World Scientific Publishing Company Mineral Dissolution Kinetics: New Perspectives

Mineral Dissolution Kinetics: New Perspectives is, at its core, a search for a universal rate equation for mineral dissolutions. It documents and details the journey undertaken by its authors, appealing not only to specialists and experts in related fields but also to novice readers seeking to learn more about this unique subject. The book reveals how the compounding of many otherwise subtle misunderstandings has resulted in the under-development of fundamental concepts in mineral dissolution kinetics, despite its long history of study. By examining a wide cross-section of existing studies, it uncovers these misunderstandings and forges a new way forward. Although mineral dissolution kinetics has been immensely important in explaining continental weathering, landform development, and the maintenance of water supplies for agricultural and human use, it remains a critically undervalued field of chemistry. It is also foundational to our understanding of the marine environment and serves as an essential tool in the long-term storage of CO2 and radionuclide waste. More recently, it has helped address the human-induced rise in tropospheric CO2, a key cause of global warming and ocean acidification. Complex subjects such as the hydrodynamics of dissolution, the thermodynamics of the aqueous carbonate system, and central omissions at the very core of homogeneous kinetics are explained clearly and simply, while still remaining at the cutting edge of the field.