Mineralogy and Source of High Altitude Glacial Deposits in the Western Alps: Clay Minerals as Saharan Dust Tracers

Tomadin, L.; Wagenbach, Dietmar; Landuzzi, V.

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-3354-0_22

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Likewise, the ash particles taken from Icelandic holes are dominantly characterized by blocky shape with stepped features and clustered clasts (Dragosics et al 2016). Moreover, angular fragments of quartz and other mineral components were detected in the coarser-grained particles (> 62µm) in cryoconite deposits of the Alps (Tomadin et al 1996).…”

Section: Glacial Grainsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…In newly produced grains, sharp edges, conchoidal fractures, microsteps and fracture faces prevail (Jonczak et al 2016), which may result from high-pressure fracturing during glacial transport (Immonen et al 2014;Mahaney 2002;Vos et al 2014) and local origin combined with a recent deposition (Edwards et al 2010;Tomadin et al 1996). Fresh-surfaced grains also likely reflect a severe climate conditions (Sokołowski et al 2009), which is visible, for example, through the sample from the lowest altitude (K6B), where the amount of the A-type grains is the lowest, meaning that frost weathering is less intense than in the inner part of the ice sheet.…”

Section: Glacial Grainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fine-grained quartz from cryoconite holes of the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland – a scanning electron microscopy study

Kalińska¹,

Lamsters²,

Karušs³

et al. 2018

Baltica

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The western ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet is darker than the surrounding ice, because a higher amount of fine-grained particles, known as a cryoconite, occur. To date, biotic cryoconite components have gained a lot of attention, in contrast with mineral components, which have been studied to a limited extent. In this study, fine-grained quartz grains from the cryoconite holes of the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland are, therefore, examined. Authors use scanning electron microscope to elucidate shape, surface character and origin of these mineral quartz particles. Triangular-faceted, sharp-edged grains dominate in most of the investigated samples, and originate from local sources, where grain-to-grain contact in the ice prevail. Grains with smooth corners and edges result from chemical weathering in meltwater of alkaline pH, in which quartz solubility significantly increases. However, part of these rounded grains is due to mechanical abrasion by wind action. Postsedimentary frost action is visible through grains entirely or partially covered by scaly-grained encrustation. Local processes and sources are largely responsible for aforementioned grain outlines. However, few grains with bulbous silica precipitation argue for a dry and warm climate, and distant, out-of-Greenland origin.

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Section: Glacial Grainsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Glacial Grainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-grained quartz from cryoconite holes of the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland – a scanning electron microscopy study

Kalińska¹,

Lamsters²,

Karušs³

et al. 2018

Baltica

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“…6). However, the mineralogical composition of Saharan red dust essentially consists of residual phases (Molinaroli, 1996;Tomadin et al, 1996) as quartz and phyllosilicates (and poor plagioclase), thus explaining the different Eu anomaly in these materials.…”

Section: Atmospheric Aerosolmentioning

confidence: 98%

Rare earth elements distribution in seawater and suspended particulate of the Central Mediterranean Sea

Censi

Mazzola

Sprovieri

et al. 2004

Chemistry and Ecology

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Rare earth element (REE) content in suspended and dissolved phases from the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) has been measured. Vertical profiles of several dissolved REEs along the water column reflect the 3-D oceanographic features of the studied area and identifies the different water masses present there. Shale-normalized REE distribution patterns and derived parameters calculated for the suspended particulate show different atmospheric dust-surface inputs and their interactions with seawater. Finally, combined information from [La/Yb]N, ratios, REE/La ratios and Eu anomalies measured in the suspended particulate suggest an important contribution of volcanic materials from the Etna volcano and Saharan dust to the lithogenic fraction of the suspended particulate. © 2004 Taylor and Francis Ltd

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“…To the best of our knowledge, the first evidence of the accumulation of radionuclides in cryoconite was reported by Tomadin et al (1996), who found high levels of anthropogenic radioactivity in cryoconite samples from the European Alps. Meese et al (1997) analyzed cryoconite formed on the surface of multi-year Arctic sea ice, measuring high radioactivity values.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments

et al. 2020

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Abstract. Cryoconite is rich in natural and artificial radioactivity, but a discussion about its ability to accumulate radionuclides is lacking. A characterization of cryoconite from two Alpine glaciers is presented here. Results confirm that cryoconite is significantly more radioactive than the matrices usually adopted for the environmental monitoring of radioactivity, such as lichens and mosses, with activity concentrations exceeding 10 000 Bq kg−1 for single radionuclides. This makes cryoconite an ideal matrix to investigate the deposition and occurrence of radioactive species in glacial environments. In addition, cryoconite can be used to track environmental radioactivity sources. We have exploited atomic and activity ratios of artificial radionuclides to identify the sources of the anthropogenic radioactivity accumulated in our samples. The signature of cryoconite from different Alpine glaciers is compatible with the stratospheric global fallout and Chernobyl accident products. Differences are found when considering other geographic contexts. A comparison with data from literature shows that Alpine cryoconite is strongly influenced by the Chernobyl fallout, while cryoconite from other regions is more impacted by events such as nuclear test explosions and satellite reentries. To explain the accumulation of radionuclides in cryoconite, the glacial environment as a whole must be considered, and particularly the interaction between ice, meltwater, cryoconite and atmospheric deposition. We hypothesize that the impurities originally preserved into ice and mobilized with meltwater during summer, including radionuclides, are accumulated in cryoconite because of their affinity for organic matter, which is abundant in cryoconite. In relation to these processes, we have explored the possibility of exploiting radioactivity to date cryoconite.

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Mineralogy and Source of High Altitude Glacial Deposits in the Western Alps: Clay Minerals as Saharan Dust Tracers

Cited by 7 publications

References 12 publications

Fine-grained quartz from cryoconite holes of the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland – a scanning electron microscopy study

Fine-grained quartz from cryoconite holes of the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland – a scanning electron microscopy study

Rare earth elements distribution in seawater and suspended particulate of the Central Mediterranean Sea

Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments

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