Summary
Subaerial diagenesis produces microfabrics within carbonates that can be used for recognition of ancient subaerially exposed deposits. Porous, permeable, dune and beach sands display pronounced development of subaerial microfabric features. Pleistocene grainstones from San Salvador, Bahamas, contain rhizoliths, pedotubules, alveolar textures, calcified root hairs, Microcodium, laminated micrite, clotted micrite, soil pisoids, circumgranular cracking, horizontal fractures, microbial borings, and iron-rich clay accumulations, produced by subaerial exposure.
The preservation of subaerial diagenetic microfabrics in ancient carbonates is illustrated with examples from the Bryantsville Breccia of the Mississippian Ste. Genevieve Formation in south-central Indiana. Microfabrics observed in the Bryantsville Breccia include rhizoliths, alveolar textures, possible Microcodium, clotted micrite, caliche pisoids, brecciated micrite and horizontally fractured micrite.
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Bain, R.J., Foos, A.M. (1993). Carbonate Microfabrics Related to Subaerial Exposure and Paleosol Formation. In: Rezak, R., Lavoie, D.L. (eds) Carbonate Microfabrics. Frontiers in Sedimentary Geology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-9421-1_2
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