A Fluvial Perspective on the Role of Sulfide Oxidation in the Global Carbon Cycle

• Main Author: Kemeny, Preston Cosslett
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Iceland; permafrost; Alaska
• Online Access: https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/14633/; https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/14633/1/Kemeny_Thesis.pdf; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05272022-003433646

This thesis contains an introduction and five studies on the role of sulfide oxidation in regulating the relationship between chemical weathering and climate. Chapter I provides an overview of the key question — what stabilizes the global carbon cycle? — and motivates the specific questions addressed in each subsequent chapter. Chapter II describes a new numerical tool for inverting observations of dissolved river chemistry for information about chemical weathering reactions. Chapters III, IV, and V describe observations from field sites in Iceland, Nepal, and Alaska that address the fidelity of fluvial sulfur isotope ratios, the role of sulfide oxidation in Cenozoic cooling, and sulfur dynamics within permafrost landscapes, respectively. Using the tools and lessons of the preceding chapters, Chapter VI quantifies the impact of global chemical weathering on the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.