Earth’s Critical Zone (CZ), the near-surface layer where rock is weathered and landscapes co-evolve with life, is profoundly influenced by the type of underlying bedrock. Previous studies of the CZ have focused almost exclusively on landscapes dominated by silicate rocks. However, carbonate rocks crop out on approximately 15% of Earth’s ice-free continental surface and provide important water resources and ecosystem services to ~1.2 billion people. Unlike silicates, carbonate minerals weather congruently and have high solubilities and rapid dissolution kinetics, enabling the development of large, interconnected pore spaces and preferential flow paths that restructure the CZ. Here we review the state of knowledge of the carbonate CZ and examine whether current conceptual models of the CZ, such as the conveyor model, can be applied to carbonate landscapes. We introduce the concept of a carbonate-silicate CZ spectrum. To obtain a holistic understanding of Earth’s CZ we must understand CZ processes and architecture along the entire spectrum between the carbonate and silicate endmembers. We explore parameters that produce contrasts in the CZ in different carbonate settings and identify important open questions about carbonate CZ processes. We argue that, to advance beyond site-specific understanding and develop a more general conceptual framework for the role of carbonates in the CZ, we need integrative studies spanning both the carbonate-silicate spectrum and a range of carbonate settings.
