A review of experimental weathering of basic igneous rocks

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Abstract
Summary: Attempts to reproduce and accelerate in the laboratory the effects of weathering on minerals are reviewed, together with some observational evidence of actual weathering effects. Laboratory experiments confirm the importance of water as the main agent of chemical weathering and that the progress of weathering is controlled by drainage, oxidation and pH. Some practical applications of accelerated weathering to engineering problems are briefly described, including a short description of the authors’ own work. The relative importance of chemical and physical weathering processes is considered briefly.