Environmental controls of speleothem mineralogy in a karstic dolomitic terrain (Soreq Cave, Israel)

M. Bar-Matthews, A. Matthews, A. Ayalon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pleistocene speleothems of the Soreq Cave, Beth Shemesh, Israel, situated within karstic Cretaceous dolomitic rocks, consist of two major mineralogical types: 1) monomineralic, low-magnesium calcite straw stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, and pool deposits; 2) mineralogically heterogeneous deposits in the form of conical stalactites, flowstones and cave corals produced from thin-flowing solution films or sprays. Mineralogical features such as the oscillations between LMC and Mg-enriched composite zones may indicate environmental alternations in the past. Aragonites occur as late infillings or as overgrowths on present day or paleosurfaces. -from Authors

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)189-207
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Geology
Volume99
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1991
Externally publishedYes

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