Rare Earth Elements fractionation in native vegetation from the Moncorvo iron mines, NE Portugal

Fractionation of Rare Earth Elements (REE) and the accumulation and translocation indexes were measured and determined in the native vegetation [Halimium lasianthum (Lam.) Spach subsp. alyssoides (Lam.) Greuter; Cytisus multiflorus (L’Hér.) Sweet; and Cistus monspeliensis L.; Cistus ladanifer subsp. ladanifer; Lavandula stoechas L.] from the iron mining area of Moncorvo (NE Portugal). There is no correlation between the amounts of REE in rhizosphere and in plants. The REE concentration as the fractionation follows roots>leaves>stems in plants. A slightly enrichment in HREE were found in rhizosphere and plants (roots and stems), whereas the leaves are enriched in LREE. The accumulation and translocation depend of internal complexes ligands. The redox and pH conditions of the rhizosphere conditioned the REE uptake. Greatest bioaccumulation ability of heavy REE (HREE) was found in C. monspeliensis, followed by H. lasianthum that also, has a high capacity of the REE translocation to the aerial parts, contrary to C. monspeliensis. An M-type tetrad effect was determined mainly for HREE (Gd-Ho series) indicating a complexation of REE. The greatest differences in the REE fractionation patterns (mainly for HREE) are observed in stems, as a consequence of the transport function of this organ. Cerium anomaly indicates that the pH and redox conditions affected the uptake of Ce by plants, where the free ionic species are dominated in roots and leaves (positive anomaly), and stems (negative anomaly). Also the Eu-anomaly is greater in roots and leaves than in steams probably by participation in metabolic functions due to similarity with calcium

Chemical characterization of black stains on mural paintings with granite support from churches of Northern Portugal

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Tojal dos Pereiros: a local natural monument in the Bragança massif

O geossítio do Tojal dos Pereiros integra o património natural existente na área abrangida pelo Plano de Urbanização da cidade de Bragança e pelo Plano Diretor Municipal, integrando-o na categoria de “locais com interesse geológico”. A importância deste local advém do facto de aí aflorarem granulitos máficos e félsicos (gerados na crusta continental inferior), a que se associam metaperidotitos (gerados no manto terrestre), permitindo uma “Viagem” ao interior da Terra. Na ampliação da Zona Industrial das Cantarias foram reservadas três áreas de afloramentos rochosos, destinadas à criação de núcleos de fruição patrimonial. A Câmara Municipal tem em curso o processo para a classificação como “Monumento Natural Local” de Tojal dos Pereiros.Tojal dos Pereiros geosite integrates the existing natural heritage in the area covered by the Urbanization Plan of the city of Bragança and the Municipal Master Plan, integrating it into the category of "sites with geological interest". The importance of this site comes from the fact that there are mafic and felsic granulites (generated in the lower continental crust), which are associated with metaperidotites (generated in the earthly mantle), allowing a "Journey" to the interior of the Earth. In the expansion of the Industrial Zone of the Cantarias were reserved three areas of rocky outcrops, destined to the creation of nuclei of patrimonial fruition. The City Council has ongoing the process for classification as "Local Natural Monument" of Tojal dos Pereiros.The author J. Pamplona was co-funded by the EU, based on COMPETE 2020, project ICT (UID/GEO/04683/2013), reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690, national funds provided by FC

Biomineralization studies on cellulose membrane exposed to biological fluids of Anodonta cygnea

The present work proposes to analyse the results obtained under in vitro conditions where cellulose artificial membranes were incubated with biological fluids from the freshwater bivalve Anodonta cygnea. The membranes were mounted between two half ‘Ussing chambers’ with different composition solutions in order to simulate epithelial surfaces separating organic fluid compartments. The membrane surfaces were submitted to two synthetic calcium and phosphate solutions on opposite sides, at pH 6.0, 7.0 or 9.0 during a period of 6 hours. Additional assays were accomplished mixing these solutions with haemolymph or extrapallial fluid from A. cygnea, only on the calcium side. A selective ion movement, mainly dependent on the membrane pore size and/or cationic affinity, occurred with higher permeability for calcium ions to the opposite phosphate chamber supported by calcium diffusion forces across the cellulose membrane. In general, this promoted a more intense mineral precipitation on the phosphate membrane surface. A strong deposition of calcium phosphate mineral was observed at pH 9.0 as a primary layer with a homogeneous microstructure, being totally absent at pH 6.0. The membrane showed an additional crystal phase at pH 7.0 exhibiting a very particular hexagonal or cuttlebone shape, mainly on the phosphate surface. When organic fluids of A. cygnea were included, these crystal forms presented a high tendency to aggregate under rosaceous shapes, also predominantly in the phosphate side. The cellulose membrane was permeable to small organic molecules that diffused from the calcium towards the phosphate side. In the calcium side, very few similar crystals were observed. The presence of organic matrix from A. cygnea fluids induced a preliminary apatite–brushite crystal polymorphism. So, the present results suggest that cellulose membranes can be used as surrogates of biological epithelia with preferential ionic diffusion from the calcium to the phosphate side where the main mineral precipitation events occurred. Additionally, the organic fluids from freshwater bivalves should be also thoroughly researched in the applied biomedical field, as mineral nucleators and crystal modulators on biosynthetic systems

Mineralogy, Fluid Inclusions, and Oxygen Isotope Geochemistry Signature of Wolframite to Scheelite and Fe,Mn Chlorite Veins from the W, (Cu,Mo) Ore Deposit of Borralha, Portugal

Scheelitization of Mn-bearing wolframite, scheelite, quartz, and Fe,Mn-chlorite veins was identified in the W, (Cu,Mo) ore deposits of Borralha, by optical microscopy, electron-microprobe analysis, and stable isotope geochemistry. Fluid inclusions derived scheelite crystallization temperature was compared with the oxygen isotope temperature estimated. Scheelite was formed mainly during stage I from a low salinity aqueous-carbonic fluid dominated by CO2, where the homogenization temperature (Th) decreased from 380 °C to 200 °C (average of 284 °C). As temperature decreased further, the aqueous-carbonic fluid became dominated by CH4 (Stage II; (average Th = 262 °C)). The final stage III corresponds to lower temperature mineralizing aqueous fluid (average Th = 218 °C). In addition, salinity gradually decreased from 4.8 wt.% to 1.12 wt.%. The δ18OFluid values calculated for quartz-water and wolframite-water fractionation fall within the calculated magmatic water range. The ∆quartz-scheelite fractionation occurred at about 350–400 °C. The ∆chlorite-water fractionation factor calculated is about +0.05‰ for 330 °C, dropping to −0.68‰ and −1.26‰ at 380 °C and 450 °C, respectively. Estimated crystallizing temperatures based on semi-empirical chlorite geothermometers range from 373 °C to 458 °C and 435 °C to 519 °C. A narrower temperature range of 375 °C to 410 °C was estimated for Fe,Mn-chlorite crystallization

Mineralogy and Geochemistry (HFSE and REE) of the Present-Day Acid-Sulfate Types Alteration from the Active Hydrothermal System of Furnas Volcano, São Miguel Island, The Azores Archipelago

Acid-sulfate alteration is comprised by clays, sulfate, sinter and native sulphur minerals crystallized as neoformation products from dissolution of primary minerals during water-rock interaction. Smectite, kaolinite, halloysite-7 Å and opal-A occur in assemblages with alunite. Smectite represents a mechanical mixture between two (propylitic and acid-sulfate) alteration types. High amounts of high-field strength elements (HFSE) and rare earth elements (REE) were measured in acid-sulfate rocks. The Nb vs. Ta and Zr vs. Hf show a positive trend and a widely scattered relationships, suggesting a large fractionation during acid-sulfate alteration. Higher ∑REE amounts (up to 934.5 ppm) were found in clay-sulfate assemblages and lower ∑REE amounts in sinter (opal-A ± sulfate, 169.05 ppm) than to fresh rocks (up to 751.2 ppm). The acid-sulfate rocks reveal a distinctive gull-wing chondrite-normalized pattern with a negative Eu anomaly and light- and heavy-REE “wings” similar to the gull-wing pattern of fresh rocks. The Eu/Eu* shows a large fractionation of acid sulfate rocks from 0.16 to 0.78 with respect to fresh trachyte products (0.10 to 0.38). Variation of (La/Sm)N and (La/Yb)N ratio show a large fractionation of light-REE and heavy-REE. The Y vs. Dy and Y vs. Ho show a very good positive correlation coefficient and a large Y fractionation in acid-sulfate rocks with respect to fresh rocks

Transformação de serpentina para clorite em rochas ultrabásicas serpentinizadas do Complexo Alóctone Superior do Maciço de Bragança, NE de Portugal

Resumo alargadoABSTRACT: A transformação de serpentina para clorite foi identificada nas rochas ultrabásicas serpentinizadas do Maciço de Bragança, NE de Portugal. O principal objetivo deste trabalho consiste na caracterização estrutural, cristaloquímica e termodinâmica desta reação. Os espetros de DRX obtidos permitem a identificação de lizardite (d[hkl] = 7.32 Å, 4.55 Å, 3.65 Å, 2.65 Å, 2.45 Å, 2.09 Å, 1.74 Å, 1.53 Å) e clorite (d[hkl] = 14.25 Å, 7.14 Å, 4.71 Å, 3.55 Å, 2.83 Å). As composições cristaloquímicas gerais obtidas a partir de EPMA são de (Mg2.65-2.79, Fe0.08-0.20, Al0.01-0.06)(Si1.94-2.07, Al0-0.06)O5(OH)4 para a serpentina e de (Mg2.84, Fe1.79, Al1.23)(Si2.82, Al1.18)O10(OH)8 para uma Mg,Fe clorite. A reação mineralógica terá resultado da ação de fluidos hidrotermais a temperaturas de aproximadamente 350 (±50) ºC, num evento pós-serpentinização, responsável pela transformação da serpentina em Mg,Fe-clorite através de um processo de dissolução e cristalização.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio