Age and origin of Carlsbad Cavern and related caves from 40Ar/39Ar of alunite

Science

Volumn 279, Issue 5358, 1998, Pages 1919-1922

  Polyak, Victor J ^a   McIntosh, William C ^b   Güven, Necip ^a   Provencio, Paula ^c  

^a TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY   (United States)

^c SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

MINERAL;

ARGON-40/ARGON-39 DATING; COWL; GEOCHRONOLOGY; TERTIARY;

ARTICLE; CLAY; CLIMATE; GEOLOGY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; ROCK; TIME;

USA, NEW MEXICO;

EID: 0032549779     PISSN: 00368075     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1126/science.279.5358.1919     Document Type: Article

References (46)

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13. 34S = -30 to 0 per mil relative to troilite in the meteorite Canyon Diablo) indicate that the sulfuric acid responsible for cave genesis was derived from biogenic hydrogen sulfide (4, 9, 10) most likely produced at the base of the Castile Formation in the Delaware Basin immediately south of the Guadalupe Mountains (9). the caves were formed when the hydrogen sulfide was oxidized to sulfuric acid as it migrated upward and approached the water table in the Capitan reef and forereef facies (Capitan Limestone) (9); massive amounts of limestone and dolostone were subsequently dissolved or replaced by gypsum.
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23. 39Ar released and agreed in age within 2 standard deviations, were calculated by using the error formula of S. D. Samson and E. C. Alexander [Chem. Geol. (Isotope Geosci. Sect.) 66, 27 (1987)].
24. 39Ar released and agreed in age within 2 standard deviations, were calculated by using the error formula of S. D. Samson and E. C. Alexander [Chem. Geol. (Isotope Geosci. Sect.) 66, 27 (1987)].
25. 39Ar released and agreed in age within 2 standard deviations, were calculated by using the error formula of S. D. Samson and E. C. Alexander [Chem. Geol. (Isotope Geosci. Sect.) 66, 27 (1987)].
26. 39Ar released and agreed in age within 2 standard deviations, were calculated by using the error formula of S. D. Samson and E. C. Alexander [Chem. Geol. (Isotope Geosci. Sect.) 66, 27 (1987)].
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32. G. E. Hendrickson and R. S. Jones, Geology and Ground-Water Resources of Eddy County, New Mexico (New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Groundwater Report 3, Socorro, NM, 1952); W. S. Motts, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 79, 283 (1968); W. L. Hiss, N.M. Geol. Soc. Guidebook 31, 289 (1980); H. R. DuChene and J. S. McLean, in Subsurface and Outcrop Examination of the Capitan Shelf Margin, Northern Delaware Basin, P. M. Harris and G. A. Grover, Eds. (SEPM Core Workshop 13, San Antonio, TX, 1989), p. 475.
33. G. E. Hendrickson and R. S. Jones, Geology and Ground-Water Resources of Eddy County, New Mexico (New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Groundwater Report 3, Socorro, NM, 1952); W. S. Motts, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 79, 283 (1968); W. L. Hiss, N.M. Geol. Soc. Guidebook 31, 289 (1980); H. R. DuChene and J. S. McLean, in Subsurface and Outcrop Examination of the Capitan Shelf Margin, Northern Delaware Basin, P. M. Harris and G. A. Grover, Eds. (SEPM Core Workshop 13, San Antonio, TX, 1989), p. 475.
34. G. E. Hendrickson and R. S. Jones, Geology and Ground-Water Resources of Eddy County, New Mexico (New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Groundwater Report 3, Socorro, NM, 1952); W. S. Motts, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 79, 283 (1968); W. L. Hiss, N.M. Geol. Soc. Guidebook 31, 289 (1980); H. R. DuChene and J. S. McLean, in Subsurface and Outcrop Examination of the Capitan Shelf Margin, Northern Delaware Basin, P. M. Harris and G. A. Grover, Eds. (SEPM Core Workshop 13, San Antonio, TX, 1989), p. 475.
35. G. A. Izett, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179 (1975); W. E. Elston, Tectonics 3, 229 (1984); G. P. Eaton in Continental Extensional Tectonics, M. P. Coward, J. F. Dewey, P. L. Hancock, Eds. (Geological Society Special Publication 28, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987), p. 355; D. S. Barker, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1421 (1977); J. S. Compton, S. W. Snyder, D. A. Hodell, Geology 18, 1227 (1990); P. Cabezas, N.M. Geol. 13, 25 (1991); C. E. Chapin and S. M. Cather. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 291, 5 (1994).
36. G. A. Izett, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179 (1975); W. E. Elston, Tectonics 3, 229 (1984); G. P. Eaton in Continental Extensional Tectonics, M. P. Coward, J. F. Dewey, P. L. Hancock, Eds. (Geological Society Special Publication 28, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987), p. 355; D. S. Barker, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1421 (1977); J. S. Compton, S. W. Snyder, D. A. Hodell, Geology 18, 1227 (1990); P. Cabezas, N.M. Geol. 13, 25 (1991); C. E. Chapin and S. M. Cather. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 291, 5 (1994).
37. G. A. Izett, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179 (1975); W. E. Elston, Tectonics 3, 229 (1984); G. P. Eaton in Continental Extensional Tectonics, M. P. Coward, J. F. Dewey, P. L. Hancock, Eds. (Geological Society Special Publication 28, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987), p. 355; D. S. Barker, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1421 (1977); J. S. Compton, S. W. Snyder, D. A. Hodell, Geology 18, 1227 (1990); P. Cabezas, N.M. Geol. 13, 25 (1991); C. E. Chapin and S. M. Cather. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 291, 5 (1994).
38. G. A. Izett, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179 (1975); W. E. Elston, Tectonics 3, 229 (1984); G. P. Eaton in Continental Extensional Tectonics, M. P. Coward, J. F. Dewey, P. L. Hancock, Eds. (Geological Society Special Publication 28, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987), p. 355; D. S. Barker, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1421 (1977); J. S. Compton, S. W. Snyder, D. A. Hodell, Geology 18, 1227 (1990); P. Cabezas, N.M. Geol. 13, 25 (1991); C. E. Chapin and S. M. Cather. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 291, 5 (1994).
39. G. A. Izett, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179 (1975); W. E. Elston, Tectonics 3, 229 (1984); G. P. Eaton in Continental Extensional Tectonics, M. P. Coward, J. F. Dewey, P. L. Hancock, Eds. (Geological Society Special Publication 28, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987), p. 355; D. S. Barker, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1421 (1977); J. S. Compton, S. W. Snyder, D. A. Hodell, Geology 18, 1227 (1990); P. Cabezas, N.M. Geol. 13, 25 (1991); C. E. Chapin and S. M. Cather. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 291, 5 (1994).
40. G. A. Izett, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179 (1975); W. E. Elston, Tectonics 3, 229 (1984); G. P. Eaton in Continental Extensional Tectonics, M. P. Coward, J. F. Dewey, P. L. Hancock, Eds. (Geological Society Special Publication 28, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987), p. 355; D. S. Barker, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1421 (1977); J. S. Compton, S. W. Snyder, D. A. Hodell, Geology 18, 1227 (1990); P. Cabezas, N.M. Geol. 13, 25 (1991); C. E. Chapin and S. M. Cather. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 291, 5 (1994).
41. G. A. Izett, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 144, 179 (1975); W. E. Elston, Tectonics 3, 229 (1984); G. P. Eaton in Continental Extensional Tectonics, M. P. Coward, J. F. Dewey, P. L. Hancock, Eds. (Geological Society Special Publication 28, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987), p. 355; D. S. Barker, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 88, 1421 (1977); J. S. Compton, S. W. Snyder, D. A. Hodell, Geology 18, 1227 (1990); P. Cabezas, N.M. Geol. 13, 25 (1991); C. E. Chapin and S. M. Cather. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 291, 5 (1994).
42. B. P. Flower and J. P. Kennett, Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 108, 537 (1994); J. A. Wolfe, ibid., p. 195; C. Latorre, J. Quade, W. C. McIntosh, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 146, 83 (1997); G. M. Filippelli, Geology 25, 27 (1997).
43. B. P. Flower and J. P. Kennett, Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 108, 537 (1994); J. A. Wolfe, ibid., p. 195; C. Latorre, J. Quade, W. C. McIntosh, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 146, 83 (1997); G. M. Filippelli, Geology 25, 27 (1997).
44. B. P. Flower and J. P. Kennett, Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 108, 537 (1994); J. A. Wolfe, ibid., p. 195; C. Latorre, J. Quade, W. C. McIntosh, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 146, 83 (1997); G. M. Filippelli, Geology 25, 27 (1997).
45. B. P. Flower and J. P. Kennett, Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 108, 537 (1994); J. A. Wolfe, ibid., p. 195; C. Latorre, J. Quade, W. C. McIntosh, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 146, 83 (1997); G. M. Filippelli, Geology 25, 27 (1997).
46. 39Ar geochronology work was provided by the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources.