Geochemistry of the Amazon 2. The influence of geology and weathering on the dissolved load

Geochemistry of the Amazon 2. The influence of geology and weathering on the dissolved load

 

Geochemistry of the Amazon. In the Amazon Basin, substrate lithology and erosional regime (seen in terms of transport-limited and weathering-limited denudation) exert the most fundamental control on the chemistry of surface waters within a catchment. Secondary effects, such as the precipitation of salts within soils and in stream beds, biological uptake and release, and cyclic salt inputs, are more difficult to discern. Samples can be separated into four principal groupings based on relationships between total cation charge (TZ+) and geology.