Abstract
Common models for modern calcite precipitation in and around caves, soils, springs and streams involve CO2 supplied by thick, high pCO(2) biogenic soils which were probably thin or non-existent before vascular plants. Indeed plant-influenced chemical weathering might have caused accelerated terrestrial carbonate production from the Devonian onwards. However terrestrial carbonates have also been documented from the Archaean, Proterozoic, Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian. Mechanisms which could have caused non-marine carbonates to precipitate without organic-rich soils are described, and some geological events likely to have influenced non-marine carbonate precipitation up to the origin of vascular plants are highlighted. As organisms have evolved, so have the petrographic characteristics of non-marine carbonates: some examples of this are also given here. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 213-239 |
| Number of pages | 27 |
| Journal | Earth Science Reviews |
| Volume | 104 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 4 Nov 2010 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2011 |
Bibliographical note
Helpful comments on an early draft of this manuscript were provided by Tony Fallick (SUERC), IGME gave permission to work in Greece. Tony Prave (St Andrews) and Martin Brasier (Oxford). Mike Simmons and Richard James (Neftex Petroleum) suggested some formations which might contain non-marine carbonates for Table 1. Dineke Brasier assisted with proof reading. The journal editors and reviewers provided helpful comments. ATB is supported by NERC grant NE/G00398X/1.Keywords
- calcrete
- travertine
- speleothem
- terrestrial vegetation
- Palaeozoic
- Precambrian
- old red sandstone
- pinus-sylvestris seedlings
- carbonate platform growth
- ordovician alluvial-fan
- needle-fiber calcite
- mammoth-hot-springs
- land plants
- middle ordovician
- South-Australia
- isotopic composition
