Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy)
Active rock glaciers—known as mixtures of unconsolidated debris with interstitial ice, ice lenses or a core of massive ice—are widespread indicators of mountain permafrost. The age of a frozen rock glacier core in the Central European Alps (Lazaun, Italy) was dated to about 10,000 years. Here we rep...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/doi/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799 |
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ftunivinnsbruck:oai:diglib.uibk.ac.at/:8574822 2023-10-01T03:56:34+02:00 Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy) Nickus, Ulrike Thies, Hansjörg Krainer, Karl Lang, Kathrin Mair, Volkmar Tonidandel, David UI:GA:GP UI:GA:MG 2023 text/html https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/doi/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799 eng eng Frontiers vignette : https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/titlepage/urn/urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799/128 vignette : https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/titlepage/doi/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379/128 2296-6463 doi:10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/doi/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799 https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799 local:99147243330303331 system:AC16812889 cc-by_4 alpine permafrost active rock glacier ice core ice chemistry Lazaun Text Article 2023 ftunivinnsbruck https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 2023-09-05T02:22:50Z Active rock glaciers—known as mixtures of unconsolidated debris with interstitial ice, ice lenses or a core of massive ice—are widespread indicators of mountain permafrost. The age of a frozen rock glacier core in the Central European Alps (Lazaun, Italy) was dated to about 10,000 years. Here we report on the chemical composition of the frozen Lazaun core. The ice containing part of the core extended from about 2.8 m down to 24 m depth and consisted of two lobes—both a mix of ice and debris, separated by more than 3 m thick almost ice-free layer. The two lobes of the core showed layers of high solute content and peak values of electrical conductivity exceeding 1,000 μS/cm, but they differed in acidity and metal concentration. High acidity (minimum pH of 4.15) and high levels of elements like nickel, cobalt, zinc, manganese, iron and aluminum characterized the upper lobe, while neutral to alkaline pH and low metal values prevailed in the bottom lobe. We attributed solutes accumulated in the ice matrix to the weathering of bedrock minerals, with peak values favored by the oxidation of pyrite, or by an enhanced reactive surface area in fine-grained sediment layers. The chemical composition of the ice core also revealed signals of prehistoric atmospheric deposition from different sources including wood combustion, metal ore mining, and large volcanic eruptions (Thera, Aniakchak II). To our knowledge, this is the first study that presents the chemical stratigraphy of an entire rock glacier ice core. Version of record Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice ice core permafrost University of Innsbruck: Digital Library (Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Tirol) Frontiers in Earth Science 11 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Innsbruck: Digital Library (Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Tirol) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivinnsbruck |
language |
English |
topic |
alpine permafrost active rock glacier ice core ice chemistry Lazaun |
spellingShingle |
alpine permafrost active rock glacier ice core ice chemistry Lazaun Nickus, Ulrike Thies, Hansjörg Krainer, Karl Lang, Kathrin Mair, Volkmar Tonidandel, David Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy) |
topic_facet |
alpine permafrost active rock glacier ice core ice chemistry Lazaun |
description |
Active rock glaciers—known as mixtures of unconsolidated debris with interstitial ice, ice lenses or a core of massive ice—are widespread indicators of mountain permafrost. The age of a frozen rock glacier core in the Central European Alps (Lazaun, Italy) was dated to about 10,000 years. Here we report on the chemical composition of the frozen Lazaun core. The ice containing part of the core extended from about 2.8 m down to 24 m depth and consisted of two lobes—both a mix of ice and debris, separated by more than 3 m thick almost ice-free layer. The two lobes of the core showed layers of high solute content and peak values of electrical conductivity exceeding 1,000 μS/cm, but they differed in acidity and metal concentration. High acidity (minimum pH of 4.15) and high levels of elements like nickel, cobalt, zinc, manganese, iron and aluminum characterized the upper lobe, while neutral to alkaline pH and low metal values prevailed in the bottom lobe. We attributed solutes accumulated in the ice matrix to the weathering of bedrock minerals, with peak values favored by the oxidation of pyrite, or by an enhanced reactive surface area in fine-grained sediment layers. The chemical composition of the ice core also revealed signals of prehistoric atmospheric deposition from different sources including wood combustion, metal ore mining, and large volcanic eruptions (Thera, Aniakchak II). To our knowledge, this is the first study that presents the chemical stratigraphy of an entire rock glacier ice core. Version of record |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nickus, Ulrike Thies, Hansjörg Krainer, Karl Lang, Kathrin Mair, Volkmar Tonidandel, David |
author_facet |
Nickus, Ulrike Thies, Hansjörg Krainer, Karl Lang, Kathrin Mair, Volkmar Tonidandel, David |
author_sort |
Nickus, Ulrike |
title |
Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy) |
title_short |
Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy) |
title_full |
Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy) |
title_fullStr |
Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Frontiers in earth science / A multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (Lazaun, Italy) |
title_sort |
frontiers in earth science / a multi-millennial record of rock glacier ice chemistry (lazaun, italy) |
publisher |
Frontiers |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/doi/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799 |
op_coverage |
UI:GA:GP UI:GA:MG |
genre |
Ice ice core permafrost |
genre_facet |
Ice ice core permafrost |
op_relation |
vignette : https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/titlepage/urn/urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799/128 vignette : https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/titlepage/doi/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379/128 2296-6463 doi:10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/doi/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799 https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubi:3-32799 local:99147243330303331 system:AC16812889 |
op_rights |
cc-by_4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1141379 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Earth Science |
container_volume |
11 |
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1778526531826483200 |