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...
Published in: | Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2434/26977 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514 |
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ftunivmilanoair:oai:air.unimi.it:2434/26977 2024-02-11T09:57:46+01:00 Biotic and abiotic processes on granite weathering landforms in a cryotic environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica M. Guglielmin N. Cannone A. G. Lewkowicz A. Strini M. Guglielmin N. Cannone A. Strini A.G. Lewkowicz 2005 http://hdl.handle.net/2434/26977 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000228072800006 volume:16 issue:1 firstpage:69 lastpage:85 journal:PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES http://hdl.handle.net/2434/26977 doi:10.1002/ppp.514 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-15844376258 info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2005 ftunivmilanoair https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514 2024-01-16T23:16:45Z 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. Copyright Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Victoria Land The University of Milan: Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (AIR) Victoria Land Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 16 1 69 85 |
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Open Polar |
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The University of Milan: Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (AIR) |
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ftunivmilanoair |
language |
English |
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. Copyright |
author2 |
M. Guglielmin N. Cannone A. Strini A.G. Lewkowicz |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
M. Guglielmin N. Cannone A. G. Lewkowicz A. Strini |
spellingShingle |
M. Guglielmin N. Cannone A. G. Lewkowicz A. Strini Biotic and abiotic processes on granite weathering landforms in a cryotic environment, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica |
author_facet |
M. Guglielmin N. Cannone A. G. Lewkowicz A. Strini |
author_sort |
M. Guglielmin |
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/2434/26977 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 issue:1 firstpage:69 lastpage:85 journal:PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES http://hdl.handle.net/2434/26977 doi:10.1002/ppp.514 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-15844376258 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.514 |
container_title |
Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
container_volume |
16 |
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1 |
container_start_page |
69 |
op_container_end_page |
85 |
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