Fossil organic carbon weathering: A nexus in global biogeochemical cycles.

This article explores the role of fossil organic carbon (FOC) weathering in global biogeochemical cycles. FOC is a unique type of organic carbon that has accumulated and fossilized in the Earth's lithosphere over time. Recent studies have shown that FOC is easily reacted, mobilized, and transformed under surface conditions, releasing CO2 and impacting global biogeochemical cycles. However, there are challenges in understanding FOC weathering, including limited data for calibrating its kinetics and the influence of factors like rock types, tectonic activities, geomorphic processes, and climate. The article suggests that future research should focus on studying FOC weathering in different environments and developing proxies to reconstruct past weathering. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the connection between FOC weathering and the biogeochemical cycles of other nutrient elements. [Extracted from the article]