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The Duluth Complex (DC) contains sulfide‐rich magmatic intrusions that represent one of the largest known economic deposits of copper, nickel, and platinum group elements. Previous work showed that microbial communities associated with experimentally‐weathered DC waste rock and tailings were dominated by uncultivated taxa and organisms not typically associated with mine waste. However, those experiments were designed for kinetic testing and do not necessarily represent the conditions expected for long‐term environmental weathering. We used 16S rRNA gene methods to characterize the microbial communities present on the surfaces of naturally‐weathered and historically disturbed outcrops of DC material. Rock surfaces were dominated by diverse unculturedKtedonobacteria,Acetobacteria, andActinobacteria, with abundant algae and other phototrophs. These communities were distinct from microbial assemblages from experimentally‐weathered DC rocks, suggesting different energy and nutrient resources in environmental samples. Sulfide mineral incubations performed with and without algae showed that photosynthetic microorganisms could have an inhibitory effect on autotrophic populations, resulting in slightly lower sulfate release and differences in dominant microorganisms. The microbial assemblages from these weathered outcrops show how communities develop during weathering of sulfide‐rich DC rocks and represent baseline data that could evaluate the effectiveness of future reclamation of waste produced by large‐scale mining operations.

 

Abstract. Mineral specific surface area (SSA) increases as primaryminerals weather and restructure into secondary phyllosilicate, oxide, andoxyhydroxide minerals. SSA is a measurable property that captures cumulativeeffects of many physical and chemical weathering processes in a singlemeasurement and has meaningful implications for many soil processes,including water-holding capacity and nutrient availability. Here we reportour measurements of SSA and mineralogy of two 21 m deep SSA profiles attwo landscape positions, in which the emergence of a very small mass percent(<0.1 %) of secondary oxide generated 36 %–81 % of the total SSAin both drill cores. The SSA transition occurred near 3 m at bothlocations and did not coincide with the boundary of soil to weathered rock. The3 m boundary in each weathering profile coincides with the depth extentof secondary iron oxide minerals and secondary phyllosilicates. Althoughelemental depletions in both profiles extend to 7 and 10 m depth, themineralogical changes did not result in SSA increase until 3 m depth. Theemergence of secondary oxide minerals at 3 m suggests that this boundary may bethe depth extent of oxidation weathering reactions. Our results suggest thatoxidation weathering reactions may be the primary limitation in thecoevolution of both secondary silicate and secondary oxide minerals. Wevalue element depletion profiles to understand weathering, but our findingof nested weathering fronts driven by different chemical processes (e.g.,oxidation to 3 m and acid dissolution to 10 m) warrants the recognition thatelement depletion profiles are not able to identify the full set ofprocesses that occur in weathering profiles. 

Abstract Speleothems can provide high-quality continuous records of the direction and relative paleointensity of the geomagnetic field, combining high precision dating (with U-Th method) and rapid lock-in of their detrital magnetic particles during calcite precipitation. Paleomagnetic results for a mid-to-late Holocene stalagmite from Dona Benedita Cave in central Brazil encompass ~1900 years (3410 BP to 5310 BP, constrained by 12 U-Th ages) of paleomagnetic record from 58 samples (resolution of ~33 years). This dataset reveals angular variations of less than 0.06° yr −1 and a relatively steady paleointensity record (after calibration with geomagnetic field model) contrasting with the fast variations observed in younger speleothems from the same region under influence of the South Atlantic Anomaly. These results point to a quiescent period of the geomagnetic field during the mid-to-late Holocene in the area now comprised by the South Atlantic Anomaly, suggesting an intermittent or an absent behavior at the multi-millennial timescale. 

Abstract This study demonstrates the feasibility of speleothem magnetism as a paleo-hydrology proxy in speleothems growing in semi-arid conditions. Soil-derived magnetic particles in speleothems retain valuable information on the physicochemical conditions of the overlying soil, and changes in bedrock hydrology. Yet, the link between magnetic and isotopic proxies of speleothems has been only partly established. We reveal strong coupling between the inflow of magnetic particles (quantified using the magnetic flux index, IRMflux) and δ13C in two Holocene speleothems from Soreq Cave (Israel). The stalagmite record spans from ca. 9.7 to ca. 5.4 ka, capturing the warm-humid conditions associated with the early Holocene and the transition to mid-Holocene wet-dry cycles. Extremely low IRMflux during the early Holocene, indicating minimal contribution from the overlying soil, is accompanied by anomalously high δ13C (approaching bedrock values) hypothesized to be caused by high rainfall and soil erosion. By contrast, IRMflux during the mid-Holocene covaries with the saw-tooth cyclicity of δ13C and δ18O, interpreted as rapid fluctuations in rainfall amount. The peaks in IRMflux precede the negative (wet) δ13C peaks by ~60–120 yr. The apparent lag is explained as a rapid physical translocation of overlying soil particles via groundwater (high IRMflux) as a response to increasing rainfall, compared with slower soil organic matter turnover rates (10–102 yr). 

No matter how quiet and pristine a cave setting may appear, all speleothems contain assemblages of magnetic minerals. These iron oxide minerals are derived largely from overlying soils, though minor fractions may come from the residuum of dissolved bedrock, reworked sediment carried by episodic floods, geomicrobiological activity, and even windblown dust. Regardless of their origin, these minerals become aligned with Earth’s ambient magnetic field before they are fixed within a speleothem’s growing carbonate matrix. Here, we describe how the magnetism of stalagmites and flowstone can be used to chronicle high-resolution geomagnetic behavior and environmental change. 

Caves occur everywhere on our planet, from the tropics to the high latitudes and from below sea level to alpine settings. Cave morphologies provide clues to their formation mechanisms, and their iconic mineralogical features—stalagmites and stalactites—carry a wealth of paleoenvironmental information encoded in their geochemistry and mineralogy. Recent work demonstrates a striking improvement in our ability to decode these paleoenvironmental proxies, and dramatic geochronological advances enable higher resolution records that extend further back in geologic time. Cave research addresses an ever-increasing range of geoscience problems, from establishing the timing and mechanisms of climate change to uncovering detailed records of geomagnetic field behavior. 

ABSTRACT The accumulation of heavy minerals along a part of the southeastern Brazilian coast (northern coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) provides insight into sedimentary provenance and transport by longshore drift. In particular, recent work has focused on heavy minerals as tracers to determine sedimentary sources and transport pathways, indicating a mineral distribution according to the northward and southward coastal transport cells. There is also evidence of heavy-mineral transport by the Paraíba do Sul River. However, research has not been done in this area on the opaque fraction (iron oxides and oxyhydroxides), which are good tracers for provenance and distribution processes. Here we intend to: 1) characterize the spatial variation of the magnetic properties of heavy-mineral contents throughout a coastal area of the Itabapoana and Paraíba do Sul River mouths (state of Rio de Janeiro), 2) evaluate the contribution of coastal dynamics on the mineral distribution along this coastal area, 3) provide contributions on the provenance of iron-bearing minerals. Results indicate that a bimodal pattern was observed for the magnetic remanence of magnetite and hematite near the Paraíba do Sul River. For the northernmost section, goethite exhibits a gradual increase in concentration towards the central part of the study area. Additionally, higher heavy-mineral content is observed at the northern coastal section, which may be related to coastal morphology, which is exposed to high-energy beach processes. It is possible to verify three sampling groups in accordance with their magnetic properties: 1) the “southernmost” and 2) the “northernmost” groups, suggesting a mineral provenance related to the Paraíba do Sul and Itabapoana rivers, respectively, as possible major sources, and 3) another at the intermediate section of the area, possibly linked to the erosion of the Barreiras Formation bluffs. Results also show a correspondence between the variability of magnetic parameters and the main directions of the coastal transport cells. 

SUMMARY Exsolved iron oxides in silicate minerals can be nearly ideal palaeomagnetic recorders, due to their single-domain-like behaviour and the protection from chemical alteration by their surrounding silicate host. Because their geometry is crystallographically controlled by the host silicate, these exsolutions possess a shape preferred orientation that is ultimately controlled by the mineral fabric of the silicates. This leads to potentially significant anisotropic acquisition of remanence, which necessitates correction to make accurate interpretations in palaeodirectional and palaeointensity studies. Here, we investigate the magnetic shape anisotropy carried by magnetite exsolutions in pyroxene single crystals, and in pyroxene-bearing rocks based on torque measurements and rotational hysteresis data. Image analysis is used to characterize the orientation distribution of oxides, from which the observed anisotropy can be modelled. Both the high-field torque signal and corresponding models contain components of higher order, which cannot be accurately described by second-order tensors usually used to describe magnetic fabrics. Conversely, low-field anisotropy data do not show this complexity and can be adequately described with second-order tensors. Hence, magnetic anisotropy of silicate-hosted exsolutions is field-dependent and this should be taken into account when interpreting isolated ferromagnetic fabrics, and in anisotropy corrections. 

Fe-bearing minerals are a tiny fraction of the composition of speleothems. They have their origin in the karst system or are transported from the drainage basin into the cave. Recent studies on the magnetism of speleothems focused on the variations of their magnetic mineralogy in specific time intervals and are usually limited to a single sample. In this study, we describe a database of environmental magnetism parameters built from 22 stalagmites from different caves located in Brazil (South America) at different latitudes, comprising different climates and biomes. The magnetic signal observed in these stalagmites is dominated by low-coercivity minerals (∼20 mT) whose magnetic properties resemble those of the magnetite formed in pedogenic environments. Also, a comparison with few samples from soils and the carbonate from cave’s walls shows a good agreement of the magnetic properties of speleothems with those of soil samples, reinforcing previous suggestions that in (sub-)tropical regimes, the dominant magnetic phase in speleothems is associated with the soil above the cave. Spearman’s rank correlation points to a positive strong correlation between magnetic concentration parameters (mass-normalized magnetic susceptibility, natural remanent magnetization, anhysteretic remanent magnetization, and isothermal remanent magnetization). This implies that ultrafine ferrimagnetic minerals are the dominant phase in these (sub-)tropical karst systems, which extend across a diverse range of biomes. Although the samples are concentrated in the savannah biome (Cerrado) (∼70%), comparison with other biomes shows a higher concentration of magnetic minerals in speleothem underlying savannahs and lower concentration in those underlying moist broadleaf forests (Atlantic and Amazon biome) and dry forests (Caatinga). Thus, rainfall, biome, and epikarst dynamics play an important role in the concentration of magnetic minerals in speleothems in (sub-)tropical sites and indicate they can be an important target for paleoenvironmental research in cave systems.