Genesis of folia in a non-thermal epigenic cave (Matanzas, Cuba)

D’Angeli, Ilenia Maria; Waele, Jo De; Melendres, Osmany Ceballo; Tisato, Nicola; Sauro, Francesco; Gonzales, Esteban R. G.; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; Torriani, Stefano F. F.; Bontognali, Tomaso R. R.

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.09.006

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The mammillary calcite deposits have an acicular texture made of aragonite crystals (Figure 5(M)-(N); squares 11 and 12 in Figure 3). The folia speleothem (S.C.3.1) also presents a very complex inner structure (D'Angeli et al, 2015) subdivided into three main parts (Figure 3): the inner one (with a triangular shape; square 13 in Figure 3) is a porous texture characterized by calcite and aragonite crystals, upon which calcite rafts deposited (square 14 in Figure 3). The external surface is composed of secondary microcrystalline calcite (square 15 in Figure 3).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 'mushrooms' represent a composite structure and can be considered as the most significant speleothem of Santa Catalina Cave, being the result of an assemblage of both continental and rare exotic speleothems. A detailed analysis allowed us to recognize several stages of formation: an inner stalagmite is surrounded by a raft cone structure, subsequently covered by mammillary calcite formations, on which calcite rafts and POS deposited forming the mushroom caps (Bontognali et al, 2016), having the lower surface characterized by folia (D'Angeli et al, 2015) (Figures 1 and 2). Seven samples of POS (16 m apsl) were dated demonstrating the presence of standing water pools during MIS 5e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

Waele

D’Angeli

Bontognali

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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A flight of marine terraces along the Cuban coast records Quaternary sea‐level highstands and a general slowly uplifting trend during the Pleistocene. U/Th dating of these limestone terraces is difficult because fossil reef corals have been affected by open system conditions. Terrace ages are thus often based on geological and geomorphological observations. In contrast, the minimum age of the terraces can be constrained by dating speleothems from coastal mixing (flank margin) caves formed during past sea‐level highstands and carving the marine limestones. Speleothems in Santa Catalina Cave have ages >360 ka and show various cycles of subaerial–subaqueous corrosion and speleothem growth. This suggests that the cave was carved during the MIS 11 sea‐level highstand or earlier. Some stalagmites grew during MIS 11 through MIS 8 and were submerged twice, once at the end of MIS 11 and then during MIS 9. Phreatic overgrowths (POS) covering the speleothems suggest anchialine conditions in the cave during MIS 5e. Their altitude at 16 m above present sea level indicates a late Pleistocene uplift rate of <0.1 mm/ka, but modelling also shows uplift to have been insignificant over a long timespan during the middle Pleistocene since the cave was carved. Our study shows that some flank margin caves in the region of Matanzas are older than commonly believed (i.e. MIS 11 rather than MIS 5). These caves not only can be preserved but are good markers of interglacial sea‐level highstands, more reliable than marine abrasion surfaces. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

Waele

D’Angeli

Bontognali

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…The cave is carved in the fossiliferous reef limestones of the Vedado Formation of Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene age (Cabrera and Penãlver, 2001) and comprises more than 10 km of galleries that develop on three dry sub-horizontal levels. The uppermost level, which can be classified as a flank margin cave (Mylroie and Carew, 1990), hosts more than 100 mushroom-shaped speleothems (D'Angeli et al, 2015), located ∼16 m above presentday sea-and water-table level. Due to the presence of some military infrastructures in broadly the same region of the studied area, we are not authorized to report the exact location and topographic survey of the cave.…”

Section: Geological Setting Sampling and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These curious and unique speleothems have also been found in another Cuban cave on the Cayo Caguanes island (Nuñez Jimenez, 1962, 1973, but in Santa Catalina Cave they reach dimensions and numbers by far more important. Although these speleothems have been well-known by speleologists for decades, and Santa Catalina has been declared "National Monument" in 1996 (Watson et al, 1997;D'Angeli et al, 2015), the exact mechanism of their formation, as well as their petrography and mineralogy, remain virtually unstudied. Besides representing a yet uncharacterized type of speleothem, they are of utmost interest due to their uppermost unit (i.e., the mushroom cap), which is similar to stromatolitic and thrombolitic microbialites that form in the presence of microbial mats (Figures 1A,B; Jahnert and Collins, 2012;Bosak et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mushroom Speleothems: Stromatolites That Formed in the Absence of Phototrophs

et al. 2016

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Unusual speleothems resembling giant mushrooms occur in Cueva Grande de Santa Catalina, Cuba. Although these mineral buildups are considered a natural heritage, their composition and formation mechanism remain poorly understood. Here we characterize their morphology and mineralogy and present a model for their genesis. We propose that the mushrooms, which are mainly comprised of calcite and aragonite, formed during four different phases within an evolving cave environment. The stipe of the mushroom is an assemblage of three well-known speleothems: a stalagmite surrounded by calcite rafts that were subsequently encrusted by cave clouds (mammillaries). More peculiar is the cap of the mushroom, which is morphologically similar to cerebroid stromatolites and thrombolites of microbial origin occurring in marine environments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations of this last unit revealed the presence of fossilized extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)-the constituents of biofilms and microbial mats. These organic microstructures are mineralized with Ca-carbonate, suggesting that the mushroom cap formed through a microbially-influenced mineralization process. The existence of cerebroid Ca-carbonate buildups forming in dark caves (i.e., in the absence of phototrophs) has interesting implications for the study of fossil microbialites preserved in ancient rocks, which are today considered as one of the earliest evidence for life on Earth.

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“…All these speleothems occur together in the upper level of the cave and are no longer active, except for some vadose recent stalactites and stalagmites. Albeit many of these speleothems typically indicate a thermal origin, detailed studies indicate that these types of concretions can form by degassing and/or evaporation in non‐thermal shallow phreatic conditions (Bontognali et al., ; D'Angeli, De Waele et al., ; Ginés et al., ; Pomar, Ginés & Ginés, ). The fact that typical phreatic speleothems, such as mammillary calcite, appear in close relationship with vadose ones (i.e.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Coastal uplift rate at Matanzas (Cuba) inferred from MIS5e phreatic overgrowths on speleothems

et al. 2017

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Many morphological elements in Cuba's landscape (e.g. marine terraces, tidal notches) demonstrate that coastal uplift has taken place, but the rate at which this occurs is not known. Carbonate phreatic overgrowths on speleothems have been found in a cave in Central North Cuba,~1 km from the present coastline at 16 m asl. They form exceptional and unique mushroom-shaped speleothems and balconies decorating the walls of the rooms. These phreatic overgrowths on speleothems (POS) formed at the oscillating air-water interface in sea-level controlled anchialine lakes. U/Th dating of these overgrowths suggests ages that are compatible with the Marine Isotope Stage 5e (i.e. 130-115 ka). These POS have fixed this sea-level highstand and demonstrate that this part of Cuba has been subjected to a much lower uplift rate than previously reported, that is, less than 0.1 mm/year since the last interglacial. | INTRODUCTIONSea-level markers, such as beaches or tidal notches, are often found at altitudes far above or below present sea level. Their position indicates a relative sea-level variation, which is a combination of sealevel changes and vertical movements. The age of these sea-level markers can sometimes allow the quantification of coastal uplift or subsidence rates.The eustatic sea level is highly variable, due to changes both in the size of the ocean basins (controlled by plate tectonics and sediment input) and in the amount and nature of liquid water (climate-dependent;Church et al., 2013). During the Quaternary, these sea-level changes have been mainly related to the cyclic interchanging between glacial and interglacial stages, with sea level dropping by more than 100 metres during the ice ages and exposing most of the continental shelf. During periods of intense glacial

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Genesis of folia in a non-thermal epigenic cave (Matanzas, Cuba)

Cited by 16 publications

References 15 publications

Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

Mushroom Speleothems: Stromatolites That Formed in the Absence of Phototrophs

Coastal uplift rate at Matanzas (Cuba) inferred from MIS5e phreatic overgrowths on speleothems

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