Chemical weathering of rocks is a crucial component linking Earth′s various spheres and holds significant scientific importance for understanding the global carbon cycle. This study investigates the rock weathering processes and CO2 consumption fluxes in the Bayin River Basin, a typical alpine inland river, using the mass balance method of solute elements. The results indicate that: 1) The cations in the river water of the Bayin River Basin are primarily controlled by the chemical weathering of carbonate rocks, with minimal contributions from human activities. 2) The chemical weathering rates of silicate and carbonate rocks in the Bayin River Basin are 1.72 and 9.07 t/(km2·a), respectively. During the rock chemical weathering process, the CO2 consumption fluxes for silicate and carbonate rocks are 2.30 and 18.13 t/(km2·a), respectively. The process is dominated by carbonate rock weathering, and the cold, arid climate characteristics of high-altitude inland river basins may inhibit the rate of rock chemical weathering. 3) Sulfuric acid weathering, a key factor in high-altitude arid regions, may influence the CO2 consumption flux of rock chemical weathering due to the intense surface water-groundwater exchange in the Bayin River Basin. Therefore, the participation of sulfuric acid in rock chemical weathering is an important process that cannot be overlooked in high-altitude arid regions. These findings provide important theoretical support for understanding the controlling mechanisms of rock weathering and carbon cycling in alpine inland rivers.
Zhang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.