Rapid transformation of biogenic silica to authigenic clay: Mechanisms and geochemical constraints

Authigenic clay formation during early diagenesis of marine sediments, termed "reverse weathering," is an important process for regulating ocean pH, seawater chemistry, and atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> over geologic time scales. Although the importance of reverse weathering has been increasingly recognized, the rates and mechanisms remain poorly constrained. This study investigated the mechanisms, kinetics, and mineral products derived from diatom biogenic silica. We show the formation of Fe(II)-bearing smectite and mica in 40 days, the most rapid process and first specific mineral phases reported to date. Unraveling the kinetics and mechanisms of authigenic clay formation suggests that reverse weathering is far more dynamic and responsive to changes in ocean chemistry than previously envisioned, with a potential to impact marine alkalinity cycling on a shorter timescale.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science Advances
Published
2025-10-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt3374
Citations
1
Primary Topic
CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.80
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article

Rapid transformation of biogenic silica to authigenic clay: Mechanisms and geochemical constraints

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1 citations
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CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
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Rapid transformation of biogenic silica to authigenic clay: Mechanisms and geochemical constraints

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article en
1 citations

Abstract

Authigenic clay formation during early diagenesis of marine sediments, termed "reverse weathering," is an important process for regulating ocean pH, seawater chemistry, and atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> over geologic time scales. Although the importance of reverse weathering has been increasingly recognized, the rates and mechanisms remain poorly constrained. This study investigated the mechanisms, kinetics, and mineral products derived from diatom biogenic silica. We show the formation of Fe(II)-bearing smectite and mica in 40 days, the most rapid process and first specific mineral phases reported to date. Unraveling the kinetics and mechanisms of authigenic clay formation suggests that reverse weathering is far more dynamic and responsive to changes in ocean chemistry than previously envisioned, with a potential to impact marine alkalinity cycling on a shorter timescale.

Science AdvancesVol. 11(44)
Georgia Institute of Technology (US), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US), Dauphin Island Sea Lab (US), China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (CN), Miami University (US), University of South Alabama (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 23%
CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
0.80
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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Rapid transformation of biogenic silica to authigenic clay: Mechanisms and geochemical constraints — Linduo Zhao, Yuanzhi Tang, et al. · Science Advances (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS