01847nas a2200193   4500008004100000022001400041245005200055210005200107260001200159300001400171490000700185520124200192100002201434700002901456700002401485700001501509700001701524856011201541       2018                        eng d  a0091-761300aBarium and barite dynamics in Antarctic streams0 aBarium and barite dynamics in Antarctic streams  c08/2018  a811 - 8140 v463 a<p>Most natural waters are undersaturated with respect to barite (BaSO4), and while much work has focused on the processes of microbially mediated barite precipitation in undersaturated solutions, particularly in marine environments, little documentation exists on the changes in barite saturation in stream waters. We examined ephemeral glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, that undergo large variations in streamflow and temperature on both a diel and seasonal basis. We measured dissolved Ba in stream water in downstream transects and on a diel cycle, total Ba in stream sediments, algal mats, and lake sediments. Ba concentrations decreased downstream in all four transects, and mineral saturation modeling indicates these waters go from supersaturated to undersaturated with respect to barite in very short distances. Ba is concentrated in stream benthic algal mats at a factor less than observed in marine systems. Both seasonal and diel changes in stream water temperature affect the solubility of barite near glacial sources. Our work shows that both changing stream temperature and the presence of algal materials likely play significant roles in controlling Ba concentrations in polar streams.</p>1 aSaelens, Elsa, D.1 aGardner, Christopher, B.1 aWelch, Kathleen, A.1 aWelch, Sue1 aLyons, Berry  uhttps://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/545184/Barium-and-barite-dynamics-in-Antarctic-streams02347nas a2200193   4500008004100000022001300041245009200054210006900146260001200215300001200227490000800239520173400247100002101981700001702002700001502019700002402034700002302058856007202081       2018                        eng d  a0016706100aBiogeochemical weathering of soil apatite grains in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica0 aBiogeochemical weathering of soil apatite grains in the McMurdo   c01/2018  a136-1450 v3203 a<p>The biogeochemical weathering of the mineral apatite links the lithosphere to the biosphere by releasing the essential nutrient phosphorus (P) into the soil ecosystem. In Taylor Valley, Antarctica, faster rates of apatite weathering may be responsible for the higher concentrations of bioavailable soil P that exist in the Fryxell Basin as compared to the Bonney Basin. In this study, we use scanning electron microscopy to quantify the morphology and surface etching of individual apatite grains to determine whether the degree of apatite weathering differs between the Fryxell and Bonney Basins as well as saturated and dry soil sediments. We show that apatite grains from the Fryxell Basin are rounder, have fewer intact crystal faces, and are more chemically etched than grains from the Bonney Basin. In the Bonney Basin, apatite grains from dry soils show few signs of chemical dissolution, suggesting that soil moisture is a stronger control on the rate of apatite weathering in the Bonney Basin than in the Fryxell Basin. In addition, etch-pit morphologies in the Bonney Basin are more clearly controlled by the hexagonal crystal structure of apatite, while in the Fryxell Basin, etch pits demonstrate a wide range of morphologies without clear crystallographic control. Higher rates of apatite weathering in the Fryxell Basin may be due to the legacy of the physical abrasion of apatite grains during transport by a warm-based ice sheet, as well as the higher levels of precipitation and soil moisture closer to the coast. Our grain-scale approach provides a new perspective on P cycling in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and has implications for apatite weathering and P dynamics in the early stages of soil development.</p>1 aHeindel, Ruth, C1 aLyons, Berry1 aWelch, Sue1 aSpickard, Angela, M1 aVirginia, Ross, A.  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706117320694