Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Archive
    • Special Volumes and Special Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • Pricing
    • FAQ
    • Terms & Conditions for use of AJS Online
  • Instructions to Authors
  • Site Features
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Usage Statistics
    • RSS
  • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • The Journal

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Journal of Science
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
American Journal of Science

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Archive
    • Special Volumes and Special Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • Pricing
    • FAQ
    • Terms & Conditions for use of AJS Online
  • Instructions to Authors
  • Site Features
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Usage Statistics
    • RSS
  • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • The Journal
  • Follow ajs on Twitter
  • Visit ajs on Facebook
Research ArticleArticles

The silicate weathering feedback in the context of ophiolite emplacement: Insights from an inverse model of global weathering proxies

Shuang Zhang and Noah J. Planavsky
American Journal of Science February 2019, 319 (2) 75-104; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2475/02.2019.01
Shuang Zhang
* Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: shuang.zhang@yale.edu
Noah J. Planavsky
* Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Silicate weathering provides a stabilizing feedback in the global carbon cycle and has played a key role in keeping surface environments clement for the majority of Earth's history. It was recently proposed that ophiolite emplacement at low latitude at ∼90 to 70 Ma and ∼50 to 40 Ma enhanced the rate of silicate weathering and led to global cooling that terminated the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. In this study, we revisit this proposal with a series of models of varying complexities to investigate the likelihood that Earth's climate was driven largely by ophiolite emplacement in the Paleogene. Our models are constrained by either marine Os isotopic records or the combination of carbon cycle, Sr and Os isotopic records, and solid Earth degassing rates. The proposed changes in ophiolite weathering are inconsistent with our Os isotope mass balance model. With our coupled carbon cycle and weathering proxy model, total global silicate weathering fluxes (including ophiolite weathering) slightly decreased or remained relatively constant from 52 to 42 Ma. This constancy in global silicate weathering fluxes is inconsistent with the idea that enhanced ophiolite weathering directly led to global climate cooling. However, our model results support the idea that the strength of the silicate weathering feedback (weatherability) has played a significant role in regulating the pCO2 levels through the Cenozoic. Further, the modeling toolkit developed here can be used to explore the role of mafic rock weathering in driving climate change in other intervals through Earth's history.

  • silicate weathering
  • ophiolite emplacement
  • weatherability
  • carbon cycle
  • marine isotopes
  • Cenozoic
View Full Text

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

American Journal of Science: 319 (2)
American Journal of Science
Vol. 319, Issue 2
1 Feb 2019
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Cover (PDF)
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Ed Board (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Journal of Science.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
The silicate weathering feedback in the context of ophiolite emplacement: Insights from an inverse model of global weathering proxies
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Journal of Science
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Journal of Science web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
3 + 15 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
The silicate weathering feedback in the context of ophiolite emplacement: Insights from an inverse model of global weathering proxies
Shuang Zhang, Noah J. Planavsky
American Journal of Science Feb 2019, 319 (2) 75-104; DOI: 10.2475/02.2019.01

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
The silicate weathering feedback in the context of ophiolite emplacement: Insights from an inverse model of global weathering proxies
Shuang Zhang, Noah J. Planavsky
American Journal of Science Feb 2019, 319 (2) 75-104; DOI: 10.2475/02.2019.01
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • INTRODUCTION
    • MODEL DESCRIPTION
    • RESULTS
    • DISCUSSION
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    • APPENDIX
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Determining the origin of inclusions in garnet: Challenges and new diagnostic criteria
  • Constraints on surface temperature 3.4 billion years ago based on triple oxygen isotopes of cherts from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, and the problem of sample selection
  • Miocene to Pleistocene glacial history of West Antarctica inferred from Nunatak geomorphology and cosmogenic-nuclide measurements on bedrock surfaces
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • silicate weathering
  • ophiolite emplacement
  • weatherability
  • carbon cycle
  • marine isotopes
  • Cenozoic

Navigate

  • Current Issue
  • Archive

More Information

  • RSS

Other Services

  • About Us

© 2021 American Journal of Science

Powered by HighWire