Nanominerali u sedimentima i tlima: formiranje, značajke i uloga u biogeokemijskim procesima

Nanominerals in sediments and soils: formation, properties and the role in biogeochemical processes.

The Project aims to investigate mineralogical, morphological, geochemical and surface physico-chemical properties of the naturally occurring inorganic nanomineral fraction separated from different modern marine and lacustrine sediments and soils developed on carbonate rocks along the Adriatic coast. The unique structural, chemical and surface properties of nanomineral phases and their role in cycling of trace elements in modern sediments and soils will be determined. The primary objectives of this project are: (1) to identify the size, the unique mineralogical, morphological, geochemical and surface physico-chemical properties of the naturally occurring inorganic nanomineral fractions; (2) to determine the early diagenetically driven formation and phase transformation of nanosized carbonate, sulfide and iron (hydr)oxide particles in modern lacustrine and marine sediments at the nanoscale; (3) to resolve pedogenetically driven formation of nanosized clay mineral and iron and manganese (hydr)oxide particles in soils at the nanoscale. Specifically, the role of iron (hydr)oxides, and humic materials on nanoscale agglomeration processes in soils will be also evaluated; (4) to determine the carbonate equilibrium, the origin of bulk and molecularly uncharacterized sedimentary organic matter, as well as dissolved inorganic matter in the sediments, soils and interstitial water using stable isotopes (13C/12C and 15N/14N) as natural tracers. Sources of DIC (carbonate dissolution vs. decomposition of sedimentary organic matter) in the pore water and in the DIC flux across the sediment – water interface, as well as in the sedimentary carbonate fraction will be appointed, so as to estimate the contribution of organically derived CO2 to the formation of authigenic nanocarbonate solids; and (5) to introduce and incorporate findings from “NanoMin” into the Croatian geosciences domain.