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LITHOEN

Geological process

Hydrolysis

The reaction in which slightly acidic water breaks down silicate minerals, removing soluble cations and leaving clay. It is the principal chemical weathering reaction of the crust.

How this record is known

1
Interpretation
Reached by reasoning from evidence, or produced by a named model.

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.

InferredFeldspar plus acidic water yields clay plus dissolved cations.

Hydrolysis by slightly acidic rainwater breaks down feldspar and leaves kaolinite: the soluble cations go into solution and aluminium and silicon remain behind as clay.

  • method: Combines the cited account of chemical weathering — carbon dioxide dissolved in rainwater reacting with minerals — with the compositions of feldspar and kaolinite as given in the IMA list.
  • precision note: The reaction pathway is inferred from the compositions and the general weathering mechanism; no retrieved source writes the reaction out.

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 Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.