Comparison of soil production, chemical weathering, and physical erosion rates along a climate and ecological gradient (Chile) to global observations

Abstract. Weathering of bedrock to produce regolith is essential for sustaining life on Earth and global biogeochemical cycles. The rate this process influenced not only by tectonics, but also climate biota. We present new data soil production, chemical weathering, physical erosion rates from the large ecological gradient Chilean Coastal Cordillera (26 38∘ S). Four study areas are investigated span (from north south) arid (Pan de Azúcar), semi-arid (Santa Gracia), Mediterranean (La Campana), temperate humid (Nahuelbuta) zones. Observed production in granitoid soil-mantled hillslopes range ∼7 290 t km−2 yr−1 lowest sparsely vegetated highest setting. Calculated weathering zero a high 211 zone. Chemical moderate zones (∼20 50 yr−1). Similarly, zone (∼11 yr−1) (∼91 contribution total denudation lower than further south. However, due heterogeneities lithologies Zr concentrations, reported depletion fractions affected uncertainties. Comparison results published collected hillslope settings underlain documents similar patterns varying mean annual precipitation vegetation cover amounts. discuss light contending model frameworks literature find that observed variations bear closest resemblance models explicitly accounting thickness biomass.