The ornamental stone production chain deeply changed in the ‘70s and in the following decades, when the mechanization of processes increased the production and the safety of workers. Nevertheless, the new techniques are also responsible of not negligible environmental impacts. This paper is focused on the currently most diffused techniques of extraction, cutting and polishing of the Italian sto...

Terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy probes the optical properties of naturally occurring solid aggregates of minerals, or stones, in the THz frequency range. Refractive index and extinction coefficient measurement reveals that most natural stones, including mudstone, sandstone, granite, tuff, gneiss, diorite, slate, marble, and dolomite, are fairly transparent for THz frequency waves. Dolo...

This paper presents a new approach of landslides zonation hazard studies, based on an integrated study of structural data along with geomorphological and external factors, in a hilly regions of Brazil, covered by a tropical humid rain-forest, called Serra do Mar. The Serra do Mar consists of a hilly region along the east coast of Brazil, with high slopes and many geological structures in a gnei...

Regolith characterization in its entirety is particularly difficult gneissic regoliths due to the heterogeneity of their rock structure. Rare earth elements (REE) are a useful tool helping understand evolution regoliths. This study relates mineralogy and weathering indexes three gneisses (P1-leucocratic, P2-mesocratic P3-melanocratic gneisses) distribution REE at depth. In soil, clay activity, ...

Ultra-high-pressure (UHP) eclogites and ultramafites associated fluid inclusions from the Western Gneiss Region, Norwegian Caledonides, have been analysed for F, Cl, Br I using electron-probe micro-analysis, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry neutron-irradiated noble gas spectrometry. Textures of multi-phase in cores silicate grains indicate formation during growth host crystal at U...