| Abstract: | Weathering process of rocks in Antarctica can be accelerated by the colonization of lichens,
which dominate surface vegetation and endolithic communities respectively in the maritime
Antarctic and in Antarctic cold deserts. The effects of lichens on their substrate rocks can be
attributed to both physical and chemical causes. As the result of the weathering induced by
lichens, the surface corrosion and exfoliation of colonized rocks occur. The mobilization of iron
in the rock forming minerals and the precipitation of poorly ordered iron oxides are
investigated. Furthermore, the neoformation of crystalline metal oxalates and secondary clay
minerals are identified in the colonized rocks. Due to unique climatic conditions, the biotic
weathering process of rocks in Antarctica somewhat differs from that of other regions of the
world. |
