Efflorescences on weathered sandstone tors in the Stone Town Nature Reserve in Ciężkowice (the Outer Carpathians, Poland)—their geochemical and geomorphological controls

Alexandrowicz, Zofia; Marszałek, Mariola

doi:10.1007/s11356-019-06778-4

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Granular aggregates of glauconite occur as a minor admixture. Spherical microaggregates of pyrite framboids and/or their alteration products were sometimes observed [38,52]. The average porosity of the Ciężkowice sandstones from the Stone Town tors is 6.78% [52], reaching 12.0% in the weathered varieties [38].…”

Section: The Ciężkowice Sandstones and Their Efflorescencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dampness is in turn controlled by the position of the tors across the stream valley (bottom, slope, etc.) and the tor part (niche or rock face) where the precipitation took place [38]. The flake salt aggregates that occur on the tors exposed on the valley slopes, in the zones of recurring rock dampening and drying, contain mainly gypsum and syngenite K 2 Ca(SO 4 ) 2 •H 2 O with an admixture of K-alum.…”

Section: The Ciężkowice Sandstones and Their Efflorescencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The flake salt aggregates that occur on the tors exposed on the valley slopes, in the zones of recurring rock dampening and drying, contain mainly gypsum and syngenite K 2 Ca(SO 4 ) 2 •H 2 O with an admixture of K-alum. The botryoidal salt accumulations from the tors with lower parts permanently damp, i.e., those located near the valley bottom immediately over the floodplain or on lower terraces, are composed mainly of alunogen Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 •17H 2 O and pickeringite MgSO 4 •Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 •22H 2 O with an admixture of gypsum [38]. The differing phase compositions of these two mineral parageneses result in the chemical differences among two types of the efflorescences.…”

Section: The Ciężkowice Sandstones and Their Efflorescencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, if the rocks of other tors do not contain enough pyrite, the whole chain of the events mentioned cannot even start and pickeringite never precipitates. The same will happen if the rock is not damp enough, which depends on the tor position across the river valley and an elevation of the water table [38] etc.…”

Section: Possible Originmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In case of the Ratusz tor sandstone, such minerals include the mica group, mainly biotite, and feldspars (plagioclases). Kaolinite, illite, glauconite, as well a small amount of the interstratified illite-smectite group minerals identified in the matrix of the Ciężkowice sandstones, can also provide these cations [38,51,52].…”

Section: Possible Originmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Pickeringite from the Stone Town Nature Reserve in Ciężkowice (the Outer Carpathians, Poland)

2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pickeringite, ideally MgAl2(SO4)4·22H2O, is a member of the halotrichite group minerals XAl2(SO4)4·22H2O that form extensive solid solutions along the joints of the X = Fe-Mg-Mn-Zn. The few comprehensive reports on natural halotrichites indicate their genesis to be mainly the low-pH oxidation of pyrite or other sulfides in the Al-rich environments of weathering rock-forming aluminosilicates. Pickeringite discussed here occurs within the efflorescences on sandstones from the Stone Town Nature Reserve in Ciężkowice (the Polish Outer Carpathians), being most probably the first find on such rocks in Poland. This paper presents mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the pickeringite (based on SEM-EDS, XRPD, EPMA and RS methods) and suggests its possible origin. It belongs to the pickeringite–apjohnite (Mg-Mn joints) series and has the calculated formula Mg0.75Mn0.21Zn0.02Cu0.01Al2.02(S0.99 to 1.00O4)4·22H2O (based on 16O and 22H2O). The unit cell parameters refined for the monoclinic system space group P21/c are: a = 6.1981(28) Å, b= 24.2963(117) Å, c = 21.2517(184) Å and β = 100.304(65)°. The Raman spectra (SO4) bands are the intensive 994 cm−1 and a low-intensive 975 cm−1 (ν1), low-intensive 1081, 1123 and 1145 cm−1 (ν3), 524, 467 and 425cm−1 (ν2), 615 cm−1 (ν4), while those at 344 and 310 cm−1 are attributed to νg H2O and at 223 cm−1 to the lattice modes. Crystallization of pickeringite within the particular tor resulted from a certain set of conditions: climatic (e.g., season, temperature, humidity), physicochemical (e.g., pH, concentration), mineral (the presence of pyrite), and site-related (location and efflorescence protection). The sulfate ions could have been derived from oxidation of pyrite in the Ciężkowice sandstones and possibly are related to local mineral waters.

show abstract

Section: The Ciężkowice Sandstones and Their Efflorescencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Ciężkowice Sandstones and Their Efflorescencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Ciężkowice Sandstones and Their Efflorescencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Possible Originmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Possible Originmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Pickeringite from the Stone Town Nature Reserve in Ciężkowice (the Outer Carpathians, Poland)

2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Raman spectroscopy of anhydrous and hydrated aluminum sulfates: Experience from burning coal heaps

Košek

Culka

Rousaki

et al. 2022

J Raman Spectroscopy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hydrated aluminum‐rich sulfates belong to less widespread secondary minerals on Mars, which are probably connected with hydrothermal alterations. On Earth, such sulfates result from acidic weathering of aluminosilicates, and their formation is controlled by factors such as pH, temperature, or water activity. Physical–chemical conditions can be reconstructed if specific sulfate phases are detected, and therefore, the investigation of sulfate assemblages in high‐temperature settings is important for planetology and exobiology research. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool for the discrimination of sulfates, and the degree of hydration, which is a sensitive marker of temperature conditions, can be tracked using this method. However, spectral similarities of sulfates and metastability and rapid transformations may hinder their correct identification. We take advantage of in situ and laboratory Raman spectroscopy to characterize uncommon anhydrous and hydrated Al‐NH4 sulfate mineralogy which forms under elevated temperature at the Anna burning coal waste dump, Alsdorf, Germany, and can be considered as analogous to fumarolic environments. We detected a suite of hydrated Al sulfates (e.g. alunogen, khademite, and tschermigite) in the medium‐temperature zones (~50°C). To minimize possible rehydration processes, we deployed two miniaturized Raman spectrometers (532 and 1064 nm) for field investigations in the high‐temperature zone (~130°C to 150°C). Mixtures of anhydrous (godovikovite and millosevichite) and hydrated phases along with intermediate phases were detected in the field as well as in the laboratory. Such observations are consistent with the premise that the degree hydration of sulfates increase with decreasing temperature. These results confirm that Raman spectroscopy is, despite several analytical challenges, capable of distinguishing Al sulfates, and their hydration states, within complex aggregates and crusts, and future applications in planetary research are promising.

show abstract

Investigations on historical monuments’ deterioration through chemical and isotopic analyses: an Italian case study

Ricciardi

Pironti

Motta

et al. 2021

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this paper, we analysed the efflorescences present in the frescos of a monumental complex named S. Pietro a Corte situated in the historic centre of Salerno (Campania, Italy). The groundwater of the historic centre is fed by two important streams (the Rafastia and the Fusandola) that can be the sources of water penetration. The aims of this work are to (i) identify the stream that reaches the ancient frigidarium of S. Pietro a Corte and (ii) characterize the efflorescences on damaged frescos in terms of chemical nature and sources. In order to accomplish the first aim, the water of the Rafastia river (7 samples) and the water of the Fusandola river (7 samples) were analysed and compared with the water of a well of the Church (7 samples). The ionic chromatography measurements on the water samples allowed us to identify the Rafastia as the river that feeds the ancient frigidarium of S. Pietro a Corte. To investigate the nature and the origin of the efflorescences (our second aim), anionic chromatography analyses, X-ray diffraction measurements, and the isotopic determination of nitrogen were performed on the efflorescences (9 samples) and the salts recovered from the well (6 samples). Results of these analyses show that efflorescences are mainly made of potassium nitrate with a δ15N value of + 9.3 ± 0.2‰. Consequently, a plausible explanation for their formation could be the permeation of sewage water on the walls of the monumental complex.

show abstract

Efflorescences on weathered sandstone tors in the Stone Town Nature Reserve in Ciężkowice (the Outer Carpathians, Poland)—their geochemical and geomorphological controls

Cited by 8 publications

References 37 publications

Pickeringite from the Stone Town Nature Reserve in Ciężkowice (the Outer Carpathians, Poland)

Pickeringite from the Stone Town Nature Reserve in Ciężkowice (the Outer Carpathians, Poland)

Raman spectroscopy of anhydrous and hydrated aluminum sulfates: Experience from burning coal heaps

Investigations on historical monuments’ deterioration through chemical and isotopic analyses: an Italian case study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About