Travertinos actuales (El Saladillo, Murcia) y fósiles (Azuaje, Gran Canaria)mismas facies en contextos geológicos distintos
- A. Rodríguez-Berriguete
- M.A. Bustillo
- A.M. Alonso-Zarza
ISSN: 1576-5172
Year of publication: 2016
Issue Title: IX CONGRESO GEOLÓGICO DE ESPAÑA
Issue: 16
Pages: 169-173
Type: Article
More publications in: Geotemas (Madrid)
Abstract
An active travertine (El Saladillo, Murcia) and a fossil travertine (Azuaje, Las Palmas) have been compared in the present work. Both travertines show similar facies and mineralogy despite their formed under different geological settings (sedimentary and volcanic respectively). Aragonite, usually as spherulitic crystal aggregates, is the dominant mineral phase close to the spring. Aragonite content diminishes distally to spring, whereas trigonal calcite crystals become to be the dominant mineral phase. Characteristic facies found in both deposits are: shrubs, coated bubbles, laminated crusts, coated grains, and micrite deposits containing abundant diatoms. These deposits correspond to spring-fed pool-cascade systems. Strong chemical disequilibrium close to spring and downflow trend to chemical equilibrium control facies, mineralogy, and their variations along the system.