Global hydrogeochemical cycle of elements

Chemical weathering can be defined as the dissolution of minerals by the action of water and its solutes. It is an important feature of the global hydrogeochemical cycle of elements, whereby rocks and primary minerals become transformed to solutes and soils and, eventually, to sediments and sedimentary rocks. In this cycle, water occupies a central position serving as both a reactant and a transporting agent of suspended and dissolved material. The sea is the ultimate receptacle of weathered material, and the atmosphere provides a reservoir of weak acids (C02) and oxidants. 

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