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LITHOEN

Geological process

Carbonation

Reaction of carbon dioxide dissolved in water with minerals, particularly carbonates, which it dissolves. It is the link between the atmosphere and the rock record of carbon.

How this record is known

1
Settled consensus
Cited as the accepted position of the discipline.

1 of 1 claims on this page cite at least one registered source. Counts describe how each statement is known, not how likely it is to be true.

What Lithoen records

Each claim states how it is known and cites its evidence.

EstablishedAcidified rainwater dissolves carbonate minerals.

Carbon dioxide dissolved in rainwater makes it slightly acidic, and that acidity attacks carbonate minerals — the reaction that dissolves limestone and that links atmospheric carbon to the rock record.

Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence 2 sources, multiple sources, independence unknown

Evidence: British Geological Survey n.d. Primary authority; Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification, International Mineralogical Association 2026 Primary authority

In the knowledge graph

Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.