Hidden erosion: Study reveals soft mountain rock erodes three times faster than hard rock—with climate implications

A University of Massachusetts Amherst-led research team has discovered that weaker rock in mountain landscapes erodes three times faster than harder rock—even on gentler slopes—and is one of the main attributes governing mountain erosion. The finding also challenges our current understanding of the relationship between erosion and the release of carbon dioxide, and suggests that geologists and atmospheric scientists may be underestimating the CO₂ contributions coming from the Earth's rocky places.