Search results for "sif"
showing 10 items of 30916 documents
Secondary minerals from salt caves in the Atacama Desert (Chile): a hyperarid and hypersaline environment with potential analogies to the Martian sub…
2017
Over the past 15 years several expeditions by French, American and especially Italian cavers have unveiled over 50 caves in the Cordillera de la Sal (Atacama Desert, Northern Chile). Many of these caves contain a variety of speleothems and minerals, some of which have rarely been observed within karst systems. Most of the secondary deposits in these caves are composed of halite, but also other halide, carbonate, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate minerals have been found. Among the sixteen cave mineral species recognized, atacamite, darapskite, blödite, leonite, anhydrite, and especially antarcticite are worth mentioning. In one of the samples an unknown Ca-Sr-bearing chloride miner…
Disambiguating the soils of Mars
2020
Abstract Anticipated human missions to Mars require a methodical understanding of the unconsolidated bulk sediment that mantles its surface, given its role as an accessible resource for water and as a probable substrate for food production. However, classifying martian sediment as soil has been pursued in an ad hoc fashion, despite emerging evidence from in situ missions for current and paleo-pedological processes. Here we find that in situ sediment at Gusev, Meridiani and Gale are consistent with pedogenesis related to comminuted basalts mixing with older phyllosilicates – perhaps of pluvial origin – and sulfates. Furthermore, a notable presence of hydrated amorphous phases indicates signi…
Integrated biomonitoring of airborne pollutants over space and time using tree rings, bark, leaves and epiphytic lichens
2016
The integrated use of tree rings and outer tissues, and lichens, was tested for monitoring how pollutant concentrations vary in space and over time nearby an incinerator in industrial area in Central Italy. Trace elements in thalli of lichen Xanthoria parietina and in leaves, bark, wood of Quercus pubescens, as well as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen isotope ratios in tree rings were analyzed. Some trace elements in the leaves differed significantly between the plots, though this was not the case in lichens and bark. The values of δ13C and δ18O showed the same trend in all plots, while the values of δ15N were higher in the distal plot. The results indicated that trace elements were intercepted …
The influence of the wind direction and plants on the variability of topsoil magnetic susceptibility in industrial and urban areas of southern Poland
2016
Volume magnetic susceptibility (κ) was measured on the soil surface and in the vertical topsoil profile within a 300 km2 area located in an urban-industrial conurbation. The results were compared to plant species compositions in the forest storeys, elevation above sea level, and terrain geomorphology. The content and mineral composition of the magnetic fraction were determined in the soil horizons. It was found that the extent of the area with enhanced topsoil magnetic susceptibility was similar to the dominant wind direction (south–west). Enhanced κ values were observed for the soil at the forest margin on the leeward side of the emitters as well as at sites located on exposed local elevat…
Using present and past climosequences to estimate soil organic carbon and related physical quality indicators under future climatic conditions
2018
Abstract This research aimed at testing the use of present and past climosequences to estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) and related physical quality indicators under future climatic conditions. The influence of climate on soil features was studied for four combinations of typical Mediterranean soil types and cropping systems, placed along climosequences of the past (P1: 1961–1990), present (P2: 1981–2010) and future (P3: 2021–2050). The four test areas were located in Italy, each one characterized by the same soil typology and cropping system, placed on similar morphological position and parent material, wide enough to cross climatic boundaries. Legacy soil profiles that were sampled in th…
Geodynamic control on carbonate diagenesis: Petrographic and isotopic investigation of the Upper Jurassic formations of the Paris Basin (France).
2007
23 pages; International audience; The Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian carbonates of the eastern edge of the Paris Basin display poor reservoir properties (Φb15% and Kb0.1 md). The petrographic investigation and the resultant paragenetic sequence show that this is due to extensive precipitation of 2 types of almost synchronous blocky LMC (Low Magnesian Calcite) cements during mesogenesis (burial). Stable isotope investigation of these non-recrystallized cements, through both microdrilling sampling and in-situ SIMS (Secondary IonMass Spectrometry) analysis, shows that they originated from slightly buffered meteoric fluids (−3‰SMOW to −8‰SMOW) flowing through the Malm carbonate aquifers of the east…
First study of the heat and gas budget for Sirung volcano, Indonesia
2017
International audience; With at least four eruptions over the last 20 years, Sirung is currently one of the more active volcanoes in Indonesia. However, due to its remoteness, very little is known about the volcano and its hyperacid crater lake. We report here on the first measurements of gas and heat emissions from the volcano. Notable is the substantial heat loss from the crater lake surface, amounting to 220 MW. In addition, 17 Gg of SO2, representing 0.8% of Indonesian volcanic SO2 contribution into the atmosphere, 11 Gg of H2S, 17 Gg of CO2, and 550 Gg of H2O are discharged into the atmosphere from the volcano annually. The volatiles degassed from Sirung magmas are subjected to hydroth…
Effect of soil management on soil erosion on sloping farmland during crop growth stages under a large-scale rainfall simulation experiment
2018
Soil erosion on farmland is a critical environmental issue and the main source of sediment in the Yellow River, China. Thus, great efforts have been made to reduce runoff and soil loss by restoring vegetation on abandoned farmland. However, few studies have investigated runoff and soil loss from sloping farmland during crop growth season. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil management on runoff and soil loss on sloping farmland during crop growth season. We tested different soybean growth stages (i.e., seedling stage (R1), initial blossoming stage (R2), full flowering stage (R3), pod bearing stage (R4), and initial filling stage (R5)) and soil management pract…
Soil erosion processes in European vineyards: A qualitative comparison of rainfall simulation measurements in Germany, Spain and France
2016
Small portable rainfall simulators are considered a useful tool to analyze soil erosion processes in cultivated lands. European research groups in Spain (Valencia, Málaga, Lleida, Madrid and La Rioja), France (Reims) and Germany (Trier) have used different rainfall simulators (varying in drop size distribution and fall velocities, kinetic energy, plot forms and sizes, and field of application) to study soil loss, surface flow, runoff and infiltration coefficients in different experimental plots (Valencia, Montes de Málaga, Penedès, Campo Real and La Rioja in Spain, Champagne in France and Mosel-Ruwer valley in Germany). The measurements and experiments developed by these research teams give…
A Pluto-like radius and a high albedo for the dwarf planet Eris from an occultation
2011
The dwarf planet Eris is a trans-Neptunian object with an orbital eccentricity of 0.44, an inclination of 44 degrees and a surface composition very similar to that of Pluto. It resides at present at 95.7 astronomical units (1ĝ€‰au is the Earth-Sun distance) from Earth, near its aphelion and more than three times farther than Pluto. Owing to this great distance, measuring its size or detecting a putative atmosphere is difficult. Here we report the observation of a multi-chord stellar occultation by Eris on 6 November 2010 ut. The event is consistent with a spherical shape for Eris, with radius 1,163±6 kilometres, density 2.52±0.05 grams per cm 3 and a high visible geometric albedo,. No nitro…