Dolocrete groundwater

Figure 2.10 Geometries of groundwater calcretes and dolocretes. Linear, ribbon-like valley calcretes are known from the late Cenozoic of central and Western Australia, and the late Triassic of the Paris Basin (see text). Lacustrine groundwater calcretes or dolocretes forming halo-like masses are known from the Danian of Provence (see text). Alluvial fans are associated with sheet-like bodies, and are known from the Plio-Pleistocene of Oman and the Palomas Basin (New Mexico), and the Paleocene of the Lisbon and Sado basins (see text).

Colson, J. Cojan, I. (1996) Groundwater dolocretes ina lake-marginal environment an alternative model for dolocrete formation in continental settings (Danian of the Provence Basin, France). Sedimentology 43, 175-188. 

Spotl, C. Wright, V.P. (1992) Groundwater dolocretes from the Upper Triassic of the Paris Basin, France a case study of an arid, continental diagenetic facies. Sedimentology 39, 1119-1136. 

Geometries of groundwater calcretes and dolocretes. Schematic diagram showing the laterite-ferricrete genetic relationship, and the natural continuum between the autochthonous (i.e. in situ weathering profiles) and allochthonous end-members. 

Sources of Ca and Mg for calcrete and dolocrete are uncertain, but are often believed to be windblown dust. Calcium and Mg may also be derived from pyroclastic material (Bestland Retallack, 1993) and oceanic aerosols (Quade et al., 1995). These sources are also relevant to phreatic carbonates. In some cases the groundwater may bring ions... 

El-Sayed, M.I., Fairchild, I.J. Spiro, B. (1991) Kuwaiti dolocrete petrology, geochemistry and groundwater origin. Sediment. Geol. 73, 59-75. 

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