Deep Mineral Surface Area

Specific surface area (SSA) of minerals is relevant to the capacity of soil and sediment to store moisture, stabilize organic carbon, and regulate chemical reactions such as primary mineral dissolution and secondary mineral production. When minerals weather they restructure into new mineral forms that have more SSA than they did prior to weathering. This means that we may be able to use SSA as an indicator of weathering processes. 

 

We found that extractable iron and aluminum oxides contributed more than half of the SSA in our weathering profiles. That finding becomes interesting when we note that all of that SSA came from less than 3% of the total soil (and rock) sample. This observation remained true from the top 3 meters of the weathering profile. 

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This manuscript is in revision and is available upon request.