Travertine

uring the spring of 1960, an uncle showed me a 'petrifying spring' near Plaxtol in Kent Dwhere twigs had been encased in a calcareous jacket. A twig was collected and having - cently been given I. Evan's Observer's Book of Geology by my parents, I found a photograph of another petrifying spring and an explanation of its origin. In those days, Derbyshire was too far for a holiday destination, and I took little further interest until a research studentship with Professor G. E. Fogg became available in 1971. Tony Fogg had recently moved to the University College of North Wales, Bangor and the research was to be into cyanobacterium mats, with fieldwork along the Red Sea coast. The fieldwork never materialised but my interest in algal mats had been aroused. A chance stroll along the Bangor shore revealed beautifully calcified cya- bacterium mats, and Tony generously allowed me to investigate these instead. The old Plaxtol collection was retrieved and yielded abundant cyanobacteria. It became apparent that here was a wealth of information about a rock whose formation was so rapid, that the process could be studied in days rather than years - an exceptional state of affairs. A search of the literature also revealed that the rock, a form of travertine, had other unusual features.

List of contents

Origins of the Components.- The Travertine Fabric.- Morphology and Facies.- Limestone Solution, Groundwater and Spring Emergence.- Chemical Composition of Source Waters.- Mineralogy and Elemental Composition.- Stable Isotopes.- Organisms Associated with Travertine.- Deposition Processes.- Travertine Dating.- Palaeobiology and Biostratigraphy of Quaternary Travertines.- Climate, Man and Travertine.- Travertines and Their Fossils: Archaean to Pliocene.- Related Sediments and Industrial Deposits.- Extraterrestrial Travertine.- Utilisation of Travertine.

Summary

uring the spring of 1960, an uncle showed me a ‘petrifying spring’ near Plaxtol in Kent Dwhere twigs had been encased in a calcareous jacket. A twig was collected and having - cently been given I. Evan’s Observer’s Book of Geology by my parents, I found a photograph of another petrifying spring and an explanation of its origin. In those days, Derbyshire was too far for a holiday destination, and I took little further interest until a research studentship with Professor G. E. Fogg became available in 1971. Tony Fogg had recently moved to the University College of North Wales, Bangor and the research was to be into cyanobacterium mats, with fieldwork along the Red Sea coast. The fieldwork never materialised but my interest in algal mats had been aroused. A chance stroll along the Bangor shore revealed beautifully calcified cya- bacterium mats, and Tony generously allowed me to investigate these instead. The old Plaxtol collection was retrieved and yielded abundant cyanobacteria. It became apparent that here was a wealth of information about a rock whose formation was so rapid, that the process could be studied in days rather than years – an exceptional state of affairs. A search of the literature also revealed that the rock, a form of travertine, had other unusual features.

Additional text

From the reviews:

"This is the first book devoted entirely to travertine … . It is really everything you wanted to know about travertine, and more! … the book is generally well presented with a consistent format and the nice use of figures and tables. There are twenty-two excellent photo plates … . an excellent resource." (Mark Stephens, Journal of Sedimentary Research, August, 2006)

"In conclusion, Travertine is an excellent contribution, condensing the large literature base on travertine into one book. The book's strength is the thorough, well-organized, and interdisciplinary survey of travertine, reflecting the author's extensive experience with the topic. Each chapter in this book provides and excellent starting point and literature review to launch more detailed inquiries about travertine and travertine depositing systems." (Dennis L. Newell, EOS Newsletter, vol. 88, no. 22, 29 May 2007)

"This book is an excellent compilation of important ideas and key information covering much of the available literature on freshwater carbonate deposition in both ambient temperature and thermal situations. It is particularly valuable to researchers as a source book as it contains over 1200 cited references, together with 102 figures … . I found it a most enjoyable read. Certainly, I would warmly recommend it to colleagues and all those wishing better to understand freshwater limestones." (Martyn Pedley, Geological Magazine, Vol. 144 (3), 2007)

Report

From the reviews:

"This is the first book devoted entirely to travertine ... . It is really everything you wanted to know about travertine, and more! ... the book is generally well presented with a consistent format and the nice use of figures and tables. There are twenty-two excellent photo plates ... . an excellent resource." (Mark Stephens, Journal of Sedimentary Research, August, 2006)
"In conclusion, Travertine is an excellent contribution, condensing the large literature base on travertine into one book. The book's strength is the thorough, well-organized, and interdisciplinary survey of travertine, reflecting the author's extensive experience with the topic. Each chapter in this book provides and excellent starting point and literature review to launch more detailed inquiries about travertine and travertine depositing systems." (Dennis L. Newell, EOS Newsletter, vol. 88, no. 22, 29 May 2007)
"This book is an excellent compilation of important ideas and key information covering much of the available literature on freshwater carbonate deposition in both ambient temperature and thermal situations. It is particularly valuable to researchers as a source book as it contains over 1200 cited references, together with 102 figures ... . I found it a most enjoyable read. Certainly, I would warmly recommend it to colleagues and all those wishing better to understand freshwater limestones." (Martyn Pedley, Geological Magazine, Vol. 144 (3), 2007)

Product details

• Authors: Allan Pentecost
• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 18.10.2010
• EAN: 9789048168910
• ISBN: 978-90-481-6891-0
• No. of pages: 446
• Weight: 692 g
• Illustrations: XIV, 446 p. 204 illus.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > Geology; B, Life Sciences, geology, Earth and Environmental Science, Life sciences: general issues, Geology, geomorphology & the lithosphere, Ecological science, the Biosphere, Materials science, Materials Science, general, Earth Sciences, Sedimentology & pedology, Life Sciences, general, Freshwater & Marine Ecology, Aquatic ecology, Hydrobiology, Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Sedimentology, Economic Geology