Weathering geography: a new interdisciplinary subject to interpret biogeochemical cycles in critical regions of the Earth

Weathering is a crucial geological process where surface rocks and minerals are gradually transformed into loose deposits or soil through both physical crushing and chemical decomposition in the natural environment. This dynamic process is intrinsically linked to the entire evolution of the Earth’s surface system. Weathering is a fundamental driver of surface topography, leading to the erosion and eventual flattening of steep mountains and promoting the accumulation of nutrient-rich soil in plain areas. It also directly supports the development and maturity of the pedosphere, provides a basic carrier for terrestrial ecosystems, and plays an indispensable role in global material circulation. Crucially, the continuous weathering processes of the Earth fundamentally influence the resilience and recovery capacity of ecosystems by precisely regulating material and energy exchange across the six fields. In the field of global carbon cycle, the chemical weathering of silicate minerals is a fundamental, long-term geological process that acts as a major carbon sink, removing atmospheric carbon dioxide by converting it into dissolved bicarbonate and carbonate ions, thus acting as a crucial natural mechanism to slow global warming. In the aspect of element supply, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients released into the biosphere through the natural process of weathering are fundamental for the stability and operation of ecosystems. Traditional geography, while studying the interaction and formation of natural and human elements on the Earth’s surface, has not fully recognized the ecological significance and functional value of weathering as a crucial interface connecting life and the environment. This leads to the following three shortcomings in understanding weathering. (1) The disconnection between geological time scales and ecological process research limits the thorough analysis of ecological response mechanisms of climate change events. (2) Biogeochemical cycle models generally face challenges in accurately quantifying biologically driven weathering. (3) An effective quantitative index for the influence of human activities on the flux of weathered materials has not been established. Therefore, the establishment of the “weathering geography” discipline is essential for managing critical environmental challenges and preserving ecological balance. In this paper, the hierarchical research model of geography (from individual organisms to ecosystems) is combined with the mineral geochemical analysis methods of geology to bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries, and the disciplinary system of “rock weathering-material migration-biological response” in weathering geography is constructed. Weathering geography is a new interdisciplinary subject formed by the intersection of ecological geology and geography. It mainly takes the lithosphere, pedosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and human sphere as the research objects. By analyzing the influence of physical, chemical, and biological weathering processes on ecosystems and ecological processes, weathering geography integrates the three-dimensional dynamic processes of lithospheric material decomposition, biosphere element utilization, and human sphere intervention and adjustment. This paper reveals the general laws and causes of the relationships between various components of ecosystems and ecological processes in different environmental gradients. Furthermore, a multi-sphere interactive feedback theoretical system of “water-rock-soil-gas-life-people” is constructed. At the same time, it is emphasized that establishing a multi-scale coupling system of “in situ observation-model inversion-application verification” is crucial for realizing a comprehensive, whole-chain analysis from element cycles to continental weathering patterns. This system will reveal the coupling mechanism of energy flow and material circulation in the Earth’s surface system, provide a new theoretical tool for ecological simulation in extreme environments, address the cognitive deficiency of traditional geography by linking the complex interactions between deep geological processes and surface ecological responses, and offer a new paradigm for solving the complexity crisis in ecosystem modeling.