Growth rate observation from the moss-built checa travertine terrace, central Spain
By: Weijermars, Ruud.
Contributor(s): Mulder-Blanken, Carla W | Wiegers, Jaap.
Material type: ArticleDescription: 279-286pp ; Illustration.Subject(s): The checa travertine deposit - Spain | Bryophyta | Sedimentary petrology | Bryum pseudotriquetrum | cratoneuron commutatum In: Geological magazine : Vol. 123 Iss. 1-6 Year. 1986Summary: In situ observations of fossil and living specimens of the calcicolous mosses Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Cratoneuron commutatum and Catoscopium nigritum revealed very fast calcite depositional rates. Rhythmic layering in the fossil mosses corresponding with the seasonal climatic cycle suggests that the moss curtain occupied by these three mosses maintains the deposition of spongeous travertine layers at a mean rate of 4 cm a−1. A mean depositional rate of 4.2 cm a−1 may be calculated from measurements of the loss of bicarbonate from the springwater after it percolated through the moss curtain. These rates suggest that the 8 m high travertine terrace of Checa with a surface area of 800 m2 did not exist two millennia ago. Mosses could be put to man's use for creating natural overgrowths on artificial surfaces, an idea based on an allusion by Wallner. He observed that the thread-forming, blue-green algae Vaucheria builds travertine deposits at an annual rate of 0.7–1.4 cm. We observed that the mosses Cratoneuron commutatum and Bryum pseudotriquetrum may form spongeous travertine layers at respective maximum rates of 11 and 14 cm a−1. This would reduce the time required to build natural overgrowths on artificial objects to a practical period of months.Item type | Current location | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Article | Library and Information Centre Periodical Section | Bound Journal Collection | Not for loan | 002533_50 | ||
Serials/Scientific Journal | Library and Information Centre Periodical Section | Bound Journal Collection | 550 GEO (Browse shelf) | Available | 002533 |
In situ observations of fossil and living specimens of the calcicolous mosses Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Cratoneuron commutatum and Catoscopium nigritum revealed very fast calcite depositional rates. Rhythmic layering in the fossil mosses corresponding with the seasonal climatic cycle suggests that the moss curtain occupied by these three mosses maintains the deposition of spongeous travertine layers at a mean rate of 4 cm a−1. A mean depositional rate of 4.2 cm a−1 may be calculated from measurements of the loss of bicarbonate from the springwater after it percolated through the moss curtain. These rates suggest that the 8 m high travertine terrace of Checa with a surface area of 800 m2 did not exist two millennia ago.
Mosses could be put to man's use for creating natural overgrowths on artificial surfaces, an idea based on an allusion by Wallner. He observed that the thread-forming, blue-green algae Vaucheria builds travertine deposits at an annual rate of 0.7–1.4 cm. We observed that the mosses Cratoneuron commutatum and Bryum pseudotriquetrum may form spongeous travertine layers at respective maximum rates of 11 and 14 cm a−1. This would reduce the time required to build natural overgrowths on artificial objects to a practical period of months.
There are no comments for this item.