Cavernous weathering in the Capitol Reef Desert, Utah

Abstract

AbstractTafoni and honeycomb weathering are abundant in sandstones at Capitol Reef National Park. Cavities are particularly common in talus blocks resting on alkali‐rich soil, in vertical walls of desert washes, and in sandstones containing calcareous cement. Chemical analyses, X‐ray diffraction data, and field observations suggest that salt weathering is the most important cause of disintegration, but dissolution of calcite cement also occurs in calcareous sandstones. Cavernous weathering at Capitol Reef produces cavities similar in appearance to features found in arkose outcrops along the coast of northwest Washington, even though the environmental conditions at these two locations are very different.