Abstract Tafoni are one of the most interesting weathering features developed in many areas of the world from tropical areas to polar ones such as Antarctica. Here, we present the results on 4 tafoni in similar conditions (aspect, slope, distance from the sea, elevation) and in the same granite close to the Italian Antarctic station at Mario Zucchelli Station (74°42′S). These tafoni were thermally monitored through infrared thermography and in situ thermistors for an austral summer (2018/19). They were also mineralogically characterized through the image analyses in each tafone sectors (Top, Ceiling, Side and Floor). Salts concentration on the weathered material removed through the scratching was also detected through chemical analyses. Moreover, the weathering rate was calculated through periodic sample weightings of the scratched material from the different tafone sectors. Our results confirmed the importance of the fractures inclination that seem to favor the vertical development of the cavities where basal fractures occurred and the backward development where fractures are vertical. The weathering rates shown that vertical development was always faster than the backward (except for O4) and that the former is statistically linked with the size of the tafone. At mineralogical scale, the higher weathered removal of the quartz concentration could be more closely related to the higher cryogenic weathering of intra-crystal fractures that occur at very low temperatures (−20 °C) in winter than to the thermal stress, thermal shock, or potential freeze-thaw cycles during the summer. Among the different salts, the strong relationship between weathering removals and chlorides suggests that chlorides in this climate are more effective than sulphates. The seasonal trend of weathering matches well with the breaking up of sea ice towards the Tethys Bay and can provide a supply of sea spray that is richer in chlorides (halite) than in sulphates (thenardite, mirabilite). From the analyses of the spatial thermal variability, we could argue that the thermal stress during the summer is not relevant except for the tafone O4. The fact that higher weathering removal were recorded in the innermost (C and S) of the tafoni where thermal variability and AMP were lower suggests that higher moisture content is the crucial factor for a high evaporation flux that can enhance the salt action.

中文翻译：

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南极tafoni的发展：差异风化率与热事件空间分布、盐浓度和矿物学之间的关系

摘要 Tafoni 是世界上许多地区（从热带地区到南极洲等极地地区）发展起来的最有趣的风化特征之一。在这里，我们展示了在相似条件下（坡向、坡度、距海的距离、海拔）和靠近意大利南极站马里奥祖凯利站（74°42'S）的同一花岗岩中的 4 种 tafoni 的结果。这些 tafoni 通过红外热成像和原位热敏电阻进行了南方夏季（2018/19）的热监测。它们还通过每个 tafone 扇区（顶部、天花板、侧面和地板）的图像分析进行了矿物学特征分析。还通过化学分析检测了通过刮擦去除的风化材料上的盐浓度。而且，风化率是通过定期对来自不同 tafone 部门的划伤材料进行加权计算得出的。我们的研究结果证实了裂缝倾斜的重要性，它似乎有利于发生基底裂缝的空腔的垂直发展和裂缝垂直的落后发展。风化率表明，垂直发展总是比落后（O4 除外）快，而且前者在统计上与 tafone 的大小有关。在矿物学尺度上，石英浓度的较高风化去除可能与冬季极低温度（-20°C）下发生的晶体内裂缝较高的低温风化更密切相关，而不是与热应力、热冲击、或夏季潜在的冻融循环。在不同的盐类中，风化去除和氯化物之间的密切关系表明，在这种气候下氯化物比硫酸盐更有效。风化的季节性趋势与朝向特提斯湾的海冰破裂非常吻合，可以提供富含氯化物（岩盐）而不是硫酸盐（芒硝、芒硝）的海浪。从空间热变化的分析来看，我们可以认为除了 tafone O4 之外，夏季的热应力无关紧要。在热变异和 AMP 较低的 tafoni 的最内部（C 和 S）中记录了更高的风化去除率这一事实表明，较高的水分含量是可以增强盐作用的高蒸发通量的关键因素。风化清除和氯化物之间的密切关系表明，在这种气候下氯化物比硫酸盐更有效。风化的季节性趋势与朝向特提斯湾的海冰破裂非常吻合，可以提供富含氯化物（岩盐）而不是硫酸盐（芒硝、芒硝）的海浪。从空间热变化的分析来看，我们可以认为除了 tafone O4 之外，夏季的热应力无关紧要。在热变异和 AMP 较低的 tafoni 的最内部（C 和 S）中记录了更高的风化去除率这一事实表明，较高的水分含量是可以增强盐作用的高蒸发通量的关键因素。风化清除和氯化物之间的密切关系表明，在这种气候下氯化物比硫酸盐更有效。风化的季节性趋势与朝向特提斯湾的海冰破裂非常吻合，可以提供富含氯化物（岩盐）而不是硫酸盐（芒硝、芒硝）的海浪。从空间热变化的分析来看，我们可以认为除了 tafone O4 之外，夏季的热应力无关紧要。在热变异和 AMP 较低的 tafoni 的最内部（C 和 S）中记录了更高的风化去除率这一事实表明，较高的水分含量是可以增强盐作用的高蒸发通量的关键因素。