Impact of nitrogen fertilizers on the natural weathering-erosion processes and fluvial transport in the Garonne basin

Knowledge of the impact of N-fertilizers on the weathering-erosion processes of soils in intensively cultivated regions is of prime importance. Nitrification of NH4− fertilizers produces HNO3 in the basin of the Garonne river, enhancing soil degradation. Their influence on the weathering rates was d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied Geochemistry
Main Authors: Semhi, Khadija, Amiotte Suchet, Philippe, Clauer, Norbert, Probst, Jean-Luc
Other Authors: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS (FRANCE), Université Louis Pasteur-Strasbourg I - ULP (FRANCE)
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2000
Subjects:
Géochimie
N-fertilizers
Rural weathering-erosion process
Nitrification
Soil erosion
Garonne river
Carbonic acid
Online Access:http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/3461/
http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/3461/1/Amiotte_Suchet_3461.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-2927(99)00076-1
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Summary:Knowledge of the impact of N-fertilizers on the weathering-erosion processes of soils in intensively cultivated regions is of prime importance. Nitrification of NH4− fertilizers produces HNO3 in the basin of the Garonne river, enhancing soil degradation. Their influence on the weathering rates was determined by calculating the consumption rate of atmospheric/soil CO2 by soil weathering and erosion, and its contribution to the total dissolved riverine HCO3−. This contribution was found to be less than 50% which corresponds normally to a complete carbonate dissolution by carbonic acid, suggesting that part of the alkalinity in the river waters is due to carbonate dissolution by an acid other than carbonic acid, probably HNO3.

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