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A special issue of Condensed Matter (ISSN 2410-3896).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2018) | Viewed by 49735

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Prof. Dr. Augusto Marcelli

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Guest Editor

1. INFN–LNF, Via E. Fermi 54, 00044 Frascati, Italy
2. CNR - Istituto Struttura della Materia and Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Basovizza Area Science Park, 34149 Trieste, Italy
3. RICMASS - Rome International Center for Materials Science – Superstripes, Via dei Sabelli 119A, 00185 Roma, Italy
Interests: correlation phenomena in X-ray absorption spectroscopy; X-ray absorption in elements of geophysical interest; dust and aerosol characterization; ultra-trace detection for indoor and outdoor environmental studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Valter Maggi

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Guest Editor

Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 1, I-20126 Milano, Italy
Interests: mineral dust transport reconstruction and concentration and size distribution of atmospheric dust; paleoclimatology from ice cores in polar and mid-latitude glaciers; Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets; quaternary geology; ice deposits in hypogean environments; mineral dust climate reconstruction

Prof. Dr. Cunde Xiao

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Guest Editor

1. State Key Laboratory of Land Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
2. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: cryosphere and climate change; high Asia cryosphere observation; sea ice reconstruction in Antarctica ice core; paleoclimatology from Greenland and Antarctica ice cores; cryospheric change and sustainable development; cryosphere service function

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of Condensed Matter, we would like to invite papers for consideration in a Special Issue dedicated to “Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science”, which will cover climatic and environmental research, based on the detection and characterization of minerals and dust present in ice cores and aerosols in the atmosphere; an interdisciplinary, modern and strategic research field looking at climate and pollution on a local and global scale.

Despite increasing interest and great efforts, in particular, over the last decade, there is a lack of consensus on many issues associated with environmental and climatic problems. The amount of research regarding the environment, mountains and polar glaciers and the cryosphere in general, are continuously increasing. Ice cores, permafrost and snow represent extraordinary climatic and environmental information archives that are seriously at risk because of the increasing temperatures on Earth. Research using new experimental methods may help to investigate the unique and precious archives with time and spatial resolutions not even imaginable a few years ago. However, new ideas and approaches are required to improve and extend the characterization of ice and snow, extremely complex and fragile materials and their organic and inorganic contents. Modern techniques could be also applied to other environmental problems, where the accurate detection and characterization of dust and aerosols present in the atmosphere is highly required.

One of the objectives of this issue of Condensed Matter is certainly to trigger interest in climatic and environmental research and show the available experimental techniques to support the emerging trends in Cryospheric Science and to stimulate new ideas.

Sincerely yours,

Prof. Dr. Augusto Marcelli
Prof. Dr. Valter Maggi
Prof. Dr. Cunde Xiao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

mineral dust, snow/ice, cryoconite, black carbon, atmospheric pollution, PM particulate matter
environmental sciences, mercury geochemistry
X-ray spectroscopy, synchrotron radiation, elemental coordination

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

5 pages, 186 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science

by Valter Maggi, Cunde Xiao and Augusto Marcelli

Condens. Matter 2019, 4(3), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat4030068 - 12 Jul 2019

Viewed by 2332

Abstract

The comprehensive understanding of the cryosphere’s global biogeochemical cycles represents a great challenge for the present climatic and environmental research on Earth [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

Research

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11 pages, 2672 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synchrotron Radiation Research and Analysis of the Particulate Matter in Deep Ice Cores: An Overview of the Technical Challenges

by Giannantonio Cibin, Augusto Marcelli, Valter Maggi, Giovanni Baccolo, Dariush Hampai, Philip E. Robbins, Andrea Liedl, Claudia Polese, Alessandro D’Elia, Salvatore Macis, Antonio Grilli and Agostino Raco

Condens. Matter 2019, 4(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat4030061 - 27 Jun 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3380

Abstract

Airborne dust extracted from deep ice core perforations can provide chemical and mineralogical insight into the history of the climate and atmospheric conditions, with unrivalled temporal resolution, time span and richness of information. The availability of material for research and the natural complexity of the particulate, however, pose significant challenges to analytical methods. We present the developments undertaken to optimize the experimental techniques, materials and protocols for synchrotron radiation-based analysis, in particular for the acquisition of combined Synchrotron Radiation X-Ray Fluorescence and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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7 pages, 1389 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The New Beamline LISA at ESRF: Performances and Perspectives for Earth and Environmental Sciences

by Alessandro Puri, Giovanni Orazio Lepore and Francesco d’Acapito

Condens. Matter 2019, 4(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat4010012 - 15 Jan 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3639

Abstract

LISA (Linea Italiana per la Spettroscopia di Assorbimento di raggi X) is the new Italian Collaborating Research Group (CRG) beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) dedicated to X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The beamline covers a wide energy range, 4 < E < 90 keV, which offers the possibility for probe the K and L edges of elements that are heavier than Ca. A liquid He/N₂ cryostat and a compact furnace are available for measurements in a wide temperature range (10–1000 K), allowing for in situ chemical treatments and measurements under a controlled atmosphere. The sub-millimetric beam size, the high photon flux provided, and the X-ray fluorescence detectors available (HP-Ge, SDD) allow for the study of liquid and highly diluted samples. Trace elements in geological or environmental samples can be analyzed, even for very small sample areas, gaining information on oxidation states and host phases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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12 pages, 3542 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Iron Speciation in Insoluble Dust from High-Latitude Snow: An X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Study

by Shiwei Liu, Cunde Xiao, Zhiheng Du, Augusto Marcelli, Giannantonio Cibin, Giovanni Baccolo, Yingcai Zhu, Alessandro Puri, Valter Maggi and Wei Xu

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(4), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3040047 - 10 Dec 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3659

Abstract

Iron is thought to limit the biomass of phytoplankton populations in extensive regions of the ocean, which are referred to as high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions. Iron speciation in soils is still poorly understood. We have investigated inorganic and organic standard substances, diluted mixtures of common Fe minerals in insoluble dust in snow from the Laohugou No.12 glacier, and sand (including soil and moraine) samples that were collected from western China. The speciation of iron (Fe) in insoluble dust and sand was determined by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. A linear fit combination (LCF) analysis of the experimental spectra compared to a large set of reference compounds showed that all spectra can be fitted by only four species: Fe₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, biotite, and ferrous oxalate dihydrate (FOD). A significant altitude effect was detected for snow. The proportion of Fe₂O₃ in snow decreases gradually, and vice versa for FOD. As for Fe₃O₄ and biotite, the altitude effect was also detected, but separate regions should be considered to be deduced by topography. The Fe species in moraines and soils were also analyzed to identify the source of moraines and the heterogeneity of soils, and were compared with snow. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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15 pages, 3605 KiB

Open AccessArticle

XANES Iron Geochemistry in the Mineral Dust of the Talos Dome Ice Core (Antarctica) and the Southern Hemisphere Potential Source Areas

by Valter Maggi, Giovanni Baccolo, Giannantonio Cibin, Barbara Delmonte, Dariush Hampai and Augusto Marcelli

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(4), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3040045 - 6 Dec 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4108

Abstract

X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurements at the Fe K-edge were performed on aeolian dust in the TALos Dome Ice CorE drilling project (TALDICE) ice core drilled in the peripheral East Antarctic plateau, as well as on Southern Hemisphere potential source area samples. While South American sources show, as expected, a progressive increase in Fe oxidation with decreasing latitude, Antarctic sources show Fe oxidation levels higher than expected in such a cold polar environment, probably because of their very high exposure ages. Results from the TALDICE dust samples are compatible with a South American influence at the site during MIS2 (marine isotopic stage 2, the last and coldest phase of the last glacial period), in particular from Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. However, a contribution from Australia and/or local Antarctic sources cannot be ruled out. Finally, important changes also occurred during the deglaciation and in the Holocene, when the influence of Antarctic local sources seems to have become progressively more important in recent times. This research is the first successful attempt to extract temporal climatic information from X-ray absorption spectroscopic data of the insoluble mineral dust particles contained in an ice core and shows the high potential of this technique. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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10 pages, 673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Challenging X-ray Fluorescence Applications for Environmental Studies at XLab Frascati

by Giorgio Cappuccio, Giannantonio Cibin, Sultan B. Dabagov, Alfredo Di Filippo, Gianluca Piovesan, Dariush Hampai, Valter Maggi and Augusto Marcelli

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(4), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3040033 - 18 Oct 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3073

Abstract

In this work, we will report applications of the total external X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) station, a prototype assembled at the XLab Frascati laboratory (XlabF) at the INFN National Laboratories of Frascati (INFN LNF). XlabF has been established as a facility to study, design and develop X-ray optics, in particular, polycapillary lenses, as well as to perform X-ray experiments for both elemental analysis and tomography. The combination of low-power conventional sources and policapillary optics allows assembling a prototype that can provide a quasi-parallel intense beam for detailed X-ray spectroscopic analysis of extremely low concentrated samples, down to ng/g. We present elemental analysis results of elements contained in tree rings and of dust stored in deep ice cores. In addition to performing challenging environmental research studies, other experiments aim to characterize novel optics and to evaluate original experimental schemes for X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF and TXRF) and X-ray imaging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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12 pages, 1792 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Contribution of Synchrotron Light for the Characterization of Atmospheric Mineral Dust in Deep Ice Cores: Preliminary Results from the Talos Dome Ice Core (East Antarctica)

by Giovanni Baccolo, Giannantonio Cibin, Barbara Delmonte, Dariush Hampai, Augusto Marcelli, Elena Di Stefano, Salvatore Macis and Valter Maggi

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(3), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3030025 - 28 Aug 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4857

Abstract

The possibility of finding a stratigraphically intact ice sequence with a potential basal age exceeding one million years in Antarctica is giving renewed interest to deep ice coring operations. But the older and deeper the ice, the more impactful are the post-depositional processes that alter and modify the information entrapped within ice layers. Understanding in situ post-depositional processes occurring in the deeper part of ice cores is essential to comprehend how the climatic signals are preserved in deep ice, and consequently how to construct the paleoclimatic records. New techniques and new interpretative tools are required for these purposes. In this respect, the application of synchrotron light to microgram-sized atmospheric dust samples extracted from deep ice cores is extremely promising. We present here preliminary results on two sets of samples retrieved from the Talos Dome Antarctic ice core. A first set is composed by samples from the stratigraphically intact upper part of the core, the second by samples retrieved from the deeper part of the core that is still undated. Two techniques based on synchrotron light allowed us to characterize the dust samples, showing that mineral particles entrapped in the deepest ice layers display altered elemental composition and anomalies concerning iron geochemistry, besides being affected by inter-particle aggregation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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9 pages, 2637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microdrop Deposition Technique: Preparation and Characterization of Diluted Suspended Particulate Samples

by Salvatore Macis, Giannantonio Cibin, Valter Maggi, Giovanni Baccolo, Dariush Hampai, Barbara Delmonte, Alessandro D’Elia and Augusto Marcelli

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(3), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3030021 - 16 Jul 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4516

Abstract

The analysis of particulate matter (PM) in dilute solutions is an important target for environmental, geochemical, and biochemical research. Here, we show how microdrop technology may allow the control, through the evaporation of small droplets, of the deposition of insoluble materials dispersed in a solution on a well-defined area with a specific spatial pattern. Using this technology, the superficial density of the deposited solute can be accurately controlled. In particular, it becomes possible to deposit an extremely reduced amount of insoluble material, in the order of few μg on a confined area, thus allowing a relatively high superficial density to be reached within a limited time. In this work, we quantitatively compare the microdrop technique for the preparation of particulate matter samples with the classical filtering technique. After having been optimized, the microdrop technique allows obtaining a more homogeneous deposition and may limit the sample amount up to a factor 25. This method is potentially suitable for many novel applications in different scientific fields such as demanding spectroscopic studies looking at the mineral fraction contained in ice cores or to pollution investigations looking at the detection of heavy metals present in ultra-trace in water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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12 pages, 854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Study of Characteristic Environmental Sites Affected by Diverse Sources of Mineral Matter Using Compositional Data Analysis

by Antonio Speranza, Rosa Caggiano, Giulia Pavese and Vito Summa

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3020016 - 7 May 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3364

Abstract

Compositional data analysis was applied on mineral element concentrations (i.e., Al, Ti, Si, Ca, Mg, Fe, Sr) content in PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM₁ simultaneous measurements at three characteristic environmental sites: kerbside, background and rural site. Different possible sources of mineral trace elements affecting the PM in the considered sites were highlighted. Particularly, results show that compositional data analysis allows for the assessment of chemical/physical differences between mineral element concentrations of PM. These differences can be associated with both different kinds of involved mineral sources and different mechanisms of accumulation/dispersion of PM at the considered sites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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11 pages, 19695 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decadal Climate Change in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, A Representative Area of the Arctic

by Minghu Ding, Shujie Wang and Weijun Sun

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(2), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3020012 - 8 Apr 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6906

Abstract

In recent decades, global warming hiatus/slowdown has attracted considerable attention and has been strongly debated. Many studies suggested that the Arctic is undergoing rapid warming and significantly contributes to a continual global warming trend rather than a hiatus. In this study, we evaluated the climate changes of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, a representative location of the northern North Atlantic sector of the Arctic, based on observational records from 1975–2014. The results showed that the annual warming rate was four times higher than the global mean (+0.76 °C·decade⁻¹) and was also much greater than Arctic average. Additionally, the warming trend of Ny-Ålesund started to slow down since 2005–2006, and our estimates showed that there is a 8–9 years-lagged, but significant, correlation between records of Ny-Ålesund and global HadCRUT4 datasets. This finding indicates that the Arctic was likely experiencing a hiatus pattern, which just appeared later than the low-mid latitudes due to transport processes of atmospheric circulations and ocean currents, heat storage effect of cryospheric components, multidecadal variability of Arctic cyclone activities, etc. This case study provides a new perspective on the global warming hiatus/slowdown debate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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Review

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15 pages, 2313 KiB

Open AccessReview

Perspectives of XRF and XANES Applications in Cryospheric Sciences Using Chinese SR Facilities

by Wei Xu, Zhiheng Du, Shiwei Liu, Yingcai Zhu, Cunde Xiao and Augusto Marcelli

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(4), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3040029 - 8 Oct 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4168

Abstract

As an important part of the climate system, the cryosphere, can be studied with a variety of techniques based on laboratory-based or field-portable equipment in order to accumulate data for a better understanding of this portion of the Earth’s surface. The advent of synchrotron radiation (SR) facilities as large scientific interdisciplinary infrastructures has reshaped the scenario of these investigations and, in particular, of condensed matters researches. Many spectroscopic methods allow for characterizing the structure or electronic structure of samples, while the scattering/diffraction methods enable the determination of crystalline structures of either organic or inorganic systems. Moreover, imaging methods offer an unprecedented spatial resolution of samples, revealing their inner structure and morphology. In this contribution, we briefly introduce the SR facilities now available in mainland China, and the perspectives of SR-based methods suitable to investigate ice, snow, aerosols, dust, and other samples of cryospheric origin from deep ice cores, permafrost, filters, etc. The goal is to deepen the understanding in cryospheric sciences through an increased collaboration between the synchrotron radiation community and the scientists working in polar areas or involved in correlated environmental problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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10 pages, 1138 KiB

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Post-Depositional Biodegradation Processes of Pollutants on Glacier Surfaces

by Francesca Pittino, Roberto Ambrosini, Roberto S. Azzoni, Guglielmina A. Diolaiuti, Sara Villa, Isabella Gandolfi and Andrea Franzetti

Condens. Matter 2018, 3(3), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/condmat3030024 - 11 Aug 2018

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4695

Abstract

Glaciers are important fresh-water reservoirs for our planet. Although they are often located at high elevations or in remote areas, glacial ecosystems are not pristine, as many pollutants can undergo long-range atmospheric transport and be deposited on glacier surface, where they can be stored for long periods of time, and then be released into the down-valley ecosystems. Understanding the dynamics of these pollutants in glaciers is therefore important for assessing their environmental fate. To this aim, it is important to study cryoconite holes, small ponds filled with water and with a layer of sediment, the cryoconite, at the bottom, which occur on the surface of most glaciers. Indeed, these environments are hotspots of biodiversity on glacier surface as they host metabolically active bacterial communities that include generalist taxa able to degrade pollutants. In this work, we aim to review the studies that have already investigated pollutant (e.g., chlorpyrifos and polychlorinated-biphenyls (PCBs)) degradation in cryoconite holes and other supraglacial environmental matrices. These studies have revealed that bacteria play a significant role in pollutant degradation in these habitats and can be positively selected in contaminated environments. We will also provide indication for future research in this field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Condensed Matter Researches in Cryospheric Science)

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