Developing a new method of measuring dissolution rates of silicate minerals using changes in the isotopic ratio of a spiked solution

Weathering in the field tends to be incongruent due to the precipitation of secondary phases. However, most laboratory experiments are designed to avoid such precipitation, as it complicates the interpretation of the experimental results. Here we report on a new method that eliminates the effect of secondary phase precipitation on the determination of the dissolution rate of a primary mineral. The dissolution rate determination in the newmethod is based on measured changes in Si isotopic composition of a spiked solution.The newmethod significantly improves the accuracy in calculating near-equilibrium dissolution rates. Moreover, combining this method with measured Al concentration enables the determination of precipitation rate of secondary minerals. © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group, London.