Process modeling of mineral dissolution from nano-scale surface topography observations

We present an innovative approach that combines a unique real-time data set documenting absolute dissolution rates of a calcite crystal with an original reactive transport model tailored to the analysis of the dynamics of nano-scale mineral dissolution processes. Providing robust and physically based fundamental understanding on the kinetics of mineral dissolution is at the core of various geo-engineered strategies to quantify chemical weathering patterns across diverse spatial and temporal scales. Here, we rely on data obtained through Atomic Force Microscopy. We provide a mathematical framework to describe three-dimensional dynamics of the mineral surface topography, and show convergence of the numerical approach for vertical grid spacing down to sub-nm resolution. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (published version)