Morphology of molar-tooth structures in Precambrian carbonates: Influence of substrate rheology and implications for genesis

Journal of Sedimentary Research

Volumn 76, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 310-323

  Pollock, Mark D ^a   Kah, Linda C ^a   Bartley, Julie K ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

BIOGEOCHEMISTRY; CARBONATION; DECAY (ORGANIC); FILLING; GAS INDUSTRY; GASES; LITHOLOGY; MOLECULES; MORPHOLOGY; SEAWATER; SEDIMENTOLOGY;

ELEVATED CONCENTRATIONS; HOMOGENEOUS SUBSTRATES; LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS; ORGANIC DECOMPOSITION; PETROGRAPHIC EXAMINATIONS; SEDIMENTARY ORGANIC MATTER; SEDIMENTARY SUBSTRATES; TEMPORAL RESTRICTIONS;

SUBSTRATES;

CARBONATE ROCK; CRACK; PRECIPITATION (CHEMISTRY); PROTEROZOIC;

EID: 33644842597     PISSN: 15271404     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2110/jsr.2006.021     Document Type: Article

References (63)

1. Anderson, A.L., and Hampton, L.D., 1980, Acoustics of gas-bearing sediments: Acoustical Society of America, Journal, v. 67, p. 1865-1903.
2. Bartley, J.K., 1996, Actualistic taphonomy of cyanobacteria: implications for the Precambrian fossil record: Palaios, v. 11, p. 571-586.
3. carb coupling, and the Proterozoic carbon isotope record: Geology, v. 32, p. 129-132.
4. Bartley, J.K., Knoll, A.H., Grotzinger, J.P., and Sergeev, V.N., 2000, Lithification and fabric genesis in precipitated stromatolites and associated peritidal carbonates, Mesoproterozoic Billyakh Group, Siberia, in Grotzinger, J.P., and James, N.P., eds., Carbonate Sedimentation and Diagenesis in the Evolving Precambrian World: SEPM, Special Publication 67, p. 59-73.
5. Bauerman, H., 1885, Report on the geology of country near the forty-ninth parallel of the north latitude west of the Rocky Mountains: Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress 1882-84, pt. B, p. 1-42.
6. Bell, R.T., 1966. Precambrian rocks of the Tuchodi Lakes map-area, northeastern British Columbia, Canada [unpublished Ph.D. thesis]: Princeton University, 138 p.
7. Bishop, J.W., and Sumner, D.Y., 2002, Constraints on molar tooth structure from the Neoarchean Monteville Formation (abstract): Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 34, p. 335.
8. Boudreau, B.P., Algar, C., Johnson, B.D., Croudace, I., Reed, A., Furukawa, Y., Dorgan, K.M., Jumars, P.A., Grader, A.S., and Gardiner, B.S., 2005, Bubble growth and rise in soft sediments: Geology, v. 33, p. 517-520.
9. Briggs, K.B., and Richardson, M.D., 1996, Variability in in situ shear strength of gassy muds: Geo-Marine Letters, v. 16, p. 189-195.
10. Calver, C.R., and Baillie, P.W., 1990, Early diagenetic concretions associated with intrastratal shrinkage cracks in an upper Proterozoic dolomite, Tasmania, Australia: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 60, p. 293-305.
11. Chang, C.S., and Duncan, J.M., 1983, Consolidation analysis for partly saturated soil using an elastic-plastic effective stress-strain model: International Journal of Numerical Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, v. 7, p. 39-55.
12. Cowan, C.A., and James, N.P., 1992, Diastasis cracks: mechanically generated synaeresis-like cracks in the Upper Cambrian shallow water oolite and ribbon carbonates: Sedimentology, v. 39, p. 1101-1118.
13. Crawford, J.C., and Kah, L.C., 2004, Investigating the origin of Precambrian molar-tooth carbonate (abstract): Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, p. 251.
14. Daly, R.A., 1912, Geology of the North American Cordillera at the forty-ninth parallel: Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 38.
15. Demicco, R.V., and Hardie, L.A., 1994, Sedimentary Structures and Early Diagenetic Features of Shallow Marine Carbonate Deposits: SEPM, Atlas Series, v. 1, p. 68-71.
16. Dickinson, S.R., Henderson, G.E., and McGrath, K.M., 2002, Controlling the kinetic versus thermodynamic crystallization of calcium carbonate: Journal of Crystal Growth, v. 244, p. 369-378.
17. Droser, M.L., Gehling, J.G., and Jenson, S., 1999, When the worm turned: concordance of Early Cambrian ichnofabric and trace-fossil record in siliciclastic rocks of South Australia: Geology, v. 27, p. 625-628.
18. Dunham, R.J., 1969, Early vadose silt in Townsend mound (reef), New Mexico, in Friedman, G.M., ed., Depositional Environments in Carbonate Rocks: SEPM, Special Publication 14, p. 139-181.
19. Eby, D.E., 1977. Sedimentation and early diagenesis within eastern portions of the "Middle Belt Carbonate Interval" (Helena Formation), Belt Supergroup (Precambrian Y), western Montana [unpublished Ph.D. thesis]: State University of New York: Stony Brook, 712 p.
20. Evans, K.V., Aleinikoff, J.N., Obradovich, J.D., and Fanning, C.M., 2000, SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology of volcanic rocks, Belt Supergroup, western Montana: evidence for rapid deposition of sedimentary strata: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 37, p. 1287-1300.
21. Fairchild, I.J., Einsele, G., and Song, T., 1997, Possible seismic origin of molar tooth structures in Neoproterozoic carbonate ramp deposits, north China: Sedimentology, v. 44, p. 611-636.
22. Ferm, J.B., Erlich, R., Kranz, R.L., and Park, W.C., 1990, The relationship between petrographic image analysis data and fracture toughness: Association of Engineering Geologists Bulletin, v. 27, p. 327-339.
23. Floodgate, G.D., and Judd, A.G., 1992, The origins of shallow gas: Continental Shelf Research, v. 12, p. 1145-1156.
24. Frank, T.D., and Lyons, T.W., 1998, "Molar-tooth" structures: A geochemical perspective on a Proterozoic enigma: Geology, v. 26, p. 683-686.
25. Furniss, G., Rittel, J.F., and Winston, D., 1998, Gas bubble and expansion crack origin of "molar-tooth" calcite structures in the Middle Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, western Montana: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 68, p. 104-114.
26. Gardiner, B.S., Boudreau, B.P., and Johnson, B.D., 2003, Growth of disk-shaped bubbles in sediments: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 67, p. 1485-1494.
27. Grotzinger, J.P., 1986, Shallowing-upward cycles of the Wallace Formation, Belt Supergroup, northwestern Montana and northern Idaho, in Roberts, S.M., ed., A Guide to Proterozoic Rocks of Western Montana and Adjacent Areas: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, Special Publication 94, p. 143-160.
28. Grotzinger, J.P., 1989, Facies and evolution of Precambrian carbonate depositional systems: emergence of the modern platform archetype, in Crevello, P.D., Wilson, J.J., Sarg, J.F., and Read, J.F., eds., Controls on Carbonate Platform and Basin Development: SEPM, Special Publication 44, p. 79-106.
29. Grotzinger, J.P., and Knoll, A.H., 1999, Stromatolites in Precambrian carbonates: evolutionary mileposts or environmental dipsticks?: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 27, p. 313-358.
30. Hofmann, H.J., 1985, The mid-Proterozoic Little Da1 macrobiota, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Canada: Palaeontology, v. 28, p. 331-354.
31. Horodyski, R.J., 1976, Stromatolites of the upper Siyeh Limestone (Middle Proterozoic), Belt Supergroup, Glacier National Park, Montana: Precambrian Research, v. 3, p. 517-536.
32. Horodyski, R.J., 1983, Sedimentary geology and stromatolites of the Middle Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, Glacier National Park, Montana: Precambrian Research, v. 20, p. 391-425.
33. James, N.P., Narbonne, G.M., and Sherman, A.B., 1998, Molar-tooth carbonates: shallow subtidal facies of the Mid- to Late Proterozoic: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 68, p. 716-722.
34. Johnson, B.D., Boudreau, B.P., Gardiner, B.S., and Maass, R., 2002, Mechanical response of sediments to bubble growth: Marine Geology, v. 187, p. 347-363.
35. Jørgensen, B.B., Nelson, D.C., and Ward, D.M., 1992, Chemotrophy and decomposition in microbial mats, in Schopf, J.W., and Klein, C., eds., The Proterozoic Biosphere; A Multidisciplinary Study: New York, Cambridge University Press, p. 287-293.
36. Kah, L.C., and Knoll, A.H., 1996, Microbenthic distribution of Proterozoic tidal flats: environmental and taphonomic considerations: Geology, v. 24, p. 79-82.
37. Kah, L.C., Lyons, T.W., and Chesley, J.T., 2001, Geochemistry of a 1.2 Ga carbonate-evaporite succession, northern Baffin and Bylot Islands: implications for Mesoproterozoic marine evolution: Precambrian Research, v. 111, p. 203-234.
38. Kile, D.E., Eberl, D.D., Hoch, A.R., and Reddy, M.M., 2000, An assessment of calcite crystal growth mechanisms based on crystal size distributions: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 64, p. 2937-2950.
39. Kitamura, M., 2002, Controlling factor of polymorphism in crystallization process: Journal of Crystal Growth, v. 237-239, p. 2205-2214.
40. 2-clathrate destabilization: a new model of formation for molar tooth structures: Precambrian Research, v. 129, p. 325-341.
41. Mechalas, B.J., 1974, Pathways and environmental requirements for biogenic gas production, in Kaplan, I.R., ed., Natural Gasses in Marine Sediments: New York, Plenum Press, p. 11-25.
42. Mitchener, H., and Torfs, H., 1996, Erosion of mud/sand mixtures: Coastal Engineering, v. 29, p. 1-25.
43. Moussine-Pouchkine, A., and Bertrand-Sarfati, J., 1997, Tectonosedimentary subdivisions in the Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian cover of the Taoudenni basin (Algeria-Mauritania-Mali): Journal of African Earth Sciences, v. 24, p. 426-443.
44. Naka, K., and Chujo, Y., 2001, Control of crystal nucleation and growth of calcium carbonate by synthetic substrates: Chemical Materials, v. 13, p. 3245-3259.
45. 3 in aqueous solution: Chemical Communications, p. 1931-1932.
46. O'Connor, M.P., 1972, Classification and environmental interpretation of the cryptalgal organosedimentary "molar-tooth" structure from the Late Precambrian Belt-Purcell Supergroup: Journal of Geology, v. 80, p. 592-610.
47. Okusa, S., 1985, Wave-induced stresses in unsaturated marine sediments: Géotechnique, v. 35, p. 517-532.
48. Pope, M.C., Bartley, J.K., Knoll, A.H., and Petrov, P.Y., 2003, Molar-tooth structures in calcareous nodules, early Neoproterozoic Burovaya Formation, Turukhansk Region, Siberia: Sedimentary Geology, v. 158, p. 235-248.
49. Pratt, B.R., 1998, Molar-tooth structure in Proterozoic carbonate rocks: Origin from synsedimentary earthquakes, and implications for the nature and evolution of basins and marine sediment: Geological Society of America, Bulletin, v. 110, p. 1028-1045.
50. Pratt, B.R., 2001, Oceanography, bathymetry and syndepositional tectonics of a Precambrian intracratonic basin: integrating sediments, storms, earthquakes and tsunamis in the Belt Supergroup (Helena Formation, ca. 1.45 Ga), western North America: Sedimentary Geology, v. 141-142, p. 371-394.
51. Shields, G.A., 2002, "Molar-tooth microspar": a chemical explanation for its disappearance ∼ 750 Ma: Terra Nova, v. 14, p. 108-113.
52. Sills, G.C., and Gonzalez, R., 2001, Consolidation of naturally gassy soft soil: Géotechnique, v. 51, p. 629-639.
53. Sills, G.C., Wheeler, S.J., Thomas, S.D., and Gardner, T.N., 1991, Behaviour of offshore soils containing gas bubbles: Géotechnique, v. 41, p. 227-241.
54. Smith, G.A., 1968, The origin and deformation of some "molar-tooth" structures in the Precambrian Belt-Purcell Supergroup: Journal of Geology, v. 76, p. 426-443.
55. Smith, S.V., and Winston, D., 1997, Formation of cracks in subaqueous fluid mud by solitary waves, central Louisiana Gulf of Mexico coast (abstract): Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 29, p. 440.
56. Terzaghi, K., 1944. Theoretical Soil Mechanics: London, Wiley, 510 p.
57. Wheeler, S.J., 1988, A conceptual model for soils containing large gas bubbles: Géotechnique, v. 38, p. 389-397.
58. Whelan, T., Coleman, J.M., Suhayda, J.N., and Roberts, H.H., 1977, Acoustical penetration and shear strength in gas-charged sediment: Marine Geotechnology, v. 2, p. 147-159.
59. Winston, D., 1986, Sedimentology of the Ravalli Group, Middle belt Carbonate and Missoula Group, Middle Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, Montana, Idaho, and Washington, in Roberts, S.M., ed., A Guide to Proterozoic Rocks of Western Montana and Adjacent Areas: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, Special Publication 94, p. 143-160.
60. Winston, D., and Link, P.K., 1993, Middle Proterozoic rocks of Montana, Idaho, and eastern Washington: The Belt Supergroup, in Reed, J.C., Bickford, M.E., Houston, R.S., Link, P.K., Rankin, D.W., Sims, P.K., and Van Schums, W.R., eds., Precambrian: Conterminous U.S.: The Geology of North America, v. C-2: Geological Society of America, Decade of North American Geology, p. 487-517.
61. Winston, D., and Lyons, T., 1997, Sedimentary cycles in the St. Regis, Empire and Helena formations of the Middle Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, northwestern Montana, in Link, P.K., ed., Geologic Guidebook to the Belt-Purcell Supergroup, Glacier National Park and Vicinity, Montana and Adjacent Canada, Field Trip Guidebook for the Belt Symposium III Whitefish: Montana, p. 21-51.
62. Winston, D., Woods, M., and Byer, G.B., 1984, The case for an intracratonic Belt-Purcell basin: tectonic, stratigraphic and stable isotopic considerations, in McBane, J.D., and Garrison, P.B., eds., Northwest Montana and Adjacent Canada: Montana Geological Society, Field Conference Symposium, p. 103-118.
63. Young, G.M., and Long, D.G.F., 1977, Carbonate sedimentation in a late Precambrian shelf sea, Victoria Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 47, p. 943-955.