Context
A study of the upper Indus basin finds that rapid glacier-driven erosion exposes sulphide minerals such as pyrite. Their oxidation can trigger chemical reactions that release CO₂, partly counteracting the carbon-removal effect of silicate weathering.
Explanation
- Himalayan uplift and glaciers continuously expose fresh rocks to air and water.
- Silicate weathering consumes atmospheric CO₂ and stores carbon in ocean sediments over geological time.
- However, exposed pyrite, an iron sulphide, undergoes oxidation and produces sulphuric acid.
- This acid reacts with carbonate rocks, releasing geological CO₂ into the atmosphere.
- Researchers used sulphur and oxygen isotopes to trace the process.
- In the upper Indus basin, CO₂ release from sulphide oxidation may exceed uptake by silicate weathering.
- Steep, rapidly eroding mountains can become net carbon sources, while flatter downstream floodplains may act as carbon sinks.
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Himalayan Erosion Can Release Carbon Dioxide