Thermal genesis of dissolution caves in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Research Article| December 01, 1987 Thermal genesis of dissolution caves in the Black Hills, South Dakota M. J. BAKALOWICZ; M. J. BAKALOWICZ 1Laboratoire Souterrain, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 09200 St Girons, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar D. C. FORD; D. C. FORD 2Department of Geography, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar T. E. MILLER; T. E. MILLER 3Department of Geography and Geology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. N. PALMER; A. N. PALMER 4Department of Earth Sciences, State University College, Oneonta, New York 13820 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. V. PALMER M. V. PALMER 4Department of Earth Sciences, State University College, Oneonta, New York 13820 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information M. J. BAKALOWICZ 1Laboratoire Souterrain, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 09200 St Girons, France D. C. FORD 2Department of Geography, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada T. E. MILLER 3Department of Geography and Geology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809 A. N. PALMER 4Department of Earth Sciences, State University College, Oneonta, New York 13820 M. V. PALMER 4Department of Earth Sciences, State University College, Oneonta, New York 13820 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1987) 99 (6): 729–738. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1987)99<729:TGODCI>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation M. J. BAKALOWICZ, D. C. FORD, T. E. MILLER, A. N. PALMER, M. V. PALMER; Thermal genesis of dissolution caves in the Black Hills, South Dakota. GSA Bulletin 1987;; 99 (6): 729–738. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1987)99<729:TGODCI>2.0.CO;2 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 SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Jewel Cave (118 km of mapped passages beneath an area of 2.7 km2) and Wind Cave (70 km beneath 1.8 km2) are, respectively, the fourth and tenth longest known cave systems and the world's foremost examples of three-dimensional, rectilinear networks of solutional passages. Other caves in the Black Hills are similar. They occur in 90–140 m of well-bedded Mississippian limestone and dolomite. Walls throughout Jewel Cave are lined with euhedral calcite spar as much as 15 cm thick. Wind Cave displays lesser encrustations and remarkable calcite boxwork. Since 1938, opinion has favored cave excavation by slowly circulating meteoric waters in artesian confinement similar to that surrounding the Black Hills.We believe that the caves were developed by regional thermal waters focusing on paleospring outlets in outlying sandstones. Four sets of criteria are evaluated: (1) morphological—the three-dimensional, one-phase maze form having convectional features is similar to known and supposed thermal caves in Europe; (2) petrographic and mineralogical study of the chief precipitates shows a record of carbonate solution → calcite precipitation consonant with a model of cooling, then degassing, waters; (3) a thermal anomaly at regional hot springs is shown to extend beneath Wind Cave, where basal lake-water samples show chemical and isotopic affinities with the thermal waters; and (4) δ13C and δ18O measurements place all suspected paleothermal water precipitates in the domain of thermal calcites reported by others and being deposited at the modern hot springs. Finally, U-series dates show that the Wind Cave deposits are Quaternary and that the cave is still draining. Jewel Cave is truly relict and divorced from the modern thermal ground-water system; its great calcite spar sheets are probably older than 1.25–1.50 Ma. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.