Submarine botryoidal aragonite in Holocene reef limestones, Belize

Research Article| July 01, 1976 Submarine botryoidal aragonite in Holocene reef limestones, Belize R. N. Ginsburg; R. N. Ginsburg 1Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Fisher Island, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar N. P. James N. P. James 2Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Fisher Island, Miami Beach, Florida 33139; Present address: Department of Geology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information R. N. Ginsburg 1Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Fisher Island, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 N. P. James 2Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Fisher Island, Miami Beach, Florida 33139; Present address: Department of Geology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1976) 4 (7): 431–436. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1976)4<431:SBAIHR>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation R. N. Ginsburg, N. P. James; Submarine botryoidal aragonite in Holocene reef limestones, Belize. Geology 1976;; 4 (7): 431–436. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1976)4<431:SBAIHR>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 SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Botryoidal aragonite commonly rims and fills voids in Holocene reef-wall limestone of the seaward-facing margins of Belize (British Honduras) barrier and atoll reefs. The cavernous, well-cemented reef-wall limestone that occurs between 65 and 120 m on the barrier reef consists of reef corals encased in algal-plate (Halimeda) packstone-wackestone; the botryoidal aragonite occurs in cylindrical bivalve borings, in polygonal shelter cavities, and in laminar to amoeboid voids of unknown origin. Mamelons of the fibrous aragonite as much as 5 cm thick often rim void ceilings, occasionally grow from void floors, and frequently fill voids completely. In other cavities the mamelons overlie floors of cemented internal sediment, and in still others they have laminations of internal sediment.The aragonite is clearly marine: (1) it occurs within an unaltered reef limestone less than 13,000 yr old; (2) benthic fora-minifera occur locally within mamelons, and in others there are laminations of marine sediment; and (3) the aragonite has an average Sr2+ content of 8,300 ppm, an 018 average of +1.0 0/00, and a C13 average of +4.2 00/0, all characteristic of marine precipitation. The mamelons of botryoidal aragonite are similar in shape, texture, and fabric to some of the common cavity-filling cements in Paleozoic reef limestones. 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.