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Soil memory in mineral surface coatings: Environmental processes recorded at the nanoscale

2015; Geological Society of America; Volume: 43; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1130/g36577.1

1943-2682

Michael Schindler, Michael F. Hochella,

Mine drainage and remediation techniques

Research Article| May 01, 2015 Soil memory in mineral surface coatings: Environmental processes recorded at the nanoscale Michael Schindler; Michael Schindler 1Department of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Michael F. Hochella, Jr. Michael F. Hochella, Jr. 2Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Michael Schindler 1Department of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6, Canada Michael F. Hochella, Jr. 2Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 30 Dec 2014 Revision Received: 10 Feb 2015 Accepted: 13 Feb 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2015 Geological Society of America Geology (2015) 43 (5): 415–418. https://doi.org/10.1130/G36577.1 Article history Received: 30 Dec 2014 Revision Received: 10 Feb 2015 Accepted: 13 Feb 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Michael Schindler, Michael F. Hochella; Soil memory in mineral surface coatings: Environmental processes recorded at the nanoscale. Geology 2015;; 43 (5): 415–418. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G36577.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract This study shows that mineral surface coatings in upper soil horizons can preserve products of past abiotic and biotic soil processes and are thus able to record environmental changes on the nanoscale. Contrary to studies involving paleosols, the soil memory of coatings can only be deciphered with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) on samples prepared using focused ion beam technology. To demonstrate this method, mineral grains were collected in the shallow soils of the Greater Sudbury area, Ontario, Canada, where large fluctuations in the soil pH have occurred during emissions of vast amounts of sulfuric acid and particulate matter (a result of decades of smelter activity in the Sudbury mining district) and subsequent reclamation efforts using lime and phosphates. Observations with HRTEM indicate that limited diffusion of elements in silicified Fe-hydroxide coatings has been the key to the preservation of a rarely observed mineralogy and chemistry. The most intriguing features include petrified cocci in proximity to a structural analogue of green rust (formed prior to the peak of smelter emissions), pockets of jarosite encapsulated by amorphous silica (peak of the smelter emissions), chains of biogenic magnetite, and Fe-(hydr)oxides with high amounts of adsorbed phosphate species (during and after reclamation). These observations indicate that chemical processes in confined pore and interface spaces are commonly in disequilibrium with the surrounding soil, and that Fe-silica–bearing coatings can be excellent tracking tools for the evolution of the chemistry of soils and sediments. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.