Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Les sépultures de Ngongo Mbata (RDC , XVII-XIXe siècles) : recrutement et état sanitaire
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Can Probabilist Sex Diagnosis be used on Pre-Columbian mummies ?
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Apport de la micro-tomodensitométrie et de l’imagerie 3D à l’étude des trépanations néolithiques et médiévales en Belgique
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The post-mortem history of a bone revealed by its trace element signature: The case of a fossil whale rostrum
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Morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis clarify the taxonomic status of Cuban Longior Travassos & Kloss, 1958 (Nematoda: Thelastomatoidea: Hystrignathidae)
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Sediment variability in intermittently extracted sandbanks in the Belgian part of the North Sea
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Effects of organic matter on the aggregation of anthropogenic microplastic particles in turbulent environments
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Mangrove Ecosystem Properties Regulate High Water Levels in a River Delta
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30 jaar Belgisch luchttoezicht boven de Noordzee – Evolutie, trends en ontwikkelingen
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30 Years of Belgian North Sea Aerial Surveillance – Evolution, Trends, and Developments
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Executive Summary, Exploring options for a nature-proof developments of offshore wind farms inside a Natura 2000 Area
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Predictive modelling of seafloor surficial gravel distribution within the Princess Elisabeth offshore wind farm zone (Belgium).
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A new high-resolution three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the Princess Elisabeth offshore wind farm zone (Belgium).
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Rare Element Enrichment in Lithium Pegmatite Exomorphic Halos and Implications for Exploration: Evidence from the Leinster Albite-Spodumene Pegmatite Belt, Southeast Ireland
- Pegmatitic deposits of critical metals (e.g., Li, Ta, Be) are becoming increasingly significant, with growing interest in understanding metal enrichment processes and potential vectors to aid the discovery of new resources. In southeast Ireland, the Leinster pegmatite belt comprises several largely concealed Li-Cs-Ta albite-spodumene-type pegmatites. We carried out detailed mineralogical characterization and whole-rock geochemical analyses of six drill cores intersecting pegmatite bodies and their country rocks. Exomorphic halos 2–6 m thick, enriched in Li, Rb, Be, B, Cs, Sn and Ta, are identified in both mica schists and granitic rocks adjacent to spodumene pegmatites. Metasomatism in wall rocks visible to the naked eye is restricted to a few tens of centimeters, suggesting country rock permeability plays a key role in the dispersion of these fluids. We propose that halos result from the discharge of rare element-rich residual fluids exsolved near the end of pegmatite crystallization. Halo geochemistry reflects the internal evolution of the crystallizing pegmatite system, with residual fluid rich in incompatible elements accumulated by geochemical fractionation (Be, B, Cs, Sn, Ta) and by auto-metasomatic resorption of spodumene and K-feldspar (Li, Rb). The possibility of identifying rare-element enrichment trends by analysis of bedrock, stream sediments and soils brings opportunities for mineral exploration strategies in Ireland and for similar albite-spodumene pegmatites worldwide.
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In-Situ Multispectral Investigation of the Biogeochemistry of the Geldingadalir Lava Field
- Scientific payload demonstration in volcanic environments for astrobiological research understanding microbial colonization of fresh basalt. The volcanic eruption in at Geldingadalir (Iceland) in 2021 is an ideal analog site for studying the biogeochemistry of volcanism on other planetary bodies, both those with active (e.g. Io) and extinct (e.g. Mars) volcanic systems. The recent eruption enables comparative studies between the "fresh" lava field at Geldingadalir and older, inactive lava fields present throughout Iceland. Studying these systems provides insight into (1) the conditions necessary for microorganisms or other biotic materials to colonize barren environments and (2) how life transforms its environment over time. These investigations, while interesting in their own right for characterizing the biogeochemical diversity of Iceland's landscapes, have implications beyond Earth in the search for extant or extinct life in our solar system. To simulate planetary exploration missions, we deployed a suite of four handheld, low-SWaP (size, weight, and power), ruggedized spectroscopic instruments to enable in-situ investigation of the lava fields. We deployed a gamma ray spectrometer and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) probe for macroscopic and microscopic (respectively) assessment of the elemental composition of the natural samples; we used an ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence imager to investigate organic signatures present on the natural surfaces; and finally, we used a near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectrometer for determining mineralogy and identifying hydrated bonding structures. These complementary measurement techniques enable a wholistic study of a samples' biogeochemistry and have a direct path for mission infusion in planetary science, as various embodiments of these spectroscopic techniques have been used to study planetary surfaces for decades. We collected co-registered spectroscopic measurements with all four instruments on several samples throughout the Geldingadalir lava field and at a control (i.e. inactive) field nearby. Additionally, we surveyed >10 surface and subsurface features throughout the lava field with one or more of the instruments. At the conclusion of this field campaign, we had collected >1000 UV fluorescence images, 10s of NIR reflectance and LIBS spectra, and >10 gamma ray measurements. Along with this, samples from the fresh and inactive lava fields were taken back to the lab for further investigation of microbial diversity using laboratory instrumentation.
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On two cyrtospiriferid brachiopod species from the lower Famennian of central Armenia
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New and revised cyrtospiriferid (Spiriferida) brachiopods from the lower Famennian (Upper Devonian) of Armenia
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Helix entodonta L. Pfeiffer, 1859, a terrestrial snail from Ecuador, is a species of Zilchistrophia Weyrauch, 1960 (Gastropoda: Scolodontidae): Implications for the diagnosis and interpretation of Systrophia L. Pfeiffer, 1855 and Entodina Ancey, 1887
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Revision of the genera of Scolodontidae, part 2: Guestieria Crosse, 1872, Xenodiscula Pilsbry, 1919, and a misidentified planorbid
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First record of a Buccinum with “Bathybuccinum” affinities (Gastropoda: Buccinidae) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean, with description of a new species
