Mineral Evolution and Mineralization during Weathering

Dear Colleagues,

Weathering plays an essential role in the functioning of the Earth system. It is one of the key factors in the conversion of bedrock into soils, the shaping of Earth’s surface, regulation of the long-term carbon cycle, and the modulation of Earth’s climate. During weathering, rocks and primary minerals break down or are dissolved via chemical and physical interactions with air, water, and living organisms. Weathering can also lead to the production of a variety of secondary minerals, e.g., phyllosilicates and Fe/Al-oxy(hydr)oxides. They are a chemically active part of the critical zone, and are the key to understanding the links between nature (life) and its substrate. The nature of clay minerals on celestial bodies beyond Earth is also an emerging area of interest. The identification and characterization of extraterrestrial clay minerals hold valuable clues about the evolution of celestial bodies, such as aqueous alteration and processes that could allow life to develop. Additionally, the complex interplay between parent rocks and external factors, including climate, landscape, drainage, and tectonics, during intense chemical and mechanical weathering can lead to the supergene enrichment of metals, e.g., Fe, Al, Mn, Au, Co, Ni, Li, and REEs. The global transition to renewable energy and electrified transport is driving research interest in the supergene mineralization of critical metals, e.g., regolith-hosted REE deposits.

The Guest Editors of this Special Issue invite colleagues to contribute papers concerning processes associated with mineral evolution and mineralization during weathering. This includes—but is not limited to—(1) the origin, formation, and transformation of clays in the surface weathering zone; (2) the structural and chemical characterization of near-surface mineral evolution that occurs during weathering; (3) studies of factors controlling the supergene processes that liberate, transport, and fix ore-forming elements in the critical zone, and generalized models to illustrate associated ore formation; (4) mission observations and laboratory-based, field-analog and theoretical studies that aim to understand clay minerals and weathering processes in terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples; and (5) spectroscopy (e.g., VNIR and LIBS) studies on the mineral modification and transformation of extraterrestrial samples in outer space.

Dr. Wei Tan
Dr. Xiaodong Deng
Dr. Lulu Zhao
Dr. Martin Yan Hei Li
Guest Editors

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