Giant stromatolites of the Eocene Green River Formation (Colorado, USA)

Research Article| August 01, 2015 Giant stromatolites of the Eocene Green River Formation (Colorado, USA) Stanley M. Awramik; Stanley M. Awramik * 1Department of Earth Science, University of California–Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA *E-mails: awramik@geol.ucsb.edu; pbuchheim@llu.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar H. Paul Buchheim H. Paul Buchheim * 2Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92350, USA *E-mails: awramik@geol.ucsb.edu; pbuchheim@llu.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Stanley M. Awramik * 1Department of Earth Science, University of California–Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA H. Paul Buchheim * 2Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92350, USA *E-mails: awramik@geol.ucsb.edu; pbuchheim@llu.edu Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 18 Mar 2015 Revision Received: 18 May 2015 Accepted: 20 May 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2015 Geological Society of America Geology (2015) 43 (8): 691–694. https://doi.org/10.1130/G36793.1 Article history Received: 18 Mar 2015 Revision Received: 18 May 2015 Accepted: 20 May 2015 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Stanley M. Awramik, H. Paul Buchheim; Giant stromatolites of the Eocene Green River Formation (Colorado, USA). Geology 2015;; 43 (8): 691–694. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G36793.1 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 The Eocene Green River Formation in the Sand Wash Basin, Colorado (United States), contains the largest known lacustrine columnar stromatolites. Spectacular columns, as much as 5.5 m high with diameters of 7 m, occur over a broad area. The stromatolites are composed of laterally continuous centimeter-thick layers that can be traced from the base to the top of the column (synoptic relief), thus these stromatolites stood as much as 5.5 m above the lake floor. The layers consist of one to several different kinds of microbialites, which makes these large columns even more unusual. The giant columns were the result of a combination of factors including the lake transgressing a flooded woodland, in situ tree stumps providing elevated substrates above the lake floor, an abundant supply of calcium-rich spring and surface water that mixed with saline-alkaline lake water, and the subsidence rate of the nearshore lake environment not exceeding the rate at which the stromatolites grew. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.