The complex European-Adria geodynamic framework, which led to the formation of the Alpine belt, is considered responsible for the orogenic magmatism that occurred in the Central Alps along the Periadriatic/Insubric Line (late Eocene-early Oligocene) and the anorogenic magmatism that occurred in the Southeastern Alps (late Paleoceneearly Miocene). While subduction-related magmatic activities are expected near convergent margins, the presence of the intraplate-related magmatic products is still puzzling. Therefore, in this work new geochemical and geochronological data of magmatic products from the Veneto Volcanic Province (VVP, northeast Italy) are provided in order to constrain the Cenozoic intraplate magmatism of the Southeastern Alps. The VVP is formed by dominant basic-ultrabasic (from nephelinites to tholeiites) magmatic products and by localized acid (latitic, trachytic, and rhyolitic) volcanic and sub-volcanic bodies. Trace element patterns and ratios suggest that the mantle source of the basanitic magma types was a phlogopite-bearing garnet lherzolite, while those of the tholeiitic magma types was an anhydrous (i.e., without residual phlogopite and amphibole) garnet lherzolite. All the basic-ultrabasic VVP magmatic products exhibit enrichments in Ba, Sr, and P, indicating the mantle sources could be metasomatized by carbonatitic melts. According to the biostratigraphic records and our new 40Ar/39Ar ages, VVP eruptions occurred in several pulses, reflecting the extensional phases experienced by the Eastern Alpine domain. The volcanism started in the late Paleocene in the western sector of the VVP where activity was widespread also during the Eocene (45.21± 0.11 Ma-38.73 ± 0.44 Ma). In the eastern sector eruptions took place only in the early Oligocene (32.35 ± 0.09 Ma-32.09 ± 0.29 Ma) and in the early Miocene (~22-23 Ma). Previously, as suggested for neighboring orogenic magmatism, also the anorogenic magmatic activities were interpreted as resulting from mantle upwellings through slab window(s) following the European slab break-off occurred~35 Ma. However, considering i) new tomographic images evidencing a continuous subvertical slab beneath the Central Alps, and ii) the onset of magmatic activity in the VVP in the late Paleocene (i.e., before the slab break-off) and its continuation until Miocene, we propose an alternative geodynamic scenario to explain the anorogenic magmatism. The westward rollback of the European slab caused the retreat and steepening of the sinking plate. As a consequence, the sub-slab mantle material escaped and upwelled from the front of the slab and created a poloidal mantle flow. The latter induced the breakdown of carbonates in calcareous metasediments and carbonated metabasics within the subducting oceanic slab, providing carbonatitic melts, which could be responsible for the metasomatism of the VVP mantle sources. After that, the poloidal mantle flow also induced i) the extensional deformation in the overriding Adria microplate and ii) the decompressional melting of VVP mantle ...

Sustainable agricultural management is needed to promote carbon (C) sequestration in soil, prevent loss of soil fertility, and reduce the release of greenhouse gases. However, the influence of agronomic practices on soil C sequestration depends on the existing pedoclimatic features. We characterized the soils of three farms far away each other in the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy): an organic farm in the Northern Apennines, a biodynamic farm, and a conventional farm on the Po Plain. The total, inorganic, and organic carbon in soil, as well as the distinct humic fractions were investigated, analyzing both the elemental and isotopic (13C/12C) composition. In soils, organic matter appears to be variously affected by mineralization processes induced by microorganisms that consume organic carbon. In particular, organic carbon declined in farms located in the plain (e.g., organic carbon down to 0.75 wt%; carbon stock0-30 cm down to 33 Mg/ha), because of the warmer climate and moderately alkaline environment that enhance soil microbial activity. On the other hand, at the mountain farm, the minimum soil disturbance, the cold climate, and the neutral conditions favored soil C sequestration (organic carbon up to 4.42 wt%; carbon stock0-30 cm up to 160 Mg/ha) in humified organic compounds with long turnover, which can limit greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. This work shows the need for thorough soil investigations, to propose tailored best-practices that can reconcile productivity and soil sustainability.

In the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) area, rural populations often use water that exceeds the World Health Organization thresholds for fluoride (F–) and arsenic (As), two elements that are hazardous for human health. In this study, twenty-nine water samples were collected from lakes and hot and cold springs in southern MER to investigate source(s) and health-risk of the F– and As contamination. According to major ion and trace element analyses, only cold spring water is safe for consumption, whereas hot spring water is the most contaminated. Leaching tests performed with the MER rhyolitic volcanic rocks and their weathered products (fluvio-lacustrine sediments) demonstrate that the main cause of the F– and As release is geogenic, i.e., not related to anthropogenic activities. The weathering of volcanic glass and minerals (apatites, clays, hydro-oxides) by CO2-bearing alkaline water induces the mobilisation of F– and As from solid to liquid phase. This process is particularly fast, when fluvio-lacustrine sediments are involved, and can be further enhanced by hot groundwater leaching. This study, investigating the distribution, sources, and mechanisms of F– and As release in MER water, could be of interest also for other sectors of the East African Rift and other similar volcano-tectonic settings.

In the Adriatic lagoons of northern Italy, manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) farming provides important socio-economic returns and local clams should be registered with the Protected Designations of Origin scheme. Therefore, there is a need for the development of rapid, cost-effective tests to guarantee the origin of the product and to prevent potential fraud. In this work, an elemental analysis (EA) coupled with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) was employed to identify the isotopic fingerprints of clams directly collected onsite in three Adriatic lagoons and bought at a local supermarket, where they exhibited certification. In particular, a multivariate analysis of C/N, δ13C and δ15N in manila clam tissues as well as δ13C in shells and 13C (calculated as δ13Cshell–δ13Ctissues) seems a promising approach for tracking the geographical origin of manila clams at the regional scale.