K isotopes trace temporal silicate weathering intensity

Silicate weathering alters the biogeochemical compositions of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, and thereby regulates both nutrient cycling and habitable temperatures on Earth, but tracing silicate weathering effectively remains a challenge. Potassium (K) isotopes have been proposed as a tracer of silicate weathering intensity spatially, but there is a significant gap in how and why K isotopes trace silicate weathering temporally. Here we investigate seasonal variations in dissolved K isotopes in the middle Yellow River, which drains a large area of homogeneous loess that represents the average geochemical composition of the upper continental crust, and experiences significant climatic seasonality driven by the East Asian monsoon. We find that K isotopes show strong seasonality as a function of aluminosilicate neoformation following silicate dissolution, and thus could serve as a tracer of silicate weathering intensity. We derive an empirical relationship of δ 41 K rw = −0.07 × ln(W/D) − 0.38, where W(silicate chemical weathering)/D(denudation) refers to silicate weathering intensity.