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Critical raw materials (CRMs) supply is a challenge that EU countries have to face, with many thinking about domestic procurement from natural ore deposits and anthropogenic deposits (landfills and extractive waste facilities). The present research focuses on the possibilities linked to the supply of CRMs and the potential for exploiting rare earth elements (REEs), investigating a large variety of extractive waste and siliceous rocks in the Piedmont region (Northern Italy). Indeed, the recovery of REEs from the extractive waste (EW) of siliceous quarries and other siliceous ore deposits can be a valuable way to reduce supply chain risks. Starting with a review of the literature on mining activities in Piedmont and continuing with the sampling and geochemical, mineralogical, petrographic, and environmental characterization of EW facilities connected to siliceous dimension stones, of kaolinitic gneiss ore deposits, and of soils present near the investigated areas, this study shows that the degree of REEs enrichment differs depending on the sampling area (soil or EW) and lithology. The concentration of REEs in the EW at some sampling sites fulfils the indicators of industrial-grade and industrial recovery; the high cumulative production and potential market values of EW and the positive recovery effects through proven methodologies indicate a viable prospect of REE recovery from EW. However, REE recovery industrialization faces challenges such as the difficulty in achieving efficient large-scale recovery due to large regional differences in REE abundance, the mismatch between potential market value and waste annual production, etc. Nonetheless, in the future, EW from dimension stone quarries could be differentially studied and reused based on the enrichment and distribution characteristics of trace elements. The present paper shows investigation procedures undertaken to determine both CRMs potentialities and environmental issues (on the basis of literature data employe

Rainfall-triggered shallow landslides are destructive hazards and play an important role in landscape processes. A theory explaining the size distributions of such features remains elusive. Prior work connects size distributions to topography, but field-mapped inventories reveal pronounced similarities in the form, mode, and spread of distributions from diverse landscapes. We analyze nearly identical distributions occurring in the Oregon Coast Range and the English Lake District, two regions of strikingly different topography, lithology, and vegetation. Similarity in minimum sizes at these sites is partly explained by theory that accounts for the interplay of mechanical soil strength controls resisting failure. Maximum sizes, however, are not explained by current theory. We develop a generalized framework to account for the entire size distribution by unifying a mechanistic slope stability model with a flexible spatial-statistical description for the variability of hillslope strength. Using hillslope-scale numerical experiments, we find that landslides can occur not only in individual low strength areas but also across multiple smaller patches that coalesce. We show that reproducing observed size distributions requires spatial strength variations to be strongly localized, of large amplitude, and a consequence of multiple interacting factors. Such constraints can act together with the mechanical determinants of landslide initiation to produce size distributions of broadly similar character in widely different landscapes, as found in our examples. We propose that size distributions reflect the systematic scale dependence of the spatially averaged strength. Our results highlight the critical need to constrain the form, amplitude, and wavelength of spatial variability in material strength properties of hillslopes.

The growing demand for raw materials requires the optimization of extractive processes and innovative approaches, such as the recovery of quarrying and processing waste. Waste materials from gneiss (ranging from blocks up to residual sludge) used as dimension stone (Beola and Serizzo from Piedmont, northern Italy) were characterized for chemistry, mineralogy, and petrography: quartz and feldspars (plagioclase and K-feldspar) are the most abundant minerals, followed by micas (biotite and minor muscovite) and traces of chlorite and epidote (allanite). Quartz and feldspars could be reused in the industrial minerals sector, especially in the ceramics industry; depending on the purity requirements of the raw materials, some mica separation treatments may be required. The most critical issues relate to the small grain size and the relative abundance of mica in some commercial varieties. The presence of allanite opens new possibilities for the recovery of rare earth elements (REE, critical raw materials).

The growing demand for raw materials requires the optimization of extractive processes and innovative approaches, such as the recovery of quarrying and processing waste. Waste materials from gneiss (ranging from blocks up to residual sludge) used as dimension stone (Beola and Serizzo from Piedmont, northern Italy) were characterized for chemistry, mineralogy, and petrography: quartz and feldspars (plagioclase and K-feldspar) are the most abundant minerals, followed by micas (biotite and minor muscovite) and traces of chlorite and epidote (allanite). Quartz and feldspars could be reused in the industrial minerals sector, especially in the ceramics industry; depending on the purity requirements of the raw materials, some mica separation treatments may be required. The most critical issues relate to the small grain size and the relative abundance of mica in some commercial varieties. The presence of allanite opens new possibilities for the recovery of rare earth elements (REE, critical raw materials).

Demand and availability of raw materials, especially “critical” raw materials (e.g., rare earths), are becoming increasingly topical issues. In this article we show the potential of an Italian mining and quarrying site (Monte Bracco area, quartzites and kaolin): the combined study of geological, environmental, technical, and economic factors can lead to a sustainable exploitation of the waste from past mining activities, as well as to a resumption of extractive activity of dimension stones and industrial minerals (quartzites, silica and kaolin). The high rare earths contents (especially Y) in the kaolinitic clays also make the site attractive in the critical raw materials arena in a future perspective.

The focus of the present research is on the exploitation of extractive waste to recover raw materials, considering the technological and economic factors, together with the environmental impacts, associated with extractive waste quarrying and dressing activities. The present study, based on a case history from Northern Italy (Montorfano and Baveno granite quarrying area), was intended to validate the presented interdisciplinary approach for evaluating economic and environmental impacts associated with extractive waste facility exploitation (from granite waste to products for the ceramic industry and by-products for the building industry). A shared methodology was applied to determine extractive waste characteristics (geochemistry, petrography, and mineralogy), waste volume (geophysical, topographic, and morphologic 3D characterization) and potential exploitable products and by-products. Meanwhile, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to determine the environmental impacts associated with the extraction and processing phases.

The focus of the present research is on the exploitation of extractive waste to recover raw materials, considering the technological and economic factors, together with the environmental impacts, associated with extractive waste quarrying and dressing activities. The present study, based on a case history from Northern Italy (Montorfano and Baveno granite quarrying area), was intended to validate the presented interdisciplinary approach for evaluating economic and environmental impacts associated with extractive waste facility exploitation (from granite waste to products for the ceramic industry and by-products for the building industry). A shared methodology was applied to determine extractive waste characteristics (geochemistry, petrography, and mineralogy), waste volume (geophysical, topographic, and morphologic 3D characterization) and potential exploitable products and by-products. Meanwhile, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to determine the environmental impacts associated with the extraction and processing phases.

The Verbano-Cusio-Ossola quarrying district (Piedmont, northern Italy) produces many different ornamental stones (granites, gneisses, marbles); two important categories are represented by Serizzo and Beola gneisses. The Serizzo, a group of foliated orthogneisses, is the most important and extensively exploited ornamental stone, largely used to produce columns since the end of XV century, and was used for many parts of the Duomo di Milano. Beola is the name of a group of heterogeneous orthogneisses with mylonitic foliation and strong mineralogical lineation, easy to split into thin slabs with hammer and chisel, occurring in the middle Ossola Valley. The quarries of Beola are probably the oldest of the Ossola Valley (since Roman period), and the Beola trade probably started at the end of the XIII century. In general, Beola and Serizzo gneisses have been used for ornamental purposes and for the construction of churches, palaces and monuments, widely documented in many towns and villages of the Ossola Valley and in northern Italy. This contribution reviews the history and distinctiveness of these materials, their importance in local and national culture, and their present international diffusion. Both stones are recommended as a Global Heritage Stone Resource in a Global Heritage Stone Province.

The Bargiolina quartzite from Monte Bracco (western Alps, northern Italy) represents one of the most important historical ornamental stones of the Piedmont region. Known and used since the prehistoric age as substituting material for chert, it was celebrated by Leonardo da Vinci, and exploited at least since the XIII century, peaking in the XX century. It was extensively used in the construction of basilicas and noble palaces by famous architects of Piedmontese Baroque, for internal and external stone cladding. There are four main commercial and chromatic varieties, and the main technical feature is the regular schistosity, to obtain very thin natural split slabs. The dierent varieties have a homogeneous mineralogical composition and microstructure: A fine and homeoblastic grain size, and a granular—lepidoblastic texture, with regularly spaced schistose domains. The main rock-forming minerals are quartz, phengite, small amounts of K-feldspar and traces of plagioclase and chlorite. The yield rate of quarries is about 20%, and the poor exploitation planning of the past led to only partly exploited quarry benches, with a very poor residual yield. The large amount of quartz-rich quarry waste and the presence of kaolin-rich gneisses suggests the potential for novel applications in the field of industrial minerals

The Monte Bracco area (Western Alps, northern Italy) is located in the Dora Maira Massif, a geological unit belonging to the inner part of the Penninic Domain, extending more than 1000 km2 in the central sector of Cottian Alps. Monte Bracco is an isolated relief, mainly formed by ortho- and paragneisses, whose foliation is gently NW dipping. Some levels of quartzites, some metres thick, are cropping out only towards the uppermost part of Monte Bracco, and have been quarried as famous ornamental stones (“Bargiolina”). There are four main commercial and chromatic varieties: golden yellow (the most valuable), pale yellow, olive green, grey and white (the most common). The main technical characteristic of the “Bargiolina” is the regular schistosity, due to the presence of thin, plane parallel white mica layers; because of this feature it is possible to obtain very thin natural split slabs (1-2 cm). Under the optical microscope, the rock shows a fine and quite homogeneous grain size, a granular – lepidoblastic texture, with regular spaced schistose domains (up to mylonitic); small amounts of slightly altered K-feldspar (orthoclase) give to the rock a micro-augen texture. The main rock-forming minerals (XRD-QPA and SEM-EDS) are quartz (65 – 85 wt.%), white mica (up to 15 wt.%), potassic feldspar (5 – 10 wt.%) and traces of plagioclase and chlorite. Typical accessory minerals are zircon, rutile, titanite, hematite and limonite, whereas K-feldspar is often altered in kaolinite. The different colours are linked to the different abundance and degree of oxidation of secondary minerals, guided by fracture density and distribution. The “Bargiolina”, known and used since the prehistoric age as substituting material for chert, and celebrated by Leonardo da Vinci (1511), has been exploited at least since the XIII century, peaking in the XX century (up to 300 kt/year), used as internal and external facing, because of its excellent technical proprieties (freeze-thaw resistance, flexu

The Monte Bracco area (Western Alps, northern Italy) is located in the Dora Maira Massif, a geological unit belonging to the inner part of the Penninic Domain, extending more than 1000 km2 in the central sector of Cottian Alps. Monte Bracco is an isolated relief, mainly formed by ortho- and paragneisses, whose foliation is gently NW dipping. Some levels of quartzites, some metres thick, are cropping out only towards the uppermost part of Monte Bracco, and have been quarried as famous ornamental stones (“Bargiolina”). There are four main commercial and chromatic varieties: golden yellow (the most valuable), pale yellow, olive green, grey and white (the most common). The main technical characteristic of the “Bargiolina” is the regular schistosity, due to the presence of thin, plane parallel white mica layers; because of this feature it is possible to obtain very thin natural split slabs (1-2 cm). Under the optical microscope, the rock shows a fine and quite homogeneous grain size, a granular – lepidoblastic texture, with regular spaced schistose domains (up to mylonitic); small amounts of slightly altered K-feldspar (orthoclase) give to the rock a micro-augen texture. The main rock-forming minerals (XRD-QPA and SEM-EDS) are quartz (65 – 85 wt.%), white mica (up to 15 wt.%), potassic feldspar (5 – 10 wt.%) and traces of plagioclase and chlorite. Typical accessory minerals are zircon, rutile, titanite, hematite and limonite, whereas K-feldspar is often altered in kaolinite. The different colours are linked to the different abundance and degree of oxidation of secondary minerals, guided by fracture density and distribution. The “Bargiolina”, known and used since the prehistoric age as substituting material for chert, and celebrated by Leonardo da Vinci (1511), has been exploited at least since the XIII century, peaking in the XX century (up to 300 kt/year), used as internal and external facing, because of its excellent technical proprieties (freeze-thaw resistance, flexu

The Bargiolina quartzite from Monte Bracco (western Alps, northern Italy) represents one of the most important historical ornamental stones of the Piedmont region. Known and used since the prehistoric age as substituting material for chert, it was celebrated by Leonardo da Vinci, and exploited at least since the XIII century, peaking in the XX century. It was extensively used in the construction of basilicas and noble palaces by famous architects of Piedmontese Baroque, for internal and external stone cladding. There are four main commercial and chromatic varieties, and the main technical feature is the regular schistosity, to obtain very thin natural split slabs. The dierent varieties have a homogeneous mineralogical composition and microstructure: A fine and homeoblastic grain size, and a granular—lepidoblastic texture, with regularly spaced schistose domains. The main rock-forming minerals are quartz, phengite, small amounts of K-feldspar and traces of plagioclase and chlorite. The yield rate of quarries is about 20%, and the poor exploitation planning of the past led to only partly exploited quarry benches, with a very poor residual yield. The large amount of quartz-rich quarry waste and the presence of kaolin-rich gneisses suggests the potential for novel applications in the field of industrial minerals

The Verbano-Cusio-Ossola quarrying district (Piedmont, northern Italy) produces many different ornamental stones (granites, gneisses, marbles): two really important categories are represented by Serizzo and Beola gneisses. Several varieties of Serizzo and Beola crop out in the upper and middle Ossola Valley: Serizzo derives from the Antigorio, Monte Leone and Monte Rosa Penninic Units, whereas Beola from the Monte Leone, Orselina-Moncucco-Isorno and Monte Rosa Penninic Units, as well from the Fobello-Rimella schists (Austroalpine). The Serizzo, represented by a group of foliated granitoid orthogneisses (Serizzo Antigorio, Serizzo Formazza, Serizzo Sempione and Serizzo Monte Rosa varieties), is probably the most important and extensively exploited ornamental stones from the VCO province (about 70% of the VCO stone production). The quarries are mostly concentrated in the Antigorio and Formazza valleys, where the Antigorio nappe has a sub-horizontal attitude and reaches its greatest thickness (up to 1000 m). This stone was largely used to produce columns since the end of XV century (e.g. the old Ospedale Maggiore in Milano, now University of Milano) and later on it was replaced with granites. It was also used in the building structure of the Duomo di Milano, for the plinth and the piers. Nowadays, thanks to its good wear resistance and low cost, it is mainly used in polished slabs for paving: a recent application is the Frankfurt airport floor. Beola is the name of a group of heterogeneous orthogneisses with mylonitic foliation and strong mineralogical lineation (Beola Grigia, Bianca, Ghiandonata, Striata varieties), easy to split into thin slabs with hammer and chisel, occurring in the middle Ossola Valley, between Vogogna and Montecrestese. The quarries of Beola are probably the oldest of the Ossola Valley, although the precise period in which the stone started to be exported is unknown. The Beola trade probably started at the end of the XIII century, with the openin

The Verbano-Cusio-Ossola quarrying district (Piedmont, northern Italy) produces many different ornamental stones (granites, gneisses, marbles): two really important categories are represented by Serizzo and Beola gneisses. Several varieties of Serizzo and Beola crop out in the upper and middle Ossola Valley: Serizzo derives from the Antigorio, Monte Leone and Monte Rosa Penninic Units, whereas Beola from the Monte Leone, Orselina-Moncucco-Isorno and Monte Rosa Penninic Units, as well from the Fobello-Rimella schists (Austroalpine). The Serizzo, represented by a group of foliated granitoid orthogneisses (Serizzo Antigorio, Serizzo Formazza, Serizzo Sempione and Serizzo Monte Rosa varieties), is probably the most important and extensively exploited ornamental stones from the VCO province (about 70% of the VCO stone production). The quarries are mostly concentrated in the Antigorio and Formazza valleys, where the Antigorio nappe has a sub-horizontal attitude and reaches its greatest thickness (up to 1000 m). This stone was largely used to produce columns since the end of XV century (e.g. the old Ospedale Maggiore in Milano, now University of Milano) and later on it was replaced with granites. It was also used in the building structure of the Duomo di Milano, for the plinth and the piers. Nowadays, thanks to its good wear resistance and low cost, it is mainly used in polished slabs for paving: a recent application is the Frankfurt airport floor. Beola is the name of a group of heterogeneous orthogneisses with mylonitic foliation and strong mineralogical lineation (Beola Grigia, Bianca, Ghiandonata, Striata varieties), easy to split into thin slabs with hammer and chisel, occurring in the middle Ossola Valley, between Vogogna and Montecrestese. The quarries of Beola are probably the oldest of the Ossola Valley, although the precise period in which the stone started to be exported is unknown. The Beola trade probably started at the end of the XIII century, with the openin

This paper reports the results of an Interreg Project (OSMATER - Sub-Alpine Observatory Materials Territory Restoration) that investigated the present and historical quarrying and processing activities in the cross-border area between the Ossola Valley (Italy) and the Canton Ticino (Switzerland), and the use of dimension stones in local and national architecture. These materials are in many ways unique for their abundance and lithological variety. In the past, their extraction, processing and application characterized in a decisive way the architectural and constructive culture, both in terms of prestigious architecture and civil buildings, establishing a relationship between , and . In recent years, many traditions of the quarrying, processing and architectural activities are losing importance and interest is being loss, resulting in a loss of knowledge and historical memory. The loss of this knowledge is likely to become irreversible in the short term, with the disappearance of people and social groups as depositaries of tradition. We conclude that the creation of an , like OSMATER, is desirable and, indeed, essential if we want to preserve the historical memory of the stone industry of an entire production area.

The Verbano-Cusio-Ossola quarrying district (Piedmont, northern Italy) produces many different ornamental stones, one of the most important represented by “granite”, available in different colours and textures (e.g. “Rosa Baveno” and “Bianco Montorfano”). These late-Variscan granites crop out in the southern Verbano area, and their extraction dates back at least to the XV century. The diffusion of these granites is on a global scale, but there are excellent examples of local and regional use in churches and buildings. The quarrying and processing techniques have evolved and specialized over time, leading to the development of highly skilled workers. Currently the quarrying activity is somewhat reduced. However the area is an excellent example both for the recovery of waste materials and for the immense historical and artistic heritage, the result of hundreds of years of activity. Over 5 centuries of quarrying and building activities have left an important historical and artistic legacy, which could be the subject of geotouristic routes. In order to reach this goal, a greater sensibility is needed towards the historical and cultural significance of the stones (knowledge of the geological, petrographical, physical—mechanical data of the different materials).

This paper reports the results of an Interreg Project (OSMATER - Sub-Alpine Observatory Materials Territory Restoration) that investigated the present and historical quarrying and processing activities in the cross-border area between the Ossola Valley (Italy) and the Canton Ticino (Switzerland), and the use of dimension stones in local and national architecture. These materials are in many ways unique for their abundance and lithological variety. In the past, their extraction, processing and application characterized in a decisive way the architectural and constructive culture, both in terms of prestigious architecture and civil buildings, establishing a relationship between , and . In recent years, many traditions of the quarrying, processing and architectural activities are losing importance and interest is being loss, resulting in a loss of knowledge and historical memory. The loss of this knowledge is likely to become irreversible in the short term, with the disappearance of people and social groups as depositaries of tradition. We conclude that the creation of an , like OSMATER, is desirable and, indeed, essential if we want to preserve the historical memory of the stone industry of an entire production area.

The OSMATER (sub-Alpine Observatory Materials Territory Restoration) project, funded by the Piedmont Region (Italy) and the European Community, involved four Italian scientific bodies (Polytechnic of Turin, University of Turin, University of Milan-Bicocca, University of Bologna) and Switzerland (SUPSI). The aim was to investigate the present and historical quarrying and processing activities in the cross-border area between the Ossola Valley (Italy) and the Canton Ticino (Switzerland), and the use of dimension stones in local and national architecture. These materials are in many ways a "unique case", for their abundance and lithological variety. In the past, their extraction, processing and application characterized in a decisive way the architectural and constructive culture, both in terms of prestigious architecture and civil buildings, establishing a relationship between “stones and culture”, “territory and its resources”. In recent years, many of these traditions are losing importance and interest: this results in a loss of knowledge and historical memory, due mainly to the drastic changes in the market. The loss of this knowledge is likely to become irreversible in the short term, with the disappearance of people and social groups depositary of tradition. We can deduce that the creation of an "observatory", like OSMATER, is desirable and essential indeed, if we want to preserve the historical memory of the stone industry of an entire production area. The OSMATER project aimed the knowledge, recovery and enhancement of the architectural and cultural heritage of the cross-border area, through the census and classification of rocks, quarries (both active and historical - since Roman age), monuments and construction techniques typical of the sub-Alpine region, in order to create a documentation centre through a dedicated website. The first phase of the project was devoted to the identification of architectural works built with stone materials, with particular arti

The 2009 New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine Meeting was held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island on November 5-6. The meeting was attended by 751 professionals and students from clinical, academic, and government institutions. In total, the conference had 35 professional presentations and over 30 free communication presentations. The number of registrants, number of sessions, vendors, and conference survey results are presented below. The schedule grid for all presentations is also attached, as is the conference brochure., The original document contains color images.