Search results for "pedologia"

Clay minerals, oxyhydroxide formation, element leaching and humus development in volcanic soils

2008

Aweathering sequence with soils developing on volcanic, trachy-basaltic parent materials with ages ranging from 100–115,000 years in the Etna region served as the basis to analyse and calculate the accumulation and stabilisation mechanisms of soil organic matter (SOM), the transformation of pedogenic Fe and Al, the formation and transformation of clay minerals, the weathering indices and, by means of mass-balance calculations, net losses of the main elements. Although the soils were influenced by ash depositions during their development and the soil on the oldest lava flow developed to a great extent under a different climate, leaching of elements and mineral formation and transformation co…

A view of extraterrestrial soils

2009

International audience; The nature of soils on celestial bodies other than Earth is a growing area of research in planetary geology. However, disagreement over the significance of these deposits arises in part due to the lack of a unified concept and definition of soil in the literature. The pragmatic definition “medium for plant growth” is taken by some to imply the necessity of biota for soil to exist, and has been commonly adopted in the planetary science community. In contrast, a more complex and informative definition bases on scientific theory: soil is the (bio)geochemically/physically altered material at the surface of a planetary body that encompasses surficial extraterrestrial tell…

In situ remediation of polluted Spolic Technosols using Ca(OH)2 and smectitic marlstone

2014

Technosols are soils developed on non-traditional substrates and containing large quantities of materials mostly due to intensive human industrial activity, such as artefacts. The increasing number of sites affected by Technosols and their impact on the environment as growing media for plants or as source of pollutants require an understanding of their functioning and evolution, above all the knowledge on the transport of toxic substances from contaminated technogenic soils to groundwater. A case study on properties, remediation and evaluation of Technosols made up by vitrified fly ash and glass–ceramics in Italy was carried out. Original technogenic soils, classified as Spolic Technosols (…

THE IMPACT OF WARFARE ON THE SOIL ENVIRONMENT

2013

Abstract One of the most dramatic ways humans can affect soil properties is through the performance of military activities. Warfare-induced disturbances to soil are basically of three types – physical, chemical, and biological – and are aimed at causing direct problems to enemies or, more often, are indirect, undesired ramifications. Physical disturbances to soil include sealing due to building of defensive infrastructures, excavation of trenches or tunnels, compaction by traffic of machinery and troops, or cratering by bombs. Chemical disturbances consist of the input of pollutants such as oil, heavy metals, nitroaromatic explosives, organophosphorus nerve agents, dioxins from herbicides, …

The contamination legacy of a decommissioned iron smelter in the Italian Alps

2018

The economically important activity of metal processing can tend to contribute to the degradation of the environment. Smelting is an important source of contaminants, dispersing large quantities of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and coproducts into the environment. Soils in the vicinity of smelters frequently contain high concentrations of PTE. In terms of the quantities processed, the major PTE are iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn); of these Cu, Pb and Zn are, potentially, highly hazardous elements. The general problem addressed by this study is to determine if the PTE concentration in the soils of an area downwind from a decommissioned iron…

An Early Beginning of Citizen Science: Adolescents Experiencing Urban Energy Usages and Air Pollution

2021

Here, we report on the process and development of high school science projects, which were inspired by a citizen science program focused on urban monitoring. We gathered and discussed two 1980s projects’ data, involving 2600 students, 80 teachers, 15 scientists and 20 stakeholders. We added recent survey data from speaking with the former participants. Our analysis revealed key findings: (1) the process of a student-driven science investigation engages students in the scientific practices; (2) it is important to bring together scientists, teachers and students, reflecting the importance of multi-dimensional learning; and (3) citizen science was born before the 1990s, when the term came into…

Material sources of the Roman brick-making industry in the I and II century A.D. from Regio IX, Regio XI and Alpes Cottiae

2015

International audience; Bricks, fine pottery, ceramic gears and tiles are among the human-made objects routinely recovered in archaeological documentation. Sites associated with early civilizations can provide thousands of samples from a single excavation. They come in endless varieties according to economic and social circumstances and, as debris can last almost forever, provide important clues about the past behaviours in human societies. Any information about the provenance of ceramics is highly valuable in archaeological analysis. In the case of Roman brick-making, the provenance and manufacture of clayey materials are usually interpreted only by studying stamps imprinted on the artefac…

La rete intercomunale del corleonese per un’azione di prevenzione e lotta al Punteruolo rosso delle palme.

2009

Caratterizzazione qualitativa e tecnologica delle acque per uso irriguo nel sottobacino Iudeo-Bucari (TP)

2014

In questo lavoro vieneampliatal’indaginesulla qualità di uncampione rappresentativo di acque prelevate nel sottobacino Iudeo-Bucari (TP), già pubblicata. Infatti, precedentemente è stato definito il grado d'idoneità all'uso irriguo delle acque campionate investigandone le caratteristiche chimico-fisiche (Raimondi et al., 2013 b). In questo lavoro si è effettuata la caratterizzazione tecnologica delle acque, in modo da valutare l'interazione acque - impianti irrigui e acque impianti idrici delle strutture edilizie aziendali attraverso la determinazione del potere aggressivo o incrostante delle stesse acqueapplicando l'indice di saturazione di Langeliere di Ryznar. In questo modo viene comple…

Vegetation, soils, and humus forms of Sardinian holm oak forests and approximated cross-harmonization of vegetation types, WRB Soil Groups and humus …

2018

Five plant communities, related to elevation above sea level and geological substrata, are recognized in the holm oak forests of Sardinia (Italy). These forests show a considerable inhomogeneous structure due to present day and past uses. Coppice management prevails, influencing the quantity and quality of organic horizons. Most frequent mineral soils are Cambisols, Leptosols, and Regosols. Regarding the humus forms, Moder and, with less extent, Amphi, are prevailing. Furthermore, the paper presents a synoptic table giving a rough picture of the relationships between vegetation types, WRB Soil Groups and humus forms in selected Mediterranean ecosystems.