Caliche profile formation, Saldanha Bay (South Africa)

Abstract

ABSTRACTA sequence of gradational lithification events can be observed in caliche profiles, in the Saldanha Bay area (South Africa), from friable lightly cemented aeolian calcarenites or littoral shelly deposits through an intermediate semi‐indurated zone to an upper strongly indurated zone (calcrete).Lightly cemented sediment fabrics exhibit bridge and meniscus cements, micritic druses and vadose compaction phenomena. The middle semi‐indurated zones exhibit coated grains in which irregular borings and/or tubules with tangential acicular fibres contribute to coated grains. Random networks of acicular fibres also occur in void spaces. In fully indurated upper layers of the caliche profiles, fabrics of micriteand microspar (in voids) occur in complex brecciated macro‐fabrics.The features represent changes in a sequence from the friable primary sediments to the calcretes. Fresh‐water vadose flushing leaches grains and causes formation of meniscus and bridge cements and uneven druses. In the middle zone, inorganic processes are aided by the action of micro‐organisms; fungi, bacteria or algae which produce tubules and irregular borings; the overall effect of which is to break down original detrital carbonate particles and enclose them in a crypto‐crystalline micrite. The acicular fibres probably result from evaporation of supersaturated solution. Mechanical processes cause fracturing, which repeated many times gives complicated brecciated fabrics within the upper indurated zone.