Gypsum gravel devils in Chile: Movement of largest natural grains by wind?

Research Article| May 01, 2017 Gypsum gravel devils in Chile: Movement of largest natural grains by wind? Kathleen C. Benison Kathleen C. Benison 1Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6300, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6300, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Kathleen C. Benison 1Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6300, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6300, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 27 Jun 2016 Revision Received: 18 Jan 2017 Accepted: 19 Jan 2017 First Online: 28 Jun 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2682 Print Issn: 0091-7613 © 2017 Geological Society of America Geology (2017) 45 (5): 423–426. https://doi.org/10.1130/G38901.1 Article history Received: 27 Jun 2016 Revision Received: 18 Jan 2017 Accepted: 19 Jan 2017 First Online: 28 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Kathleen C. Benison; Gypsum gravel devils in Chile: Movement of largest natural grains by wind?. Geology 2017;; 45 (5): 423–426. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G38901.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Whirlwinds, dry convective helical vortices, move large gypsum crystals in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile. The crystals are entrained from a saline pan surface, where they grew in shallow surface brines. They are transported as much as 5 km and deposited in large dune-like mounds. The dune gravel is cemented relatively quickly by gypsum cement precipitating from near-surface saline groundwater, resulting in gypsum breccia. This marks the first occurrence of gravel-sized grains moved efficiently in air by suspension, provides a new possible interpretation for some ancient breccias and conglomerates, and improves understanding of limits of extremity of Earth surface environments. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.