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Geochemistry Process from Weathering Rocks to Soils: Perspective of an Ecological Geology Survey in China

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  • Xiao-Yu Guo

    (School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
    Harbin Center for Integrated Natural Resources Survey, Harbin 150086, China)

  • Jun Li

    (School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Yan-Hui Jia

    (School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Guo-Li Yuan

    (School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Ji-Lin Zheng

    (Harbin Center for Integrated Natural Resources Survey, Harbin 150086, China)

  • Zhi-Jie Liu

    (Harbin Center for Integrated Natural Resources Survey, Harbin 150086, China)

Abstract

Ecological characteristics are very important for the Earth’s environment and human lives. Recently, more attention has been paid to the ecological problems in the world. The soil and its parent materials/rocks serve as the supporting materials for the ecological system on the Earth’s surface. The ecological characteristics in one region are associated with or even dependent on the soil-forming process. Thus, the study of the weathering process of parent materials/rocks is important for our understanding of the geological genesis of ecological problems. In this study, three typical ecological problems in China are introduced: land salinization in the north, the desertification of land in the northwest, and Karst rocky desertification in the south. We chose 23 typical profiles for observation and sampling. The soil-forming processes in these areas were investigated by geochemical research, and eco-geology models were subsequently established to explain the profound relationship between vegetation cover and the soil-forming process. Our work first focuses on the geochemical methods used to explore these ecological issues, emphasizing the contribution of the geological genesis to the ecological characteristics. Using geochemical methods, such as the chemical index of alteration (CIA), major element and trace element distribution characteristics, the formation processes, and characteristics of bedrock-weathering soils under diverse epigenetic geological settings were determined. Eco-geology models were then developed by evaluating the vertical structure and material composition of soil, the characteristics of elemental migration during soil formation, and the enrichment and loss of elements in the supporting layers and their repercussions.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiao-Yu Guo & Jun Li & Yan-Hui Jia & Guo-Li Yuan & Ji-Lin Zheng & Zhi-Jie Liu, 2023. "Geochemistry Process from Weathering Rocks to Soils: Perspective of an Ecological Geology Survey in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:2:p:1002-:d:1026263
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