The lateral and vertical growth of laterite weathering profiles, Hawaiian Islands, USA

摘要

The Hawaiian Islands permit investigation of tropical chemical weathering rates and processes on a single rock type, basalt. Chronosequences are investigated as a function of rainfall due to the varying age of each island, including Kauai (similar to 4 Ma), Oahu (similar to 2 Ma), and Hawaii's Kohala Peninsula (similar to 0.3 to 0.17 Ma). Understanding tropical critical zone (CZ) development is vital given the large populations in developing countries that rely on it.