Our proposal will deal with the study of human activity in the formation of carbonate deposits in very recent times (The Antropocene). We will analyze carbonates formed in the nearby of agricultural irrigation systems. The study of these carbonates is critical to discriminate between the biogenic and abiogenic processes that control their formation. The aim is to establish a set of criteria that allow a better understanding of their formation and diagenetic processes. We will try to determine the role of different organisms (microbes, plants, insects….) and the relationship between Mg-rich clays, amorphous silica and carbonate precipitation. We will perform the common studies in Sedimentary Petrology and Geochemistry and we will include new stable isotopes techniques such as 44Ca and clumped 47, at present rarely used in continental carbonates. The results have application in different aspects:
1: To better understand the palaeonvironmental significance of some continental carbonates, formed under alkaline conditions, which include also Mg-rich minerals. This is critical to unravel the evolution of some very sensible environments such as dessert and lakes in space and time and to understand the past and future evolution of the continental areas of our planet.
2: To show how the activity of men can modify the landscape in short periods of time. Our project deals with Antropogenic carbonates, and the study is a clue to understand the man-earth surface interactions.
3: The precipitates formed at present may have some industrial applications as they are very pure carbonates. In fact, we collaborate with researchers of the Fine Art Department which are using the system to produce natural sculptures, but industrial uses as lime or chemical additions are also possible.