Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

A multidisciplinary study was carried out to understand the interactions between biotic and abiotic processes in granite weathering in ice-free areas of Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Examples of tafoni, pits and grooves were analyzed, focusing on their morphometry, infills, weathering rind typ...

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Published in:Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
Main Authors: GUGLIELMIN, MAURO, CANNONE, NICOLETTA, STRINI A, LEWKOWICZ A.
Other Authors: Guglielmin, Mauro, Cannone, Nicoletta, Strini, A, Lewkowicz, A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2005
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11383/1708439
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514
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spelling ftuninsubriairis:oai:irinsubria.uninsubria.it:11383/1708439 2024-04-14T08:03:10+00:00 Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica GUGLIELMIN, MAURO CANNONE, NICOLETTA STRINI A LEWKOWICZ A. Guglielmin, Mauro Cannone, Nicoletta Strini, A Lewkowicz, A. 2005 http://hdl.handle.net/11383/1708439 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514 unknown info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000228072800006 volume:16 firstpage:69 lastpage:85 journal:PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES http://hdl.handle.net/11383/1708439 doi:10.1002/ppp.514 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-15844376258 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess cold-climate weathering Tafoni Antarctica info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2005 ftuninsubriairis https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514 2024-03-21T18:53:31Z A multidisciplinary study was carried out to understand the interactions between biotic and abiotic processes in granite weathering in ice-free areas of Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Examples of tafoni, pits and grooves were analyzed, focusing on their morphometry, infills, weathering rind types and vegetation patterns. Surface and subsurface temperatures and incoming radiation were measured to characterize microclimatic conditions. In addition, microscopic, SEM and X-ray diffraction analyses of granite were carried out. These analyses indicate that, under present conditions, mechanical weathering is the main process active in the formation of tafoni, which post-date pits and grooves. In these forms, granular disintegration is mainly induced by chasmoendolithic lichens, salt and thermal stress associated with the dilatation coefficients of different granite-forming minerals. The overall morphology of pits and grooves indicates that they originate from water erosion. In the former, mechanical weathering prevails, caused by epilithic lichens, by freeze-thaw events, and by salt, while only the first two processes are active in the grooves. The intensity of these processes is less effective than in tafoni and on the outer surfaces, suggesting that pits and grooves are inherited features, possibly generated in the same way as landforms occurring on granite in the humid tropics Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Victoria Land IRInSubria - Institutional Repository Insubria (Università degli Studi dell’Insubria) Victoria Land Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 16 1 69 85
institution Open Polar
collection IRInSubria - Institutional Repository Insubria (Università degli Studi dell’Insubria)
op_collection_id ftuninsubriairis
language unknown
topic cold-climate weathering
Tafoni
Antarctica
spellingShingle cold-climate weathering
Tafoni
Antarctica
GUGLIELMIN, MAURO
CANNONE, NICOLETTA
STRINI A
LEWKOWICZ A.
Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
topic_facet cold-climate weathering
Tafoni
Antarctica
description A multidisciplinary study was carried out to understand the interactions between biotic and abiotic processes in granite weathering in ice-free areas of Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Examples of tafoni, pits and grooves were analyzed, focusing on their morphometry, infills, weathering rind types and vegetation patterns. Surface and subsurface temperatures and incoming radiation were measured to characterize microclimatic conditions. In addition, microscopic, SEM and X-ray diffraction analyses of granite were carried out. These analyses indicate that, under present conditions, mechanical weathering is the main process active in the formation of tafoni, which post-date pits and grooves. In these forms, granular disintegration is mainly induced by chasmoendolithic lichens, salt and thermal stress associated with the dilatation coefficients of different granite-forming minerals. The overall morphology of pits and grooves indicates that they originate from water erosion. In the former, mechanical weathering prevails, caused by epilithic lichens, by freeze-thaw events, and by salt, while only the first two processes are active in the grooves. The intensity of these processes is less effective than in tafoni and on the outer surfaces, suggesting that pits and grooves are inherited features, possibly generated in the same way as landforms occurring on granite in the humid tropics
author2 Guglielmin, Mauro
Cannone, Nicoletta
Strini, A
Lewkowicz, A.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author GUGLIELMIN, MAURO
CANNONE, NICOLETTA
STRINI A
LEWKOWICZ A.
author_facet GUGLIELMIN, MAURO
CANNONE, NICOLETTA
STRINI A
LEWKOWICZ A.
author_sort GUGLIELMIN, MAURO
title Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
title_short Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
title_full Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
title_fullStr Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
title_full_unstemmed Biotic and Abiotic Processes on Granite Weathering Landforms in a Cryotic Environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
title_sort biotic and abiotic processes on granite weathering landforms in a cryotic environment, northern victoria land, antarctica
publishDate 2005
url http://hdl.handle.net/11383/1708439
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514
geographic Victoria Land
geographic_facet Victoria Land
genre Antarc*
Antarctica
Victoria Land
genre_facet Antarc*
Antarctica
Victoria Land
op_relation info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000228072800006
volume:16
firstpage:69
lastpage:85
journal:PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES
http://hdl.handle.net/11383/1708439
doi:10.1002/ppp.514
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-15844376258
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514
container_title Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
container_volume 16
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container_start_page 69
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