Strong variation in weathering of layered rock maintains hillslope‐scale strength under high precipitation

The evolution of volcanic landscapes and their landslide potential are both dependent upon the weathering of layered volcanic rock sequences. We characterize critical zone structure using shallow seismic V_p and V_s profiles and vertical exposures of rock across a basaltic climosequence on Kohala peninsula, Hawai’i, and exploit the dramatic gradient in mean annual precipitation (MAP) across the peninsula as a proxy for weathering intensity. Seismic velocity increases rapidly with depth and the velocity–depth gradient is uniform across three sites with 500–600 mm/yr MAP, where the transition to unaltered bedrock occurs at a depth of 4 to 10 m. In contrast, velocity increases with depth less rapidly at wetter sites, but this gradient remains constant across increasing MAP from 1000 to 3000 mm/yr and the transition to unaltered bedrock is near the maximum depth of investigation (15–25 m). In detail, the profiles of seismic velocity and of weathering at wet sites are nowhere monotonic functions of depth. The uniform average velocity gradient and the greater depths of low velocities may be explained by the averaging of velocities over intercalated highly weathered sites with less weathered layers at sites where MAP > 1000 mm/yr. Hence, the main effect of climate is not the progressive deepening of a near‐surface altered layer, but rather the rapid weathering of high permeability zones within rock subjected to precipitation greater than ~1000 mm/yr. Although weathering suggests mechanical weakening, the nearly horizontal orientation of alternating weathered and unweathered horizons with respect to topography also plays a role in the slope stability of these heterogeneous rock masses. We speculate that where steep, rapidly evolving hillslopes exist, the sub‐horizontal orientation of weak/strong horizons allows such sites to remain nearly as strong as their less weathered counterparts at drier sites, as is exemplified by the 50°–60° slopes maintained in the amphitheater canyons on the northwest flank of the island. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field evidence for the influence of weathering on rock erodibility and channel form in bedrock rivers

Erosion processes in bedrock‐floored rivers shape channel cross‐sectional geometry and the broader landscape. However, the influence of weathering on channel slope and geometry is not well understood. Weathering can produce variation in rock erodibility within channel cross‐sections. Recent numerical modeling results suggest that weathering may preferentially weaken rock on channel banks relative to the thalweg, strongly influencing channel form. Here, we present the first quantitative field study of differential weathering across channel cross‐sections. We hypothesize that average cross‐section erosion rate controls the magnitude of this contrast in weathering between the banks and the thalweg. Erosion rate, in turn, is moderated by the extent to which weathering processes increase bedrock erodibility. We test these hypotheses on tributaries to the Potomac River, Virginia, with inferred erosion rates from ~0.1 m/kyr to >0.8 m/kyr, with higher rates in knickpoints spawned by the migratory Great Falls knickzone. We selected nine channel cross‐sections on three tributaries spanning the full range of erosion rates, and at multiple flow heights we measured (1) rock compressive strength using a Schmidt hammer, (2) rock surface roughness using a contour gage combined with automated photograph analysis, and (3) crack density (crack length/area) at three cross‐sections on one channel. All cross‐sections showed significant (p < 0.01 for strength, p < 0.05 for roughness) increases in weathering by at least one metric with height above the thalweg. These results, assuming that the weathered state of rock is a proxy for erodibility, indicate that rock erodibility varies inversely with bedrock inundation frequency. Differences in weathering between the thalweg and the channel margins tend to decrease as inferred erosion rates increase, leading to variations in channel form related to the interplay of weathering and erosion rate. This observation is consistent with numerical modeling that predicts a strong influence of weathering‐related erodibility on channel morphology. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The spatial variation of weathering and soil depth across a Triassic sandstone outcrop

In this study, we used an archive of borehole logs from the British Geological Survey to collect information on the spatial structure of weathering that extends from the surface to competent bedrock across the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group outcrop (750 km²), in the East Midlands, UK. The borehole logs were used to estimate the thickness of the soil (n = 280) and soil and saprolite (S&S) to competent rock (n = 500). The weathering profile of the sandstone consisted of soil (median thickness ～ 1·5 m) overlying a transition zone of compacted and weakly cemented weathered sandstone saprolite over bedrock. Topographic analysis using a NEXTMAP 5 m × 5 m digital elevation model (DEM) revealed no significant relationships between slope properties (relief, flow length, flow accumulation or slope angle) and soil or S&S thickness. A weak, but statistically significant correlation was found between the thickness of the soil and S&S (r_s = 0·25, p < 0·001, n = 192). The variation in soil thickness may be related to changes in current and historic and land‐use, variation in sandstone properties and the influence of glacial/peri‐glacial processes. The thickness of the saprolite was more variable towards the southern part of the study area, where it increased to a maximum 40 m. We hypothesize and provide evidence that the greater weathering thickness is related to the occurrence of increased faulting in this part of the study region, allowing increased access to meteoric waters. A possible source of increased water supply is meltwater from Quaternary ice sheets; the overburden of ice may have increased sub‐glacial pore water pressure, with the fractures and faults acting as a drainage system for the removal of dissolved weathering products. British Geological Survey © NERC 2010     

Bedrock erosion due to hoeing as tillage technique in a hilly agricultural landscape,southwest China

Tillage on hillslopes may not only induce severe soil erosion, but may also cause bedrock erosion under certain conditions. Yet, little is known about bedrock erosion by tillage in a hilly agricultural landscape, southwest China. The aim of this study is to quantify the translocation of rock fragments derived from bedrock fragmentation by hoeing under different conditions, including slope gradient, hoeing depth and soil-covered thickness using a gravel tracing method. The reliability of the gravel tracing method was confirmed by the bedrock dyeing tracing method. Hoeing depth is a significant factor affecting the translocation rate of rock fragments (Q_r ). Meanwhile, under the condition of overlying soil layers (0.06−0.10 m thick), the values of Q_r were significantly smaller with a reduction of 20.7−25.6%, compared with rock fragmentation by hoeing for bare bedrock. However, slope gradient was found to have insignificant effects on Q_r . Fractured bedrock moved as individual small fragments, which was mainly controlled by the hitting force of the hoe, while soil moved in the shape of lumps, which was dominated by both drag force of the hoe and gravity. This study suggests that hoeing into soil-covered bedrock can diminish bedrock erosion while providing soil matrix for shallow soil layers. Our work presents a quantitative assessment of bedrock erosion by hoeing and an underlying insight into characteristics of bedrock erosion by tillage operations in hilly agricultural regions with mudstone and shale, southwest China. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aeolian activity at a giant sandstone weathering pit in arid south‐central Utah

Aeolian abrasional, depositional and deflational features indicate exceptionally strong southwesterly winds in a giant sandstone weathering pit in Grand Staircase Escalante Monument, about 22 km southeast of Escalante, Utah. The 60 m wide, 5–20 m deep pit has developed near the summit of a broad, barren 160‐m‐high dome on the Lower Jurassic Navajo Sandstone. Unlike other giant weathering pits (10–30 m diameter) in the region, the bedrock floor of this pit is undulatory, and there is a cylindrical, 10‐m‐high rock pedestal in the centre of the pit. An active dune surrounds the central pedestal and at times has as much as 8 m of local relief. The dune shifts considerably over brief (<1 year) periods of time. Fine‐grained (<250 µm) dunal sand on the pit floor is periodically removed by deflation, leaving coarser sand (>250 µm) trapped in the pit. Dunal sand is typically derived from external sources (other than the pit walls and floor). Centimetre to metre‐scale abrasional features such as grooves, flutes and dedos occur on the bedrock walls and floor of the pit. These dedos and other streamlined aeolian sculpted host‐rock features occur in clusters and typically form in the lee of iron concretions. The dedos are similar to the controversial stalked blueberries on Mars. Above the western rim of the pit there is a 29‐m‐long, 5‐m‐wide aeolian groove with a fluted bedrock floor. A 1·2‐km‐long bedrock valley descends to the southwest from the pit and groove, amplifying southwesterly winds. Data from hand‐held anemometers suggest that southwesterly winds can be accelerated 200–300 per cent or more by local topography. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.     

Preliminary study on weathering and pedogenesis of carbonate rock

South China is the largest continuous distribution area of carbonate rock in the world. The origin of the soils over the bedrock carbonate rock has long been a controversial topic. Here further exploration is made by taking five soil profiles as examples, which are developed over the bedrock dolomitite and limestone and morphologically located in upland in karst terrain in the central, west and north Guizhou as well as west Hunan, and proved to be the weathering profiles of carbonate rock by the research results of acid-dissolved extraction experiment of bedrock, mineralogy and trace element geochemistry. Field, mineralogical and trace element geochemical characteristics of weathering and pedogenesis for carbonate rock are discussed in detail. It is pointed out that weathering and pedogenesis of carbonate rock are important pedogenetic mechanisms for soil resources in karst area, providing a basis for further researches on the origin of soils widely overlying bedrock carbonate rocks in South China. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 498330003) and National Key Basic Research Project (Grant No. 95pre-39).     

Origin and palaeo‐environments of calcareous sediments in the Moshaweng dry valley,southeast Botswana

Quaternary sedimentation in the Moshaweng dry valley of southeastern Botswana is evaluated on the basis of geomorphological evolution and sedimentological analyses. Stratigraphic evidence reveals an upper surface (1095 m) containing abundant sil‐calcrete, an intermediate surface (1085 m) in which sil‐calcrete underlies nodular calcrete and lower (1075 m) surface in which sil‐calcrete and nodular calcrete are interbedded. This subdivision is reflected in the geochemical composition of the sediments which show an overall trend of decreasing SiO₂ content (and increasing CaCO₃ content) with depth from the highest to the lowest surface levels. The calcretes and sil‐calcretes represent modifications of pre‐existing detrital Kalahari Group sand and basal Kalahari pebbles which thinned over a Karoo bedrock high. Modification took place during wet periods when abundant Ca⁺⁺‐rich groundwater flowed along the structurally aligned valley system. With the onset of drier conditions, water table fluctuations led to the precipitation of nodular calcretes in the phreatic layer to a depth of about 20 m. A major geochemical change resulted in the preferential silicification of the nodular calcrete deposits. Conditions for silica mobilization may be related to drying‐induced salinity and in situ geochemical differentiation brought about by pebble dissociation towards the top of the sediment pile. As calcretization and valley formation progressed to lower levels, silica release took place on a diminishing scale. Thermoluminescence dating infers a mid‐Pleistocene age for sil‐calcrete formation suggesting that valley evolution and original calcrete precipitation are much older. Late stage dissolution of CaCO₃ from pre‐existing surface calcretes or sil‐calcretes led to the formation of pedogenic case‐hardened deposits during a time of reduced flow through the Moshaweng system possibly during the upper or late Pleistocene. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Topographic stress and rock fracture: a two‐dimensional numerical model for arbitrary topography and preliminary comparison with borehole observations

Theoretical calculations indicate that elastic stresses induced by surface topography may be large enough in some landscapes to fracture rocks, which in turn could influence slope stability, erosion rates, and bedrock hydrologic properties. These calculations typically have involved idealized topographic profiles, with few direct comparisons of predicted topographic stresses and observed fractures at specific field sites. We use a numerical model to calculate the stresses induced by measured topographic profiles and compare the calculated stress field with fractures observed in shallow boreholes. The model uses a boundary element method to calculate the stress distribution beneath an arbitrary topographic profile in the presence of ambient tectonic stress. When applied to a topographic profile across the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory in central Pennsylvania, the model predicts where shear fractures would occur based on a Mohr–Coulomb criterion, with considerable differences in profiles of stresses with depth beneath ridgetops and valley floors. We calculate the minimum cohesion required to prevent shear failure, C_min, as a proxy for the potential for fracturing or reactivation of existing fractures. We compare depth profiles of C_min with structural analyses of image logs from four boreholes located on the valley floor, and find that fracture abundance declines sharply with depth in the uppermost 15 m of the bedrock, consistent with the modeled profile of C_min. In contrast, C_min increases with depth at comparable depths below ridgetops, suggesting that ridgetop fracture abundance patterns may differ if topographic stresses are indeed important. Thus, the present results are consistent with the hypothesis that topography can influence subsurface rock fracture patterns and provide a basis for further observational tests. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors controlling the major ion chemistry of streams in the blue ridge and valley and ridge physiographic provinces of Virginia and Maryland

The factors controlling the chemistry of 69 low-order streams in the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge physiographic provinces of Virginia and Maryland were studied over a 13-month period. Principal component analysis was used to examine regional patterns in stream chemistry and to examine the degree to which the chemistry of low-order streams is controlled by the bedrock upon which they flow. Streams clustered into regionally isolated groups, strongly related to bedrock type, with SO^2?₄ and HCO^?₃ the chemical variables of most importance. Sulphate concentrations appear to be strongly controlled by climate and hydrology, and sorption in the soils within the watershed. Much of the atmospherically derived SO^2?₄ accumulates in watersheds during the growing season and is later flushed out. Weathering reactions were found to be particularly important in the production of HCO^?₃, accounting for 91 per cent on an annual basis, and export of divalent cations from these watersheds, accounting for 48–50 per cent on an annual basis. About half of non-anthropogenic Na⁺ was derived from weathering of silicates, whereas nearly all K⁺ was identified with leaching by SO^2?₄. Water chemistry was strongly related to the rock type in the watershed and the weatherability of the component minerals. Rock type is not a randomly distributed function; instead, it is controlled by geologic factors that result in clusters of similar rock types in a given region. When planning large synoptic studies, it is extremely important to consider that a sampling scheme based on random sampling of a non-randomly distributed function May, not provide the most accurate representation of the variables of interest. Instead, a hierarchical sampling scheme May, be indicated. Our results also suggest that, although one sample in time May, be sufficient to characterize the primary geochemical factors controlling stream chemistry throughout the year, it May, not be sufficient to detect subtle, flow-related alterations in chemistry.     

A low‐dimensional model of bedrock weathering and lateral flow coevolution in hillslopes: 2. Controls on weathering and permeability profiles,drainage hydraulics,and solute export pathways

The advance of a chemical weathering front into the bedrock of a hillslope is often limited by the rate weathering products that can be carried away, maintaining chemical disequilibrium. If the weathering front is within the saturated zone, groundwater flow downslope may affect the rate of transport and weathering—however, weathering also modifies the rock permeability and the subsurface potential gradient that drives lateral groundwater flow. This feedback may help explain why there tends to be neither “runaway weathering” to great depth nor exposed bedrock covering much of the earth and may provide a mechanism for weathering front advance to keep pace with incision of adjacent streams into bedrock. This is the second of a two‐part paper exploring the coevolution of bedrock weathering and lateral flow in hillslopes using a simple low‐dimensional model based on hydraulic groundwater theory. Here, we show how a simplified kinetic model of 1‐D rock weathering can be extended to consider lateral flow in a 2‐D hillslope. Exact and approximate analytical solutions for the location and thickness of weathering within the hillslope are obtained for a number of cases. A location for the weathering front can be found such that lateral flow is able to export weathering products at the rate required to keep pace with stream incision at steady state. Three pathways of solute export are identified: “diffusing up,” where solutes diffuse up and away from the weathering front into the laterally flowing aquifer; “draining down,” where solutes are advected primarily downward into the unweathered bedrock; and “draining along,” where solutes travel laterally within the weathering zone. For each pathway, a different subsurface topography and overall relief of unweathered bedrock within the hillslope is needed to remove solutes at steady state. The relief each pathway requires depends on the rate of stream incision raised to a different power, such that at a given incision rate, one pathway requires minimal relief and, therefore, likely determines the steady‐state hillslope profile.     

Field estimate of paleoseismic slip on a normal fault using the Schmidt hammer and terrestrial LiDAR: Methods and application to the Hebgen fault (Montana,USA)

The weathering characteristics of bedrock fault scarps provide relative age constraints that can be used to determine fault displacements. Here, we report Schmidt hammer rebound values (R‐values) for a limestone fault scarp that was last exposed in the 1959 Mw 7.3 Hebgen Lake, Montana earthquake. Results show that some R‐value indices, related to the difference between minimum and maximum R‐values in repeated impacts at a point, increase upward along the scarp, which we propose is due to progressive exposure of the scarp in earthquakes. An objective method is developed for fitting slip histories to the Schmidt hammer data and produces the best model fit (using the Bayesian Information Criterion) of three earthquakes with single event displacements of ≥ 1.20 m, 3.75 m, and c. 4.80 m. The same fitting method is also applied to new terrestrial LiDAR data of the scarp, though the LiDAR results may be more influenced by macro‐scale structure of the outcrop than by differential weathering. We suggest the use of this fitting procedure to define single event displacements on other bedrock fault scarps using other dating techniques. Our preliminary findings demonstrate that the Schmidt hammer, combined with other methods, may provide useful constraints on single event displacements on exposed bedrock fault scarps. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of HVSR to estimating thickness of laterite weathering profiles in basalt

Lateritic weathering profiles (LWPs) are widespread in the tropics and comprise an important component of the Critical Zone (CZ). The Hawaiian Islands make an excellent natural laboratory for examining the tropical CZ, where the bedrock composition (basalt) is nearly uniform and rainfall varies greatly. This natural laboratory is employed to assess the utility of the HVSR (horizontal/vertical spectral ratio) method to characterize the shear-wave velocity (V_s) structure of LWPs, particularly the depth to the contact between saprolite and basalt bedrock. LWP thicknesses determined from HVSR provide good agreement with multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) profiles, well logs and outcrop. LWP thicknesses may be estimated from the fundamental mode equation or through forward models. Prior knowledge about the subsurface from well, outcrop, and MASW profiles may greatly aid modeling in some cases. For the 3.2 to 1.8 Ma Koolau Volcano on Oahu, the downward rate of advance of the weathering front varies from 0.004 to 0.041 m/ka. For the 0.44 to 0.10 Ma Kohala Volcano (Big Island of Hawaii) rates vary from 0.013 to 0.047 m/ka. Simple H/V spectra develop in areas where the combined effects of time and elevated rainfall produce thick LWPs with a flat base and a general absence of core stones with an ideal layered geometry. Abundant buried core stones violate the assumption of simple layered geometries and scatter acoustic energy, leading to uninterpretable results. This is common where low rainfall and a young basaltic substrate leave abundant core stones as well as an undulating contact between saprolite and bedrock. Velocity inversions (high V_s intervals within low V_s saprolite) may also be present and originate from relatively intact bedrock horizons or mineralogical changes within saprolite. At Kohala, a gibbsite-rich horizon produces such a velocity inversion due to enhanced weathering and subsequent collapse of saprolite in a discrete horizon. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geophysical constraints on deep weathering and water storage potential in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

The conversion of bedrock to regolith marks the inception of critical zone processes, but the factors that regulate it remain poorly understood. Although the thickness and degree of weathering of regolith are widely thought to be important regulators of the development of regolith and its water‐storage potential, the functional relationships between regolith properties and the processes that generate it remain poorly documented. This is due in part to the fact that regolith is difficult to characterize by direct observations over the broad scales needed for process‐based understanding of the critical zone. Here we use seismic refraction and resistivity imaging techniques to estimate variations in regolith thickness and porosity across a forested slope and swampy meadow in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO). Inferred seismic velocities and electrical resistivities image a weathering zone ranging in thickness from 10 to 35 m (average = 23 m) along one intensively studied transect. The inferred weathering zone consists of roughly equal thicknesses of saprolite (P‐velocity < 2 km s^?1) and moderately weathered bedrock (P‐velocity = 2–4 km s^?1). A minimum‐porosity model assuming dry pore space shows porosities as high as 50% near the surface, decreasing to near zero at the base of weathered rock. Physical properties of saprolite samples from hand augering and push cores are consistent with our rock physics model when variations in pore saturation are taken into account. Our results indicate that saprolite is a crucial reservoir of water, potentially storing an average of 3 m³ m^?2 of water along a forested slope in the headwaters of the SSCZO. When coupled with published erosion rates from cosmogenic nuclides, our geophysical estimates of weathering zone thickness imply regolith residence times on the order of 10⁵ years. Thus, soils at the surface today may integrate weathering over glacial–interglacial fluctuations in climate. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A low‐dimensional model of bedrock weathering and lateral flow coevolution in hillslopes: 1. Hydraulic theory of reactive transport

This is the first of a two‐part paper exploring the coevolution of bedrock weathering and lateral flow in hillslopes using a simple low‐dimensional model based on hydraulic groundwater theory (also known as Dupuit or Boussinesq theory). Here, we examine the effect of lateral flow on the downward fluxes of water and solutes through perched groundwater at steady state. We derive analytical expressions describing the decline in the downward flux rate with depth. Using these, we obtain analytical expressions for water age in a number of cases. The results show that when the permeability field is homogeneous, the spatial structure of water age depends qualitatively on a single dimensionless number, Hi. This number captures the relative contributions to the lateral hydraulic potential gradient of the relief of the lower‐most impermeable boundary (which may be below the weathering front within permeable or incipiently weathered bedrock) and the water table. A “scaled lateral symmetry” exists when Hi is low: age varies primarily in the vertical dimension, and variations in the horizontal dimension x almost disappear when the vertical dimension z is expressed as a fraction z/H(x) of the laterally flowing system thickness H(x). Taking advantage of this symmetry, we show how the lateral dimension of the advection–diffusion‐reaction equation can be collapsed, yielding a 1‐D vertical equation in which the advective flux downward declines with depth. The equation holds even when the permeability field is not homogeneous, as long as the variations in permeability have the same scaled lateral symmetry structure. This new 1‐D approximation is used in the accompanying paper to extend chemical weathering models derived for 1‐D columns to hillslope domains.     

Surface and sub‐surface Schmidt hammer rebound value variation for a granite outcrop

This study presents rock strength variations at granite outcrops and in subsurface vertical profiles in the Jizerské hory Mountains, Czech Republic. Schmidt hammer rebound values in subsurface profiles change gradually from the bedrock surface downward. An exponential relation has been observed between the R‐values and depth in rock outcrops to a depth of around 4·5 m. The exponential nature of the curve indicates that rock hardness increases more rapidly with depth in the uppermost 1?m section of the rock profile. A detailed study of rebound values obtained from both intact and polished rock exposures reveal effects of surface grinding on results of the Schmidt hammer method. The range of data collected increases after grinding, allowing more precise discrimination of rock surfaces in respect of age and weathering. The Schmidt hammer method may be used effectively as a relative‐age dating tool for rock surfaces that originated during the Late Pleistocene. It is concluded that this time limitation can be significantly mitigated by surface grinding before measurement. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Weathering,erosion and sediment composition in a high‐gradient river,Calabria, Italy

Source rock lithology and immediate modifying processes, such as chemical weathering and mechanical erosion, are primary controls on fluvial sediment supply. Sand composition and Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) of parent rocks, soil and fluvial sand of the Savuto River watershed, Calabria (Italy), were used to evaluate the modifications of source rocks through different sections of the basin, characterized by different geomorphic processes, in a sub‐humid Mediterranean climate. The headwaters, with gentle topography, produce a coarse‐grained sediment load derived from deeply weathered gneiss, having sand of quartzofeldspathic composition, compositionally very different from in situ degraded bedrock. Maximum estimated CIA values suggest that source rock has been affected significantly by weathering, and it testifies to a climatic threshold on the destruction of the bedrock. The mid‐course has steeper slopes and a deeply incised valley; bedrock consists of mica‐schist and phyllite with a very thin regolith, which provides large cobble to very coarse sand sediments to the main channel. Slope instability, with an areal incidence of over 40 per cent, largely supplies detritus to the main channel. Sand‐sized detritus of soil and fluvial sand is lithic. Estimated CIA value testifies to a significant weathering of the bedrock too, even if in this part of the drainage basin steeper slopes allow erosion to exceed chemical weathering. The lower course has a braided pattern and sediment load is coarse to medium–fine grained. The river cuts across Palaeozoic crystalline rocks and Miocene siliciclastic deposits. Sand‐sized detritus, contributed from these rocks and homogenized by transport processes, has been found in the quartzolithic distal samples. Field and laboratory evidence indicates that landscape development was the result of extensive weathering during the last postglacial temperature maximum in the headwaters, and of mass‐failure and fluvial erosional processes in the mid‐ and low course. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Architecture of the deep critical zone in the Río Icacos watershed (Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory,Puerto Rico) inferred from drilling and ground penetrating radar (GPR)

In the critical zone, surficial bedrock interactions result in the formation of a mantle of chemically‐ and physically‐altered material defined here as regolith. In the watershed of the Río Icacos, an upland river draining the Luquillo Mountains in tropical Puerto Rico, we explored the influence of lithology (quartz diorite versus hornfels‐facies volcaniclastic rock) on weathering. Regolith profiles were studied by drilling boreholes and imaging the subsurface using ground penetrating radar (GPR). Overall, the regolith structure is not laterally continuous but rather is punctuated by zones of deep fractures that host in situ weathering, corestones, and colluvial material. GPR images of these vertical zones show reflectors at 15–20 m depth. Thus, the architecture of the critical zone in the upper Luquillo Mountains is highly dependent on lithology and its influence on fracture development. At the highest elevations where hornfels overlies quartz diorite, positive feedbacks occur when the water table drops so that oxidative weathering of biotite in the more felsic rock creates microfractures and allows deeper infiltration of meteoric waters. Such exposure results in some of the fastest weathering rocks in the world and may contribute to formation of the knickpoint in the Río Icacos watershed. This work represents the first study combining GPR and drilling to look at the structure of the deep critical zone and demonstrates: (1) the importance of combining direct methods (such as drilling) with indirect methods (such as GPR) to understand the architecture of the critical zone in tropical systems; (2) the interplay of the surficial stress regime, lithology and climate in dictating the architecture of weathering. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐decadal water table manipulation alters peatland hydraulic structure and moisture retention

A peatland complex disturbed by berm construction in the 1950s was used to examine the long‐term impact of water table (WT) manipulation on peatland hydraulic properties and moisture retention at three adjacent sites with increasing depth to WT (WET, INTermediate reference and DRY). Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) was found to decrease with depth by several orders of magnitude over a depth of 1–1.5 m at all sites. The depth dependence of WT response to rainfall was similar across sites: WT response increased from 1 : 1 at the surface, to 5 : 1 at 50 cm depth. While surface specific yield (S_y) values were similar across all sites, it decreased with depth at a rate of 0.014 cm^?1 in hollows and 0.007 cm^?1 in hummocks. Bulk density (ρ_b) exhibited similar depth‐dependent trends as S_y and explains a high amount of variance (r² > 0.69) in moisture retention across a range of pore water pressures (?15 to ?500 cm H₂O). Because of higher ρ_b, hollow peat had greater moisture retention, where site effects were minimal. However, the estimated residual water content for surface Sphagnum samples, while on average lower in hummocks (0.082 m³ m^?3) versus hollows (0.087 m³ m^?3), increased from WET (0.058 m³ m^?3) to INT (0.088 m³ m^?3) to DRY (0.108 m³ m^?3) which has important implications for moisture stress under conditions of persistent WT drawdown. Given the potential importance of microtopographic succession for altering peatland hydraulic structure, our findings point to the need for a better understanding of what controls the relative height and proportional coverage of hummocks in relation to long‐term disturbance‐response dynamics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of peri‐glacial active layer development in determining soil‐regolith thickness across a Triassic sandstone outcrop in the UK

This paper examines the weathering processes that have combined to produce the distribution of soil‐regolith (SR) thickness across the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group outcrop (750 km²) in Nottinghamshire, UK. Archive borehole logs (n = 282) taken across the outcrop showed that SR thickness had mean and median depths of ~1·8 and 1·5 m, respectively. Cores were taken from a forested site to depths ~3 m for geochemical analysis. At this site the SR thickness was ~1·7 m. Analysis of the loss of elements, compared to bedrock using mass balance calculations (τ) showed that all the calcite and gypsum cement had been removed to depths of >3 m. Thus the major difference between the SR and the underlying saprolite was that the former exists as loose sand as opposed to a semi‐durable rock. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of core samples suggested that the non‐durable rock or saprolite had greater cementation of clay particles. We propose that the mechanism through which the clay cement (and other interlocking grain bonds) was eased apart was through freeze–thaw processes associated with the summer ‘active layer development (ALD)’ during the last glacial activity in the UK. We tested this theory by developing a Monte Carlo simulation based on a simplified version of the Stefan equation. Current Arctic datasets of air and ground temperatures were obtained to provide reasonable starting conditions for input variables. These were combined with known data for thermal conductivity, bulk density and moisture content of the Sherwood Sandstone regolith. Model predictions (n = 1000) of the distribution of SR thickness accurately reflect the observed distribution thickness from the borehole logs. This is strong evidence that freeze–thaw and ‘ALD’ processes are major factors in determining the thickness of SR across this outcrop. British Geological Survey © NERC 2012     

Investigations regarding Alpine talus slopes using ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) in the Bavarian Alps,Germany

The applicability of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) for the investigation of loose debris was tested at two sites (Viererkar and Zugspitzplatt). A pulseEKKO 100 GPR system equipped with 25 MHz antennae was utilized. The aim of the investigation was to record the base of the debris layer, and thereby acquire an estimation of the backweathering rates of the adjacent rockwalls. The study areas are situated in the Northern Alps near the German–Austrian border. The sites are characterized by steep limestone rockwalls and extensive talus accumulations. A total of six profiles was surveyed. The method is suitable and effective for a quick survey in this dry, high‐ohmic substrate. The GPR system was able to deliver information about the subsurface stratigraphy to c. 70 m depth. The boundary line to the bedrock was discovered – depending upon the profile surveyed ?5 to 25 m below the surface. The base of the debris material sometimes shows no distinct reflection. Buried features (V‐shaped furrows, zones overdeepened by ice action, geological structures) could be detected. Arched structures well below the talus–bedrock interface can be interpreted as drainage systems in the karstic bedrock. A thick scree layer of Late Glacial age was separated from a thinner layer on the talus surface, which was related to the Holocene. The backweathering rates were fixed by a calculation of talus volume to c. 100 mm/10³ a during the Holocene (Viererkar) and 150–300 mm/10³ a (Zugspitzplatt). The detrital formation in north‐exposed sites is twice as intense as in south‐exposed sites. These results match the rates of recent rockfall in the same area of investigation. The calculated backweathering for the late glacial period is 150–730 mm/10³ a. The magnitude of the calculated rockwall retreat lies well within the range of previous measurements. The discrepancy between some weathering rates highlights the fact that recent and past relief formation must be differentiated. Otherwise recent removal rates may be overestimated. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.