lˈɪθoʊjˌuːɾətɹˌɑːfz pɑːɹtˈɪsᵻpˌeɪt ɪn mˈɛni dʒˌɪəlˈɑːdʒɪkəl pɹˈɑːsɛsᵻz, sˈʌtʃ ɐz ðə wˈɛðɚɹɪŋ ʌv pˈɛɹənt mətˈɪɹiəl bˈɛdɹɑːk tə fˈɔːɹm sˈɔɪl, æz wˈɛl æz bˌaɪoʊdʒˌiːoʊkˈɛmɪkəl sˈaɪklɪŋ ʌv sˈʌlfɜː, pətˈæsiəm, ænd ˈʌðɚɹ ˈɛlɪmənts.
Lithoautotrophs participate in many geological processes, such as the weathering of parent material (bedrock) to form soil, as well as biogeochemical cycling of sulfur, potassium, and other elements.