Title
Origin of the Whewellite-rich Rock Crust in the Lower Pecos Region of Southwest Texas and Its Significance to Paleoclimate Reconstructions
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-1996
Abstract
A calcium oxalate (whewellite)-rich crust occurs on exposed limestone surfaces in dry rock and open air shelters in the Lower Pecos region of southwest Texas. The crust, which also contains gypsum and clay, formed over silica-rich limestone during the Holocene. SEM and optical photomicrographs reveal similarities between whewellite microstructures and the lichenAspicilia calcarea.This desert lichen is known to produce calcium oxalate, and has been found in several sites in the region. The ubiquity of the whewellite-rich crust in the Lower Pecos shelters suggests that the lichen flourished in the past. SinceA. calcareais a desert species, the virulence of the organism likely peaked during xeric climate episodes then waned during mesic periods. Thus, radiocarbon ages of whewellite would correspond to dry climate periods experienced in the region, while periods with few or no14C data would indicate wet climate episodes. A preliminary paleoclimate reconstruction based on fourteen AMS14C dates indicates the Lower Pecos experienced dry to wet climate fluctuations during the late Holocene. This reconstruction generally agrees with other models established for Texas.
Department
Physics and Astronomy
Publication Title
Quaternary Research
Recommended Citation
J. Russ, R.L. Palma, D.H. Loyd, T.W. Boutton, and M.A. Coy, 1996. Origin of the Whewellite-rich Rock Crust in the Lower Pecos Region of Southwest Texas and Its Significance to Paleoclimate Reconstructions. Quaternary Research 46(1), 27-36.
DOI
10.1006/qres.1996.0041
Link to Publisher Version (DOI)
Publisher's Copyright and Source
Copyright © 1996 University of Washington. Article published by Elsevier in Quaternary Research, volume 46, issue number 1, July 1996, pages 27-36. Available online on April 22, 2002: https://doi.org/10.1006/qres.1996.0041
