Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers
Mineral grain micromorphology is a useful proxy for reconstructing the history of mineral matter deposited on glaciers. In this study, we focus on the grain shape and micromorphology of mineral particles collected from cryoconite holes on glaciers in the Alps, the Caucasus and Svalbard. We use the s...
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11590/468650 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2019.100482 |
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ftunivroma3iris:oai:iris.uniroma3.it:11590/468650 2024-04-28T08:10:54+00:00 Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers Zawierucha, Krzysztof Baccolo, Giovanni Di Mauro, Biagio Nawrot, Adam Szczuciński, Witold Kalińska, Edyta Zawierucha, Krzysztof Baccolo, Giovanni Di Mauro, Biagio Nawrot, Adam Szczuciński, Witold Kalińska, Edyta 2019 https://hdl.handle.net/11590/468650 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2019.100482 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000500519000003 volume:22 journal:POLAR SCIENCE https://hdl.handle.net/11590/468650 doi:10.1016/j.polar.2019.100482 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85074424704 Sediment source Grain morphology Quartz Polymeric substance Cryoconite info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2019 ftunivroma3iris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2019.100482 2024-04-02T16:59:54Z Mineral grain micromorphology is a useful proxy for reconstructing the history of mineral matter deposited on glaciers. In this study, we focus on the grain shape and micromorphology of mineral particles collected from cryoconite holes on glaciers in the Alps, the Caucasus and Svalbard. We use the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to better understand the origin, transport regime, depositional processes, biofilm formations, degradation and grain transformation. Our results show that chemical and physical weathering are equally relevant in shaping mineral grains, although in polar and cold regions physical processes dominate. Grains with smooth edges owing to chemical weathering in some of the investigated samples, represent more than 60-70%. Comparison of main grain-type abundance helped to establish that climate is not the most important factor affecting grain micromorphology on glaciers, but local rock sources and supraglacial processes. We hypothesize that grain surface roughness plays an essential role with respect to biofilm formation, while at the same time bacteria-enhanced weathering enriches micromorphology (we observed polymeric substances on some of grains) and release critical compounds for nutrient-poor glacial systems. Thus, grain type and morphology might be an important factor influencing cryoconite granules formation and productivity of cryoconite holes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Svalbard Anagrafe della Ricerca d'Ateneo (Universitá degli studi Roma Tre) Polar Science 22 100482 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Anagrafe della Ricerca d'Ateneo (Universitá degli studi Roma Tre) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivroma3iris |
language |
English |
topic |
Sediment source Grain morphology Quartz Polymeric substance Cryoconite |
spellingShingle |
Sediment source Grain morphology Quartz Polymeric substance Cryoconite Zawierucha, Krzysztof Baccolo, Giovanni Di Mauro, Biagio Nawrot, Adam Szczuciński, Witold Kalińska, Edyta Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers |
topic_facet |
Sediment source Grain morphology Quartz Polymeric substance Cryoconite |
description |
Mineral grain micromorphology is a useful proxy for reconstructing the history of mineral matter deposited on glaciers. In this study, we focus on the grain shape and micromorphology of mineral particles collected from cryoconite holes on glaciers in the Alps, the Caucasus and Svalbard. We use the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to better understand the origin, transport regime, depositional processes, biofilm formations, degradation and grain transformation. Our results show that chemical and physical weathering are equally relevant in shaping mineral grains, although in polar and cold regions physical processes dominate. Grains with smooth edges owing to chemical weathering in some of the investigated samples, represent more than 60-70%. Comparison of main grain-type abundance helped to establish that climate is not the most important factor affecting grain micromorphology on glaciers, but local rock sources and supraglacial processes. We hypothesize that grain surface roughness plays an essential role with respect to biofilm formation, while at the same time bacteria-enhanced weathering enriches micromorphology (we observed polymeric substances on some of grains) and release critical compounds for nutrient-poor glacial systems. Thus, grain type and morphology might be an important factor influencing cryoconite granules formation and productivity of cryoconite holes. |
author2 |
Zawierucha, Krzysztof Baccolo, Giovanni Di Mauro, Biagio Nawrot, Adam Szczuciński, Witold Kalińska, Edyta |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Zawierucha, Krzysztof Baccolo, Giovanni Di Mauro, Biagio Nawrot, Adam Szczuciński, Witold Kalińska, Edyta |
author_facet |
Zawierucha, Krzysztof Baccolo, Giovanni Di Mauro, Biagio Nawrot, Adam Szczuciński, Witold Kalińska, Edyta |
author_sort |
Zawierucha, Krzysztof |
title |
Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers |
title_short |
Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers |
title_full |
Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers |
title_fullStr |
Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers |
title_full_unstemmed |
Micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on Arctic (Svalbard) and alpine (the Alps, the Caucasus) glaciers |
title_sort |
micromorphological features of mineral matter from cryoconite holes on arctic (svalbard) and alpine (the alps, the caucasus) glaciers |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11590/468650 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2019.100482 |
genre |
Arctic Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Svalbard |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000500519000003 volume:22 journal:POLAR SCIENCE https://hdl.handle.net/11590/468650 doi:10.1016/j.polar.2019.100482 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85074424704 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2019.100482 |
container_title |
Polar Science |
container_volume |
22 |
container_start_page |
100482 |
_version_ |
1797578570901487616 |