What happens to cation exchange capacity (CEC) in soil when silicate minerals weather and release silicon?

💡 Explanation

As silicate minerals weather, they break down into smaller particles, increasing the surface area available for cation adsorption; because CEC is directly related to surface area, it increases. Therefore, increased surface area enhances cation retention, rather than remaining stable or fluctuating randomly.

• A prolonged drought reduces soil moisture, intensifying a dust storm. What happens to the saltation threshold wind speed?
• Which mechanism explains why freeze-thaw weathering causes rock breakdown in mountainous regions?
• Which outcome occurs when clay minerals in soil experience high concentrations of hydrogen ions?
• If shortwave solar radiation strikes Earth's atmosphere, which consequence follows due to Rayleigh scattering?
• What happens to the clay content of soil as the rate of hydrolysis of feldspar minerals increases during pedogenesis?
• What happens to the sediment composition of a coastal mangrove forest when there's an increase in the rate of root pneumatophore growth?