EARTH221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 31: Speleothem, Speleology, Radiocarbon Dating
26 Aug 2016
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I would like to pick the geochemistry aspect of speleology. In particular, i would like to discuss how speleothems are formed via geochemical processes. Speleothems are mineral deposits formed from groundwater within caves located underground. These structures are formed as a result of acidic water eroding limestone and resulting in water enriched in calcium carbonate. As the water loses its acidity or is evaporated the calcium carbonate is left behind forming structures. I can also discuss how layers in the speleothem are dated using uranium decay. https://www. ncdc. noaa. gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data/datasets/speleothem http://www. waitomocaves. com/downloads/speleothems. pdf http://earthobservatory. nasa. gov/features/paleoclimatology_speleothems/ http://www. ldeo. columbia. edu/~peter/resources/seminar/readings/schwarcz_speleothems_review_e ncyclopedia"07. pdf http://list25. com/25-most-amazing-caves-in-the-world/5/ http://ngm. nationalgeographic. com/2008/11/crystal-giants/shea-text/2. Speleology is defined as the scientific study of caves and other karst features, their composition, properties and the processes by which they form. The focus of this presentation is on speleothems and the method by which they are dated. Speleothems are structures that form in caves due to the precipitation of minerals from water entering the cave.
