YAO Chunzhi1, 2, GAO Man1, 2, CHEN Xi1, 2, LIU Xiuqiang1,2, GAO Fengjun3

（1. Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China;
2. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Earth Critical Zone Science and Sustainable Development in Bohai Rim, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China;
3. College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China）

Abstract： To study the spatiotemporal patterns of carbonate erosion rates and their relationships with climate, lithology, vegetation and soil environmental conditions, a meta-analysis was carried out on the basis of the data systematically collected in field in China and neighboring countries. The results reveal that carbonate erosion rates correlated positively and significantly with the temperature and precipitation rate. The erosion rates of the carbonate test tablets exposed to air increase with the mean annual air temperature at a rate of 0.13 mg/(cm2·a·℃). In comparison, the erosion rates for aerial, surface and subsurface carbonates vary respectively with the annual precipitation rate at a rate of 0.19, 0.12 and 0.28 mg/(cm2·a·100 mm). Carbonate rocks in northern China predominantly undergo surface weathering, whereas strong subsoil chemical dissolution occurs in the south. The erosion rates in southern China are 1.7~30.5 times higher than in northern China. The differences in erosion rates in soils are particularly significant in these two regions. There are significant seasonal variations in carbonate erosion rates in tropical and subtropical areas, with the rainy season being 1.1 to 4.4 times higher than the dry season. Subsoil erosion rates correlated significantly and negatively with soil pH and porosity, but positively with soil moisture content and CO2 concentration. Erosion rates also vary with the measurement methods. The measured values with the cosmogenic nuclides and hydrochemical method are respectively 2~8 and 4~8 times higher than those of limestone tablets. The hydrochemical method measures values 3 times higher than the microerosion meters.

Key words：carbonate rocks; erosion rates; rock tablets; climate; lithology; soil properties

EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT Vol.51, No.4, Tot No.354, 2023, Page 401