Geological Society of America

T110 Subduction Zone Processes in the Evolution of Ophiolites, Continental Crust, and Orogenic Belts (Posters)

Monday, 16 October 2023
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Hall B

INVESTIGATING CHEMICAL WEATHERING PROCESSES IN RIVERS DRAINING THE NAGALAND MANIPUR OPHIOLITE SEQUENCES, EASTERN INDIA

Paper number: T110-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Giancarlo DeFrancesco Presenting Author
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Central
N. Ryan McKenzie
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Central
N. Lahkan Singh
North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya
Y.R. Singh
Manipur University, Imphal, Manipur
Chris Tsz Long Cheung
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Central
Noah J. Planavsky
Yale University, New Haven, CT

Abstract

The weathering of silicate minerals regulates climate on million-year timescales. Here we test a hypothesis that the weathering of ultramafic terrains generated by arc-continent collisions could be responsible for rapid atmospheric carbon drawdown. We examine samples gathered from tributaries of the Tizu River in Eastern India to assess weathering rates within the Naga Hills Ophiolites. Major cations, anions, trace elements, Li isotopic and clay mineralogical compositions were measured from river water, bedload, and suspended sediment samples to gain insight on silicate weathering processes in the region. The Tizu river feeds into the Chindwin and Irrawaddy rivers of Myanmar, which contains one of the largest sediment loads in the world. Our chemical analyses will help to examine the impact of this ultramafic system — which is annually exposed to the hot and humid monsoon — in relation to other significant global weathering systems.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 55, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2023AM-394337

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