Abstract
In several salars in the Andes Highlands in Chile, gypsum stromatolites have been described. Stromatolites are structures with organic origin and they are normally formed by carbonates. Field observations achieved in five salars in the Andes of northern Chile have permitted to recognize six stages during the gypsum stromatolites formation, from the growth of the organic mats to their almost disappearance by local erosive agents. The six stages are: 1) formation of the organic mat and start of the mineral structure development, 2) growth of the domes structure by trapping of gases in side of the organic mat, 3) development of the crystal gypsum wall , 4) death of the organic colony and exposition of the stromatolitic domes to the subaerial environment, 5) initial destruction of the dome structure and start of the central cavity filling and 6) final degradation of the structures and formation of the mounds with the gypsum crystals at the top.
Highlights
The stromatolites or microbialites are organic structures originated by the activity of a benthic microbial community that traps and binds detrital sediment and/or generates the conditions for mineral precipitation (Burne and Moore, 1987)
The purpose of this paper is to describe the physical process of formation an evolution of these gypsum stromatolites, located in salars at high geographical altitude, from the formation of the microbial mat to the final stage, when erosion occurs and the organic action terminates over time
In several salars of the Andes highlands of Chile, there are lagoons in which microbial mats with capacity to create stromatolites are present
Summary
The stromatolites or microbialites are organic structures originated by the activity of a benthic microbial community that traps and binds detrital sediment and/or generates the conditions for mineral precipitation (Burne and Moore, 1987). The purpose of this paper is to describe the physical process of formation an evolution of these gypsum stromatolites, located in salars at high geographical altitude (over 3,500 m a.s.l.), from the formation of the microbial mat to the final stage, when erosion occurs and the organic action terminates over time. This information shows a vision that aids in the recognition and understanding of this type of structures in the geological records. The data presented in this paper were taken in two fieldwork campaigns in the months of April 2013 and April 2014, as part of the study of Troncoso et al (2013) and it is based in field observations
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