentation in this session may touch on these or other topics in settings that cross the spectrum of landscapes that range from small fractions of carbonate minerals to nearly pure carbonate settings.
Session Conveners: Jon Martin, Matt Covington, Laura Toran, Pam Sullivan, Jenn Macalady
AD HOC MEETING AND TRAINING SESSION
Session rationale: This informal session provided an opportunity to meet in person with other RCN members and interested colleagues. The session featured a training component in collaborating with Python that is now available through our Data tools portal.
